End The Silence-meeting271104

Why the meeting was called

During the Summer, we became aware of a number of stories, highlighting the prevalence of disability benefits and specifically that of incapacity benefit. They were along the lines of ‘millions of scroungers receiving massive benefits while doing nothing’. Our intuition was that a big purge on welfare was coming, particularly on the chronically ill with ‘invisible’ disabilities, we were right!: Andrew Smith, the Works and Pension minister partly resigned because of the cuts that were being touted. The new ministers, Milburn and Johnson being Hatchetmen have no such scruples and as a report in The Telegraph documents, ‘everything is up for grabs’ and the Observer reports:

‘Fewer carrots, more of the stick’

Alan Milburn will have a new target in his sights: the 2.7 million people who claim incapacity benefit

Heather Stewart, Sunday September 12, 2004, The Observer

http://observer.guardian.co.uk/business/story/0,6903,1302415,00.html

'Downing Street is drawing up plans for a crackdown on the sickness culture which has left almost three million Britons on long-term benefits, arguing that many have been left to languish and could be helped back to work’

These proposed cuts coming on top of many years of changes/cuts by stealth may be the final straw for the well being of disabled/chronically. It is very very hard to get such benefits ‘at present’ and we know of many very ill people who have been refused.

Media Mis-representations

Unfortunately the media is now really running with the issue. Recently, Tonight with Trevor McDonald had a half hour special on ‘disability benefit fraud’. However, about 4 years ago the former DSS Social Policy Unit after 3 years research found that there was an estimated underclaim for DLA/AA of around 40% and over 200,000 claimants come off DLA each year since they have only had a temporary disability due to for example an industrial accident or illness that responds to treatment, including surgery. In real terms claims for IB are only slightly up on what they were 20 years ago.

Our big question may be: in the fourth richest country why are they attacking the most vulnerable and why is there such a lack of interest from progressive forces and indeed the general public in such issues. Remember, anyone can become ill or disabled……?