Hi Rich

Thank you for posting this information and link. I've been a bit slow off the blocks here ... hearing what's going on around me but not realising the impact it might have on myself and others in similar circumstances.

Really starting to get very concerned about what's going on. We have no savings left, no prospect of a family holiday, repairs to house needed and probably very soon not even enough money to live off It's making me a most sad person.

Lyn x

all very worrying ,

and with changes to the NHS , and legal aid ..even more so .
The changes are so drastic for everything that once in force it will be impossible to go back , no matter which Party is in power.
The risk you take if you lie ... is a huge one.. especially over a number of years , with fraud charges and overpayment payback in the 10's and 100's of thousands in some cases.

Error and non take up of benefits is a far lager issue than that of people fraudulently claiming .. despite the successive Governments and the press highlighting benefit cheats.

Rich :)

Thanks, Rich, for posting this link. It is indeed scary. Really wish I could get to London to join the protest, but it just wont be possible. However, I have already started to make a nuisance of myself with our local MP and suggest we all do the same

hi

I have had a look at this stuff and think it is all very frightening. I cant see what can be done about it really. As with all of these things, it seems the hardest hit are the poor and sick. mainly because that is what government does have responsibility for- the poor and sick and if they have to cut money then that is who its going to effect. its a no brainer really.

I have to say that actually its not all doom and gloom out there. There are some amazing social enterprise schemes that are supplying arguably better services that the statutory bodies have ever done.

My issue with the voluntary or social enterprise sector taking over is that it is all very well for the socially advantaged retired folk, or people who have more time by virtue of not having work to do, but in reality there are a lot of people in this world who do not have this advantage and tend to live in areas where there isnt a lot of voluntary support/ not for profit support. plus, locally here we have a VERY reluctant NHS and Local Authority who are terrified of change and letting anyone else in to run anything.

None of the political parties have a handle on this it seems to me. You cannot have a big hole in the money pot and pretend its not there. I understand that. I understand that you cannot go on spending to oblivion. I cant see how we are ever going to claw any money back from the people that we all bought out of trouble. I think the systems are very entrenched (thinking civil service- "yes minister" culture that still is going on) and unfair to ordinary folk who dont have access to clever accountants and lawyers.

We are fortunate to live in a country with a welfare state however much we moan about it. We dont like something we can protest and appeal with relative freedom. Lets not be suicidal over the cuts, I know for some reading this it will terrify them.

My Gran (bless her!) is 84. She has lived a bit! and sadly most of it with crippling RA. She says this re benefits/ government cuts.

"It all comes in and goes out again. They will do all the cuts and then there is uproar and they reinstate things in a cackhanded way that doesnt make sense to anyone. then someone says "we need professional services to administrate this fairly" and within a couple of parliaments the council is back! At the end of the day, the wealthy well will always do better in life- unless of course you read the daily mail!"

My Gran is spot on I think! (she does actually read the daily mail from time to time- mum tries to keep it away from her because last time she got in a tissy, concerned about the hoodies young people, who are all young and so obese as they play computer games all day long and are going to attack her and try and convert her to Islam.. .)

Jenni

PS I think she might be going to the protest- she has already got the oldies out of their sheltered housing up the council about the cuts to their bus. Now they are going to loose the DLA mobility she is off to see the MP next week!!! She is one heck of a lady!

Hi Rich and anybody else who is up to speed with these changes!!


Am I right in saying that this does not apply to anyone who is over the age of 65. In my case I am 65 this year and receive a small amount for personal care only. I, like everyone else would not like to lose my allowance, it helps towards the extra heating I need on in the winter months.

Regards Val

BUMP ... just in case some of you missed it ......
The hardest Hit march/rally/lobby .. fighting the cuts to Disability Benefits .
London 11th May 2011 DETAILS HERE


Rich :)

I work for a charity and the future is this:-

Statutory services will all go to tender. Local authorities will only deliver to the most needy.
Contracts will be awarded via a competitive tendering process.
Charities/voluntary sector organisations (except the big ones) are rubbish at tendering for and managing contracts.
The private sector win all the contracts (just look at the Work Programme).

Then the following will happen:-
The private sector will sub-contract the services to the voluntary sector to deliver for peanuts on a results-only basis. Care, concern, humanity and all the other things the sector is known for will go in favour of hitting targets.
The voluntary sector will not manage contracts well because they're still new at it, and prefer the end service to number crunching.
The private sector will withdraw all voluntary sector sub-contracts because of 'poor performance' and deliver the services for a profit ie on the cheap, with little care for the person at the receiving end.

Whoever wins, we lose. Simples.

I know this because I've been involved in tendering and am a contract compliance/monitoring bod. The Work Programme is a nightmare. Everything's gone to the private sector. They're not involving the voluntary sector at all and we've been told this - don't call us, we'll call you, but don't expect a call. That's verbatim.

What hints of interest we have had have come from private sector companies a little out of their depth. They need our help but want us to take the risk. The risk is this - get a long term unemployed, or disabled, or person with mental health issues into employment. Keep them there for 6 months minimum. Then we get paid. The client group they want our sector to work with are very high risk (ie difficult to keep in work through no fault of their own), need a lot of support beforehand and need a lot of support during their employment. The employers aren't prepared to give that support so we have to take on that cost. Financially, it's not viable, but we have no choice in the matter. We need the peanuts.

My cousin works with personal budgets and she reports people going off and spending the money on whores, golf clubs, holidays and parties. There's little support to help people spend their money wisely and there's nothing to stop them spending it stupidly if they do. The situation is absolutely ridiculous, a complete mess.