General Chat

George Osborne wants to take money away from people living with disabilities. [1]

The support he’s slashing, known as the Personal Independence Payment, is used by disabled people to help them live an independent life - for aids to help with things like washing and dressing. [2] In other words, money needed to live with dignity.

Conservative MPs are panicking. Some are already saying publicly that they don’t support taking this money away. [3] George Osborne is looking isolated, and one thing 38 Degrees members can do right now is show the public are against his cruel plans too.

We need to move fast. If thousands of us get behind a huge petition today, we can force George Osborne to do the right thing and keep this crucial support for disabled people.

Please will you add your name now?
This isn’t just a small cut to people's budgets - it means people with disabilities and their families losing £70 a week. It means losing the lifeline. Conservative MP Andrew Percy says these cuts hit “exactly the wrong people.” [5] He’s right! Add your name to the petition now:
https://secure.38degrees.org.uk/save-personal-independence-payments

PPS: If you or a loved one are likely to be affected by these cuts, there is support available.

Disability Rights UK have a useful factsheet on PIP: http://www.disabilityrightsuk.org/personal-independence-payment-pip
Carers UK can provide help and advice: http://www.carersuk.org/help-and-advice

The Citizens Advice Bureau can offer information on various benefits and where other financial help may be available: https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/

Signed Thank you Ann :-D :-D

signed Ann thank you,

Signed thanks for posting this

signed and as asked shared on Facebook, see it has already been picked up by a disabled (real) friend

Possibly good news -

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-35847611

...and now Iain Duncan Smith, the Work and Pensions minister, has resigned

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-35848687

I think a large bag of popcorn is required. Lets see the government get out of this one.

Andy

*opens champagne*

Several years too late, however. :-|

with my (currently) one working hand ( hence short reply) I punch the air and celebrate the one bit of good news of the day :-) :-)

I signed this when it was posted on FB.
I don't think there are any disabled members to my family, but I actually have 2!!
One has MS, but, thanks to a friend at University (who also has MS), she persuaded him to attend trials for a drug - Beta Interferon.
Because he was on the trials, my nephew has continued to take this.
He is now in his forties, has a responsible job, a wife and a child who is a year old in May.
His brother was diagnosed with Bi-polar while he was at University.
He was on strong anti-depressants, until about 2 years ago, when it transpired his bi-polar was actually Lyme Disease! That's what comes of living in the New Forest.
20 -odd years on, he's now trying to come off the (addictive) anti-depressants and take the drugs for Lyme Disease :-S

BUT - no-one in the family considers them disabled - they're just them!! :-D
Sometimes one may use a stick, the other be uncommunicative, but the general cry is 'You having a cr*p day?' No problem. Here's a seat for you, and a quiet corner for you.

We're a bloody hard and uncaring family :-D

which is other reason I don't have a disability pension. I live off my parents and isn't bothering anybody

Apparently I'm just me too :-D Until I was told I didn't know they felt that way about me!

If I could sign I would but the disabled of England are on their own, I am afraid.

I for one won't be signing.

However the system does need reforming drastically (in fact the same applies to the entire welfare system) to ensure that assistance is properly targeted and, most importantly, paid in proportion to their real needs.

Inevitably this will mean that some will in future receive less than present whilst others who are more deserving get more.

I just signed