Green Paper Discussion - includes accessible formats and consultation event sign up links!

Hi @noonebelieves

It's called "putting the world to rights" lol 😁 I love that mental picture in my mind, I've got a feeling that I'm going to keep conjuring it up whenever we write a long post to each other, which is most of them! Cheers 🍻 😃

I hope that your physio (finally) went well and you are making more progress with your slow recovery. 💪

I'm afraid I've had these seizures for 20 odd years. They're not likely to go, I'm afraid. 😕 Well, it seems better to me to be pragmatic about it. It's better than making myself miserable with the situation. That has struck what you said, "we've become experts at enduring what would crush most others" That is true of both of us and so many in this community.

I was speaking from experience, when referring to the gentleman at A&E. My Dad passed away at the age of 85 after a fall at home, breaking his hip. He was devastated. When I joined my Mum to visit him, (I had to travel about 200 miles on public transport to see him) a few days later in hospital, he had been operated on and had already lost several stone in weight. I was truly shocked by his appearance. 😮 He died a few weeks later, shortly after I'd returned home,after another week up there. Mum went every day and was there when he died. 😔 I do hope our gentleman is faring better than that. Well, you can but hope. 🙏

Stephen Timms is a traitor as far as I'm concerned. 😡 I was reading an article in the Canary about how utterly obnoxious he is today.

https://www.thecanary.co/uk/analysis/2025/04/10/dwp-pip-eligibility-criteria/

I think you will find it worth reading. I do agree that we have been betrayed by another so called "Labour" enemy of the disabled.

They seem to want short term savings, not meaningful reforms. Each government has the attitude of, leave the mess for the next government to sort out, especially as they know they won't get back in again.

On the other hand they want to be the right wing government that all but wiped out disabled people, stealing Reforms thunder before they get into power. Sadly, I think that scenario is inevitable. 😤

Absolutely, benefits are not extras, they are vital support and not to be compared to children's pocket money like that fool of an MP and the other fool at 11 Downing Street, have done!! I had a look at the debate, it IS long! I've saved the link and I will give you my option on it. 👍 😊

It's said that here in the UK we have the worst attitude to people with disabilities, anywhere in the developed world, I think that it's due to our strict class system, having a monarchy 👑 plus, of course, 45 odd years of neoliberalism, treated here like a quasi religion with Margaret Thatcher being treated as a right wing icon. 🤮 (I had to put the vomiting emoji on again lol)

Well, anyway, this bunch of shysters that we have in now seem to have gone into competition with the Tories and as I mentioned Reform to outdo them both on just how much they can grind us into oblivion. The the majority of people in power and the establishment just stand by as these appalling human rights abuses are done to us.

Even the law is ignored in the persute of of outdoing the competition. We are mocked, gaslighted and sidelined to reduce our resistance levels, so they think that taking our benefits away will be like taking candy from a baby. (They got that one wrong!! 💪) Making much of there being a consultation when it's nonexistant for the truly necessary stuff like for PIP 4 points and the removal of the LCWRA and keep moving the goal posts on tickets for the virtual events so nobody is able to attend.

This consultation will take a long time to do throughly but no, don't give other MPs enough information on which to make a judgement before voting or wait for the OBR to do their part. They are even going to put it through on an Act of Parliament so high court action will have to be taken before the end of July.

I was again struck by you stating "They don't just cut our benefits, they deny us the dignity and peace we deserve, as if our lives are expendable."

Also, " You're right, they really are making our lives a living hell. All we want is a peaceful, stable life. A life where we are not punished for simply existing. But they won't allow that, will they? "

Those truly due say it all, summing it all up in a nutshell. This terrifying ruining of human beings lives and still others either look away or are ignorant of the facts or simply don't care whats happening.

I have a nickname for what successive governments have done to us, over the years. The Hidden Holocaust. What else could it be?😢

I didn't realise that you spent so much time in bed. That is something we have in common with our health conditions. What you don't need or deserve is the gnawing feeling that comes from being unable to buy enough to eat or from gnawing fear of a very uncertain, frightening future.

We should not be living like this in the fifth largest economy in the world! 🌍 We shouldn't be living in a country where we couldn't ever have imagined things ever getting as bad as this!! 😱

I took your tip before sending my email to my MP today by putting in all the approximate amounts of what we would lose in benefits, to the proposals. I also put them down in annual amounts so they were in thousands of pounds for maximum effect.

My partner and I have already worked out what's going to happen to us in the years to come, if this comes about but my word, it was really alarming to see the losses put down like that.....🫣

Thank you for that though, money is one of the few things on their radar. The cost of everything and the value of nothing, as it's said. 🤑😠

It is encouraging to see our legal representatives getting ready to act shortly. However, they don't have much time and neither do we. We have to do everything we can in every way possible before the 30th June. That's only around six weeks left. We must all make every day we can do something count.

You are SO right there. "A proposal not built with disabled people must never be passed over us."

Nothing about us without us!! in other words!! 🤗

I believe that knowledge IS power. It's stood me in good stead for many years now and I have a need of knowledge, greater than I've ever know before. I enjoy giving others the benefit of that knowledge. I find it amazing what I learn from others here too, especially you.

Your own great knowledge, inspiring support, kindness and encouragement to all really does help to keep me going at this most challenging of times. You cannot know just how grateful I am to you. 👌👏💪😃

Look after yourself though. You are contributing so much to this cause and touching so many lives with your outstanding positivity but you mustn't make yourself even more ill than you already are with this. You must look after you first. You must treat yourself as kindly as you do us. 🫶😊

I will have to answer your other post that you sent to me earlier this evening in the New Green Paper Discussion thread, in the morning. That's the problem, we do get carried away when we start chatting!! 😆

Indeed,

🤝 In solidarity always! ✊

I was wondering if this was what you were on about @WhatThe - as I remembered that there was no extra money for those found LCW unless they'd already been in receipt of this prior to April 2017: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/universal-credit-changes-to-limited-capability-for-work-payments/changes-to-limited-capability-for-work-payments-in-universal-credit

If I'm on the right track (apologies if not), then the extra amount payable prior to this date continued for a UC claimant who had been found immediately prior to claiming UC to be in the WRAG for ESA.

Disheartening to see somewhat similar rhetoric from then to now, if that's the case: https://www.disabilityrightsuk.org/esa-wrag-cut-briefing

I am one of the alone disabled, I exist in my living room as I can’t use the upstairs bedrooms anymore, I am a fighter though, I adapt and I do the best I can. I refused social worker offer to help because my independence is all I have left. I won’t get 4 points, I like many many others will lose a vast chunk of social security support and will be destroyed. I won’t be able to go out to job centre, I will be sanctioned and I will be made homeless. Believe me when I say I’m worried sick, I am scared and have never felt more alone.

I am really sorry to hear of how much worry and stress you are going through Martin. It isn't fair at all and as I said Labour should be very ashamed of what they are doing to the most vulnerable people in our country. All we can hope is that they give some sort of transitional protection to people who lose money, it is discrimination pure and simple against a protected group of people and existing claimants cannot be left destitute with no way to support themselves. If they refuse to give transitional protection then they will end up with a situation of so many people being homeless and then local councils and other services will be under immense pressure. The NHS will be under more pressure as anxiety will be thrugh the roof for most people, I don't think they have really thought this through and what the knock on effects will be.

Take care of yourself Martin. You are not alone, people do care and we will all support eachother.

Actually @noonebelieves I'm one of those now in the Scope Community who when I was alone, felt very overwhelmed and scared!! 😮 That is what we are all here for, to enjoy the transformational support that we generate for each other. 😊

I'm just a small cog in a much larger machine in this community but it gives me a real boost to read your very kind and complementary feedback on my actions. I'm glad that you think that I'm making such a positive difference in this community. That's the whole idea!! 🤗

I think, like you, that the positivity is increasing here. Despair and anger are turning to the community members being much more upbeat and proactive. It's great to see how much the attitude towards these cuts has turned from apathy to much greater motivation, resulting in many positive steps being taken. 👣

You mentioned stepping in when someone's feeling low. That is the most important thing we can do. Fighting back against this massive injustice is impossible if people are feeling so hopeless about the situation, they can't see a way forward.

Having someone else's encouragement will help change someone's perspective for the better, then and only then can they take action, which benefits them, therefore us all.

I read all sorts of posts where you are doing this yourself. I love seeing how you bring the people concerned out of their shells, helping to build them up. You really do have a wonderful talent for that!! 😃🤝👏

Please keep on doing what you're doing yourself. I certainly will! ✊

I hope that your day is a good one and, as ever, my best wishes to you.

Juls. 😊

Yes, even as far back as when they were last in government, Labour had the same ideology. They introduced ESA.

The crazy thing as well, back then they said "ESA assessment focused on what you can do not what you cant do".

Today they say "The problem is the assessment focuses on what you cant do, not what you can do", the very assessment they brought in.

These phrases mean ideologically, Labour do not accept that the idea that people are unable to work because of things they cant do. They are ideologically opposed to it.

Kendall was the most well known traitor under Corbyn's Labour party. Which should tell everyone they need to know about her.

Very recently in an interview Keir said he believes the majority affected by the cuts will find employment, so he is under the same delusional ideology.

The equivalent to this for employees would be SSP and sick pay is scrapped, and people are forced to stay at work when they have health problems, rather than take sick leave.

@jul1aorways

Hey Juls,
Well… what? Is it that time already for “putting the world to rights”? 🤩I proper love that phrase now – it’s become our thing, hasn’t it? And you always bring the soul into it. I’m grateful as ever for your response and the way you just get it.
Thanks for your compliments, though I still don’t feel I deserve them! But I know you always say I’m too modest, so I’ll take them this time 🙏🏽☺️

I’ll start off with a quick correction – my physio was actually moved to the 17th, not the 11th. Brain fog wins again! It’s not my shoulder this time but that god-awful neuropathic pain flaring up again. One of those days where just breathing feels like effort. Thanks again for your kind wishes for my recovery and wellbeing!

I really felt something shift reading your bit on your seizures. You’re right – there’s a deep kind of acceptance that doesn’t mean giving up. Just managing the beast day in, day out. You’ve nailed that. It reminded me of something I said previously – that, as disabled people -we’ve become experts at enduring what would crush most others. I do still sometimes cling to the hope that we’ll wake up one day and it’ll all vanish – the pain, the politics, the poverty – just for a day’s peace. But maybe the real miracle is that we and many on this scope forum still stand, still speak, still care. It’s really like magic to see how positive vibes spread and lifts the energy of everyone around us -the whole ethos of the Scope Forum.🥰Kudos to all 👏👏

Hearing about your father hit me in the chest. I’m so sorry for your loss!😔. Thank you for trusting me with that. So much of it echoed what I went through during the first COVID-19 pandemic wave when I lost my own father. The shock of it, that brutal finality-you’re left clutching at memories that weren’t supposed to be ‘lasts’. But the image of your Mum visiting every day… that kind of love is eternal, isn’t it? ☺️It transcends even the cruelty of hospital corridors and ticking clocks.

And yes -“traitor” is the perfect title for Stephen Timms. It’s not just political betrayal -it’s personal . It hurts. I don’t know about you, but seeing Starmer, Reeves and Kendall parade their toxic “trio” act – it’s triggering in ways that go far beyond policy. They’re like those horror-movie vampires – smiling while draining the last bit of life (or money) from us. The irony? They’ve weaponised our will to live and called it ‘helping us get back to work’.🫢Your green vomit emoji’s too classy for them. 

Juls, Thanks for sharing the link to the Canary news: To sum it all up, hearing Richard Burgon, their own Labour MP, speak out-

“Labour could have chosen to tax the unfathomably wealthy.Instead, they’re using disabled people as an easy target”

really highlights the cruelty of the Labour government. It’s a stark reminder of how deeply misguided their approach is, and how they are exploiting vulnerable and disabled people for political gain-like hungry wolves circling, eager to tear away a hefty £4.5 billion from the welfare benefits budget, to be precise.

I want to make sure every Scope member here sees what’s really happening(nothing new!!), so here’s some statistical facts I hope we can all use in our letters and responses(I summarised key issues from FRS)  - whether you’re writing to your MP or replying to this sham consultation:

“Disability prevalence has risen steadily, now encompassing 16.1 million people, or 24% of the UK population. This includes 11% of children and 23% of working-age adults, with mobility impairments being the most common (48%) followed by mental health challenges (34%). Among working-age adults, mental health conditions are now the most prevalent impairment type at 47%. Despite this, disabled individuals face stark inequalities: lower employment rates (53.6% compared to 82.5% for non-disabled people), higher poverty rates (27% vs. 19%), and reduced access to adequate housing.”

(Summarised from DWP Family Resources hSurvey(FRS): Financial Year 2022 to 2023 mentioned in the excellent House of Lords Debate, May 2024 -People with Disabilities: Access to Services)-warning: long but interesting debate (Thanks to @santosha12🙏🏽 for directing me to this debate)

These aren’t just numbers. They’re the scars we carry. If disability is rising, then how dare they talk about benefit cuts? Where is the access, the support, the basic decency? And let’s be clear - this rise isn’t because people have suddenly become lazy or “dependent,” as the government so cruelly suggests. I’ve shared this with Juls before, but it needs to be held up again in this green paper thread , for all of us - because the truth matters, and it should shape how we fight for our rights.

Inclusion London puts it best: 

“We live in a world that disables us through systemic barriers.Benefits are not ‘extras’ -they are essential support to help us survive, participate, and live.”

 More and more people are being pushed into disability, into poverty, hunger, homelessness — and that doesn’t happen in a vacuum. It’s the result of NHS backlogs, a social care system on its knees, SEND services gutted, inaccessible and unaffordable housing, and workplaces still unwilling to accommodate. This is not personal failure. This is structural violence. And it’s all happening on their watch.

Juls, you might be wondering why I’m repeating myself here-and I’m sorry if it feels that way-but it’s intentional. I wanted to give everyone here on this Scope thread the chance to truly see why we actually hold the upper hand in this fight. Because silence is exactly what they’re counting on-and accepting their narrative without resistance leads us down a path of consequences we shouldn’t ever have to face.

The Access to Work scheme, which is supposedly the crutch for their ‘work agenda’, is already collapsing and was shared in this thread by our members.The  BBC reported just yesterday that businesses employing disabled people are being left in limbo-waiting months for payments from the government, in some cases up to £200,000. Some are even being pushed to the brink of having to sack the very disabled workers they set out to support. This is a direct betrayal, compounding an already broken system. 

How do you expect people to “move into work” when the support systems are falling apart? 

The evidence is clear – mental health issues are more prevalent in working adults (47%), and the link is unmistakable. So tell me, how can anyone expect us to move forward when the proverbial wheelchair is broken, and no one is stepping up to fix it?

Then there’s this — straight from Benefits and Work -about how this entire sham of a proposal and “Non-consultation” is being circulated and branded by the government(there’s much more-have a read in the link above):

“In fact, this bogus consultation is entirely about silencing the voices of disabled people and people with health conditions. The reality is that the DWP under Labour is proving to be even more dishonest and devious than it was under the Tories.”

And the National Survivor User Network (NSUN)- Mental Health support network, didn’t mince words either:

“In the same statement which announced further welfare cuts, the Government celebrated its increase on military spending; some of which likely makes this government legally complicit in genocide.”

They warned the reforms could “exacerbate the harms of a welfare system that is already killing people.”( and much more…..)
This isn’t just political anymore. It’s moral to us . It’s life and death.

Juls, I know we joke about them almost being vampires🧛‍♂️🧛‍♀️🧛‍♀️🧛‍♂️ (guess the 4) and villains🦹‍♂️(Did I just say … Starmer?🤔)……maybe that’s what keeps us sane. But beyond the jokes between us, I feel your rage, and I now see the unity and strength💪🏻in everyone’s voice on this thread. It’s  so powerful, and it matters. I share it. I know how much love and fire you carry-for justice, for truth, and for those who’ve been pushed into corners and told to be grateful or, worse, told to just suck it all up. It’s infuriating, but it also fuels our fight. 🔥

We have to keep going, together. Because the system is betting on our silence – but we’ve got noise, heart, truth, and each other.❤️

So to you, and to every Scope member reading this – we’ve got little time to fight this. The consultation is open until June. However flawed this government may be, we must respond and oppose directly to the consultation . Share. Spread the truth. Copy the stats. Tell your story. Hold the mirror up to their lies.
Let’s not underestimate the power we have when we move as one -united, unafraid, and unwilling to be erased.

And Juls – I say this just to you now: Even when the system tries to grind us down, your words build people back up. Keep writing, keep roaring.You’re helping us all remember that we deserve better. 
Thank you for everything🙏🏽 🤗

In solidarity ✌️