Showing posts with label Iain Duncan Smith. Show all posts
How Iain Duncan Smith lives – compared with people who must live his policies by Kate Belgrave
How Iain Duncan Smith lives – compared with people who must live his policies by Kate Belgrave
Picture displayed by Street Democracy UK
Here’s Iain Duncan Smith’s weekend place, which was occupied last year by UK Uncut and Disabled People Against Cuts in a protest against the bedroom tax. It’s a very nice pile indeed. It comes with a tennis court, the sort of lake that Mr Darcy might emerge from in clinging pants, happy lambs and a very large house. Very. If you must lie around somewhere thinking of ways to piss the rest of the exchequer away on Universal Credit, then this is the place to do it:
For more click here: How Iain Duncan Smith lives – compared with people who must live his policies by Kate Belgrave
Picture displayed by Street Democracy UK
Here’s Iain Duncan Smith’s weekend place, which was occupied last year by UK Uncut and Disabled People Against Cuts in a protest against the bedroom tax. It’s a very nice pile indeed. It comes with a tennis court, the sort of lake that Mr Darcy might emerge from in clinging pants, happy lambs and a very large house. Very. If you must lie around somewhere thinking of ways to piss the rest of the exchequer away on Universal Credit, then this is the place to do it:
For more click here: How Iain Duncan Smith lives – compared with people who must live his policies by Kate Belgrave
64% more sleep on London streets due to coalition neglect by joehalewood
64% more sleep on London streets due to coalition neglect
by joehalewood Picture displayed by Street Democracy UK
Grant Shapps the Conservative Party Chair used to be the minister for housing and in 2009 when shadow minister in opposition constantly attacked the numbers of rough sleepers in London that Labour has allowed to happen. On taking office a press release said: As you can see Grant Shapps was a man of his word […]
Tag :
Bedroom Tax,
Benefits,
Corrupt Capitalism,
debt,
Disabled,
DWP,
Homeless,
Housing Issues,
Iain Duncan Smith,
Sign The Petition For An Inquiry Into The Benefit Sanctions That Killed David Clapson by johnny void
Sign The Petition For An Inquiry Into The Benefit Sanctions That Killed David Clapson
by johnny void
The family of David Clapson - the former soldier who recently died after his benefits were stopped as punishment for missing a meeting at the Jobcentre - have launched a petitioncalling for an inquiry into benefit sanctions.
In his sister's own words:
"My brother, David Clapson, a diabetic ex-soldier, died starving and destitute because he was penalised by the Job Centre for missing a meeting.
"David had his £71.70 weekly allowance stopped meaning that he couldn’t afford food or electricity. He was penniless, starving and alone. His electricity card was out of credit meaning the fridge where he should have kept his diabetes insulin chilled was not working. Three weeks after his benefits were stopped he died from diabetic ketoacidosis – caused by not taking his insulin.
"David wasn’t a “scrounger”. He had worked for 29 years; 5 years in the Army – including two years in Northern Ireland in the 1970s, during the height of the troubles – 16 years with British Telecom, eight years with various other companies, and in recent years was a carer for our sick mother. When mum went into a home, David turned to the state for help, receiving benefits while he looked for work and taking unpaid work placements.
"When he died he had just £3.44 to his name, six tea bags, a tin of soup and an out-of-date can of sardines. A coroner also found he had no food in his stomach.
"People turn to the state when they are in need - that is what the system is for - a safety net for hard working people like my brother when they need a bit of support. That £71.70 a week was his lifeline. To withhold it from him for missing one meeting is cruel. And the heartbreaking thing is that he was really trying. CVs for job applications were found near David’s body. He had been on work placements, passed his fork lift truck certificate and had been on a computer training course."
To read more and sign visit: http://www.change.org/
Please sign, share, tweet and blog this. Let's make sure this tragic story does not go away.
You can also sign the petition calling for benefits sanctions to be scrapped without exceptions.
Benefit sanctions: review published
Benefit sanctions: review published
Picture displayed by Street Democracy Uk
Jobseeker’s Allowance sanctions: review report and 17 recommendations (read online) –Government response - Government to update communications with benefit claimants
Discuss review at: http://unemploymentmovement.com/forum/chat-a-rap/10408-dwp-report-criticizes-sanctions
Guardian: Benefit sanctions hit most vulnerable people the hardest, DWP report says“Claimants not told about hardship system and benefit sanctions imposed when they were not at fault”
SNP: Benefit sanctions rocket at hands of Westminster “Lone parents have been hit the hardest, with a staggering 563 per cent increase in sanction since 2009.”
“4. CPAG is concerned that the terms of reference for this review appear to be narrower than what is required by legislation” http://refuted.org.uk/2014/01/10/cpagonsanctions/
For more click here:
Benefit sanctions: review published
Even The Work Programme Advisors Think It’s Shit by samedifference1
Even The Work Programme Advisors Think It’s Shit
by samedifference1 Picture displayed by Street Democracy UK
So yesterday morning I went to the Work Programme which I have been sent on by the Job Centre after I passed my ESA medical and was put in the "work group".
The "advisor" who held our induction session was very critical of the whole Work Programme and spent quite a bit of time slagging off the Job Centre for the way they are running it.
Government sneaks out report that lays bare damage wreaked by bedroom tax by kittysjones
Government sneaks out report that lays bare damage wreaked by bedroom tax
Cabinet reshuffle day is considered the perfect opportunity for government departments to bury bad news. And it’s surely too much of a coincidence that on this of all days, the Department for Work and Pensions has published its much-anticipated 163-page interim report of the impact of the Bedroom Tax. One of the most striking and damning findings is that disabled people are being unfairly and disproportionately affected, with seven out of ten households adversely affected having householders that are caring for someone with a disability.
The report also found difficulties among these 370,000 or so households in successfully claiming discretionary housing payments.The payments were intended to alleviate the effect of the policy among vulnerable groups. This policy is causing devastating hardship for the most vulnerable citizens.
Originally posted on Union-News.co.uk on 16th July 2014:
The TUC has accused the government of yesterday “shamefully” sneaking out a report on the bedroom tax that shows many affected tenants are being pushed into arrears.
For more click here for kittysjones:
Government sneaks out report that lays bare damage wreaked by bedroom tax
Newly unemployed and seriously ill will soon wait five weeks for benefit cash, says TUC
Newly unemployed and seriously ill will soon wait five weeks for benefit cash, says TUC
Picture displayed by Street Democracy UK
Most people who lose their jobs will soon have to wait five weeks before they get any cash help, according to small print in the Universal Credit rules uncovered by the TUC as it launches a new campaign today (Wednesday), Saving Our Safety Net. A YouGov poll reports opposition of almost four to one to the five-week wait.
Currently most newly unemployed people have to wait two weeks they get their first benefit payment. But under new Universal Credit rules people will not be eligible for any help for a week and must then wait a further month for their benefits to be paid in arrears. This means that, other than the few who receive emergency help, any new claimants will have to wait at least five weeks for any cash.
In a new report Universal Credit: the problem of delay in benefit payments published today (Wednesday), the TUC says that this new and deliberate delay to payments means that worries about money are likely to distract new claimants from looking for work, drive them into the hands of payday loan lenders and increase demand on food banks.
The new five-week wait will apply to anyone making a fresh claim for social security benefits, regardless of how long they have held their job or how much they have paid in National Insurance contributions.
Saving Our Safety Net launches today with a petition against the five-week wait. The campaign will highlight how government welfare reforms are undermining safety net protection for working people, which the TUC says is as much part of our welfare state as the NHS.
For more click here:
Newly unemployed and seriously ill will soon wait five weeks for benefit cash, says TUC
The bastard bedroom tax report by Joe Halewood, SPeye
The bastard bedroom tax report
Picture displayed by Street Democracy UK
Bastard n. – illegitimate
The Welfare Reform Act of which the bedroom tax is part had huge numbers of debates and I think was knocked back on 8 occasions (?) by the House of Lords before the coalition steamrollered it through using financial privilege. It received Royal Assent I recall in March 2012 and then in June 2012 the DWP published what it alleged was an impact assessment.
Any decision and one that involves radical change by any individual, organisation or government should be considered as to the impacts and consequences of that decision before the decision is taken. That is what an impact assessment does and is commonsense and also stating the obvious and it is an essential part of democracy and democratic legitimacy . Yet the June 2012 alleged impact assessment by the DWP into the bedroom tax stated it did not know what the impact of the bedroom tax policy would be on gender, race or disability.
I often get stereotyped as some ‘lefty’ against this coalition and especially against the bedroom tax yet those who make this false presumption clearly haven’t read how I constantly attacked the last Labour government over the Supporting People programme or SP which included being ‘asked’ to come into the ODPM as was now CLG and ‘asked’ to tone down my comments and offered employment by the department in order to silence my dissention to SP. In short, I challenge any policy of any government which shafts vulnerable people.
Check out my Twitter alter ego SpeyeJoe (yes keeping an eye of SP) and it reads: -
For more click here for Joe Halewood, SPeye:Housing consultant either a lateral thinker or i’m planking – hates ANY vulnerable people being shafted by ANY incompetent govt.
The bastard bedroom tax report
Tag :
Bedroom Tax,
Benefits,
debt,
DWP,
Financial Scarcity,
Homeless,
Housing Issues,
Iain Duncan Smith,
'He's Iain Duncan Ditched'
'He's Iain Duncan Ditched'
Gobby government adviser blabs about Duncan Smith demotion on afternoon train journey (Pictures displayed by Street Democracy UK)
A LOUD-MOUTHED government adviser blurted out that Tory Iain Duncan Smith is set be axed as Work and Pensions Secretary to a train carriage, a sharp-eared passenger told the Morning Star yesterday.
Sarah Quinney said a “very posh” young woman made the claim in a phone call to a political pal about the expected government reshuffle during a journey to London.
Ms Quinney explained how the woman who “obviously worked somewhere high up” brazenly blabbed about the futures of Mr Duncan Smith and current Employment Minister Esther McVey.
She told the Star: “She said very clearly that the reshuffle is happening on Monday. That Iain had been unhappy for a while and was happy to go.
“She said Iain had been very upset that the Treasury kept vetoing their ideas.
“She said, ‘you know Esther wants the job but was worried that she pissed too many people off.’ Those were her exact words.”
Ms Quinney said she couldn’t help but overhear the conversation during her hour-and-a-half trip from Chichester to London Victoria at around 4.40pm on Thursday.
The gossiping government insider is thought to be Department for Work and Pensions special advisor Romilly Dennys.
When shown a photo of Ms Dennys and asked to confirm it was the same woman on the train, Ms Quinney said: “It looks an awful lot like her. It really does.”
The advisEr also talked about how she was travelling back to London from a meeting with Tory Portsmouth South parliamentary hopeful Flick Drummond, her fellow passenger said.
“It was quite quiet on the train and she was talking very loudly,” said Ms Quinney.
“It was almost like she was showing off. A bit like ‘look at me, I’m important in politics kind of phone call.’
“All the way from Gatwick to Victoria, she was speaking to this chap. They were ‘going to have drinks after the reshuffle’ — which I thought was the best quote ever.”
Ms Quinney, who works as a theatre stage manager and is a member of entertainment union Bectu, said she “isn’t a political person.”
Tories discuss stripping benefits claimants who refuse treatment for depression
Tories discuss stripping benefits claimants who refuse treatment for depression
‘Hundreds of thousands of benefit claimants face being stripped of their state allowances if they refuse to undergo treatment for anxiety and depression, under radical plans being drawn up by ministers.
Existing welfare rules mean it is not possible to require claimants to have treatment, such as therapy or counselling, as a condition of receiving sickness benefits.
Senior ministers now believe the rules should be reviewed in order to reduce the “huge” numbers of people who are declared unfit for work due to mental health problems.’
The PIP chaos reveals the government’s contempt for disabled people
The PIP chaos reveals the government’s contempt for disabled people
‘Last year, when I was waiting for a double lung transplant, my life felt terrifyingly unpredictable. My lungs were failing, and it was tough to cope emotionally, but one factor that made things slightly easier was the quick process to secure disability living allowance (DLA). This allowed me to make immediate decisions about getting carers to help at home, having the heating on more, and taking taxis to appointments. It made a very difficult time that little bit more bearable.
Compare my experience to that of Malcolm Graham, a 56-year-old from Romford. He was diagnosed with oesophageal cancer in September 2013 and applied for personal independence payments (PIPs) on advice from Macmillan Cancer support and his local Citizens Advice. Pips are replacing DLA and are supposed to help people, whether in or out of work, to meet the extra costs their disability causes.’
Tories In 'Deliberate Deception' Over Universal Credit Claim
Tories In 'Deliberate Deception' Over Universal Credit Claim
TORY ministers were accused of a “deliberate act of deception” yesterday after claiming plans to roll out the universal credit (UC) benefit had Treasury support.
Prime Minister David Cameron and Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith both faced awkward questions in the Commons.
In a blistering attack across the dispatch box, shadow welfare reform minister Chris Bryant said the pair “misled” Parliament over whether the Treasury had approved their business case for UC.
Mr Cameron had said the budget for the scheme was signed-off annually by the Treasury.
But Mr Bryant said: “It’s depressing that this Tory minister and the Tory Prime Minister can’t tell the difference between an annual budget and a business case — it’s pretty straightforward.
“The same simple question has now been answered eight contradictory ways — not everybody can be telling the truth.
For more from Morning Star, click here: