Regular readers will be aware that I have been campaigning against the austerity cuts our government is imposing on the UK and the effect they are having on disabled people. The benefiits system is being changed, and the benefit I currently recieve is called Income Support, this is being phased out and everyone is being put onto the new disability benefit ESA. As this happens many disabled people are having their benefits cut or completely stopped as a result of being unfairly declared fit for work by the flawed capability assessment, at the same time as services for us are also being cut, a huge accident waiting to happen I'm sure you'll agree.
In fact things are already terrible, people are commiting suicide after having their benefits stopped or just from fear of having to go to the medical. Others have died from the stress of having to appeal whilst genuinely ill. I read only a couple of days about a woman who died as the stress of all these changes was too much, and a week later her mother also died after witnessing her daughters money being stopped and her eventual death at the stress of appealing.
There are many cases like the one I have mentioned above yet the government are still pressing ahead with these cuts to disability benefits, even though almost daily rich people are being exposed as tax evaders and bankers who have actually failed us terribly are still receiveing pay offs and bonuses.
I finally had my medical yesterday, it wasn't as bad as I thought as the asessment has been changed to suit people with mental illness better (previously everyone was given the same assessment regardless of their disability, which is grossly unfair to people with mental illness). So I wasn't asked to do any strange physical tests as others have, they just asked me about my mental health. The woman was really nice but it's not her decision what happens next. I will either be put into the "support" group where I will be repeated re-assessed but not have to go to the job center or be forced to try and find work.
Or I could be placed in the "Work related activity group" where I will have to go to work focused interviews and after a year my disability benefits will completely stop and I will have to sign on to the benefit designed for people who are fit to work.
If this happens then it will be the end for me as I am not fit to work, I've chronic anxiety based depression since childhood and as a result of that have social anxiety and insomnia. So I don't sleep, can't get up early and on some days can't even talk to anyone or leave the flat. Unemployment where I live is incredibly high compared to the rest of the country anyway so the chances of a woman who can't be on time for work or even come in some days beating someone who is in goood health are zero, I have no chance of finding work. In fact I don't even meet the criteria to sign on JSA so will probably end up homeless as my rent will not be paid.
I just have to pray it's the support group.
In fact things are already terrible, people are commiting suicide after having their benefits stopped or just from fear of having to go to the medical. Others have died from the stress of having to appeal whilst genuinely ill. I read only a couple of days about a woman who died as the stress of all these changes was too much, and a week later her mother also died after witnessing her daughters money being stopped and her eventual death at the stress of appealing.
There are many cases like the one I have mentioned above yet the government are still pressing ahead with these cuts to disability benefits, even though almost daily rich people are being exposed as tax evaders and bankers who have actually failed us terribly are still receiveing pay offs and bonuses.
I finally had my medical yesterday, it wasn't as bad as I thought as the asessment has been changed to suit people with mental illness better (previously everyone was given the same assessment regardless of their disability, which is grossly unfair to people with mental illness). So I wasn't asked to do any strange physical tests as others have, they just asked me about my mental health. The woman was really nice but it's not her decision what happens next. I will either be put into the "support" group where I will be repeated re-assessed but not have to go to the job center or be forced to try and find work.
Or I could be placed in the "Work related activity group" where I will have to go to work focused interviews and after a year my disability benefits will completely stop and I will have to sign on to the benefit designed for people who are fit to work.
If this happens then it will be the end for me as I am not fit to work, I've chronic anxiety based depression since childhood and as a result of that have social anxiety and insomnia. So I don't sleep, can't get up early and on some days can't even talk to anyone or leave the flat. Unemployment where I live is incredibly high compared to the rest of the country anyway so the chances of a woman who can't be on time for work or even come in some days beating someone who is in goood health are zero, I have no chance of finding work. In fact I don't even meet the criteria to sign on JSA so will probably end up homeless as my rent will not be paid.
I just have to pray it's the support group.
1 comment:
i'm keeping my fingers crossed for you. Similar things are happening here...
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