Challenge disability benefit reforms: national conference 15/10/05 in Sheffield

[Happy Harry]

Vis-a-vis disability benefit:

Lorna Reid (who stood as the IWCA's candidate for London Mayor last year) went head to head on the issue with a journalist from The Sun yesterday. It was on the Jeremy Vine show, BBC Radio 2 and is online.

 

[tbaldwin]

Obviously this total arsehole Ted has no idea whatsover how difficult it is to get Incapacity Benefit.
The "government" doctors as Ted puts it are clones of Dr Mengele timewarped in from the ramp at Auswitz.
Ted is the sort of person, along with Victor Lewis-Smith I would like kneecap with a lump-hammer and see how they get on claiming Incapacity Benefit.

The thing about IB and DLA is the inconsistency of the way claims are dealt with. I can think of loads of people who have got both benefits without any problem and then loads of others who have struggled to get anything.
And the difference does not seem based on the legitimacy of their claim rather on who they talked to or what advise they had.

 

[tbaldwin]

Can someone reply to this nonsense on indymedia uk, i'm afraid i am not up to it today.


btw, is ted, baldwin, sounds very familar


https://www1.indymedia.org.uk/en/regions/sheffield/2005/10/324930.html

No i wouldnt talk about anyone being incapable of work for a start.
I suppose it comes down to how you view work and how you view people's ability to contribute.

 

[tobyjug]

And the difference does not seem based on the legitimacy of their claim rather on who they talked to or what advise they had.

The difference in my case was the "government" doctor who "examined" me broke the guidelines and lied, the tribunal had access to my medical records, including a bone density scan and X-rays as well a evidence from my GP who wiped the floor with the Benefits Agency representative at the tribunal.

 

[tbaldwin]

Well when it comes to Doctors, I could give you a couple of personal horror stories but have met some really great Doctors over the years. The truth is that a lot of people in so called caring jobs really dont give a shit.But the ones who do stand out.

 

[ViolentPanda]

So you think judges should be selected like now by an Old Boy Network rather than the general population and then you try and make some silly point about cronyism......

You think that (from what we have seen already in the political arena) that worries about "cronyism" are "SILLY"?
You are some species of daft cunt, aren't you? You bleat about how elected judges will be chosen by "the general population", but you entirely circumvent who will run the selection procedure for those candidates.
I wonder why?

Scum like you have always worried about the cost of elections perhaps you would like to go back to the days when it was all sorted out at Gentlemens clubs...

I might be scum, but I'm as true to my working-class roots as I'm able to be, something you'd know nothing about, you sellout shitehawk.
As to why I worry about the cost of elections, it's about unnecessary spending on unnecessary bureaucracy. Not that I expect someone who is, in effect, sucking the bureacratic tit, to understand that.
Oh, and stick your allusions to "gentlemens' clubs" up your arse, you smearing sellout..

or perhaps your a bit more Liberal than that and would like to go back to the Days of Jim Callaghan and Neil Kinnock etc when you were happy to support the Labour Party....

Sweeping generalisations from you again, turncoat. Face it, you can attempt to smear me with your insinuations and your generalisations, but you don't know when I was a member of the Labour party, you don't know how or [/B]when[/B} I voted, for which motions, for which candidates. All you can do is spew out shite, and the reason you do it is because you know you're not a socialist, and you hate anyone who reminds you what a sellout rightwing cunt you are.

 

[ViolentPanda]

Violent Panda , Im still waiting.
It seems like you may have been "spinning" again.

Then you can wait until I'm good and ready.

If you don't like it, tough.

 

[tbaldwin]

, I was a member of the Labour party for some (including some of Blair's) years, and I still have friends, colleagues and acquaintances in the party.
What I don't like are the one-dimensional hacks who believe there is no alternative to such policies. People like you.
Believe me, if I character-assassinated you, you'd know about it.
Thing is, you don't warrant it.

So you thought John Smith was a good Socialist did you ? Or Neil Kinnock?.
Were you happy to be a paid member under them?

Not exactly proving to be the most honest of people on here are you?

 

[tbaldwin]

You think that (from what we have seen already in the political arena) that worries about "cronyism" are "SILLY"?
You are some species of daft cunt, aren't you? You bleat about how elected judges will be chosen by "the general population", but you entirely circumvent who will run the selection procedure for those candidates.
I wonder why?

I might be scum, but I'm as true to my working-class roots as I'm able to be, something you'd know nothing about, you sellout shitehawk.
As to why I worry about the cost of elections, it's about unnecessary spending on unnecessary bureaucracy. Not that I expect someone who is, in effect, sucking the bureacratic tit, to understand that.
Oh, and stick your allusions to "gentlemens' clubs" up your arse, you smearing sellout..

Sweeping generalisations from you again, turncoat. Face it, you can attempt to smear me with your insinuations and your generalisations, but you don't know when I was a member of the Labour party, you don't know how or [/B]when[/B} I voted, for which motions, for which candidates. All you can do is spew out shite, and the reason you do it is because you know you're not a socialist, and you hate anyone who reminds you what a sellout rightwing cunt you are.

1 Your 1st point on electing judges is just you clutching at straws again.
Perhaps we should ban all elections until your happy the nobody is circumventing??? anyone....

2 In what way am i sell out shitehawk.
I have remained preety consistent in my beliefs for years that there should be a massive redistribution of wealth and power.
And that Parasites should be exposed for what they are..

3 Who have i sold out and how?

 

[ViolentPanda]

1 Your 1st point on electing judges is just you clutching at straws again.

Is it? Care to explain how?

Perhaps we should ban all elections until your happy the nobody is circumventing??? anyone...

Now now, I know attributing ideas to people that they haven't expressed is your forte, but you really shouldn't do it quite so obviously. I never mentioned anything about "banning elections", you're mentioning it in an attempt to smear me as anti-democratic or some such.
But only anti-democratic for your own good, obviously, what with me being a supposed middle-class parasite liberal.

2 In what way am i sell out shitehawk.
I have remained preety consistent in my beliefs for years that there should be a massive redistribution of wealth and power.
And that Parasites should be exposed for what they are..

3 Who have i sold out and how?

Easily answered.
You claim to be a socialist.
The principles you function under aren't socialist.
Therefore, if you are or ever have been a socialist then you've sold out.

 

[tbaldwin]

Easily answered.
You claim to be a socialist.
The principles you function under aren't socialist.
Therefore, if you are or ever have been a socialist then you've sold out.

My principles are that more money should go to those who need it.
Problem is when money goes through the hands of some people it sticks.

So in what way have I sold out?

 

[tbaldwin]

Is it? Care to explain how?

Now now, I know attributing ideas to people that they haven't expressed is your forte, but you really shouldn't do it quite so obviously. I never mentioned anything about "banning elections", you're mentioning it in an attempt to smear me as anti-democratic or some such.
But only anti-democratic for your own good, obviously, what with me being a supposed middle-class parasite liberal.

.

Are you sure about this maybe we should both go and find some quotes of people attributing ideas in pathetic attempts to smear people?

 

[ViolentPanda]

So you thought John Smith was a good Socialist did you ? Or Neil Kinnock?.
Were you happy to be a paid member under them?

Not exactly proving to be the most honest of people on here are you?

More insinuations.

I was a member from 1984 to 1990, then from 1994 to 1999

I was a member mainly because of local rather than national politics.

I believe Neil Kinnock was, more than even rightwingers like Healy, Callaghan and Wilson, responsible for putting the Labour party on the neo-liberal path it is on, and not because he believed it would benefit the electorate, but because he wanted power. Was he a good socialist? Sometimes, sometimes not.
As for John Smith, he at least tried to redress the balance somewhat in favour of social justice, but even that was thrown out of the window by Blair. How many of the recommendations of Smith's social justice commission have been enacted? Very few. Was John Smith a good socialist? Difficult to tell. If you're judging him purely on his time as party leader then no.

Am I honest? I'd say I am, but I doubt you'd agree with me, as evidenced by your need to smear me rather than rebut what I write.

 

[tbaldwin]

er When do you think Neil Kinnock was a good Socialist?

 

[treelover]

Just found this on another site from the organisers:

'The conference was a major success and many positive things have emerged from it. However, it will take some time to collate and transcribe the speeches, discussion, workshops, etc. But, rest assured there will be a comprehensive report posted here, and everything will be published on our new (nearly completed) website. This will include a flexible framework: constitution, guidance, etc, for setting up local campaigning groups, perhaps under the label, Dignity.'

 

[ska invita]

I apologise for any implied earlier defence of disability benefits reforms:

http://observer.guardian.co.uk/politics/story/0,6903,1604653,00.html

 

[treelover]

Blair is now the driving force of these reforms, but lets be honest, it's the whole blairite machine that is behind these disgusting reforms,including blunkett, hodge, the christian socalists in the labour party, even the fabians


btw

niksativa, will you fight against these reforms, cos a fight is coming, i assure you.

 

[treelover]

Just received this, it is really important that some form of wider resistance and opposition to these reforms begins. Personally i don't understand why the indignation and fury that has been displayed about the St Agnes eviction (see general) has not been generally evidenced over welfare cuts ,etc. While it may be more immediate, many many more people will become homeless and in poverty as a result of these cuts and will live in permanent fear.


At last there is a report of the disability benefits conference hosted by Sheffield Welfare Action Network(SWAN) and the website is now providing much needed information, links, etc.


'Conference summary

On 15th October 2005, Sheffield Welfare Action Network (SWAN) held a national conference on disability welfare in anticipation of the coming reforms in Incapacity Benefit (IB). The participants were mainly disability benefit recipients.

The first speaker was Lorna Reith, the Chief Executive of the Disability Alliance. Lorna gave a brief history of incapacity benefit reform as a background to the present changes. She argued against any splitting of IB into different benefits and against a punitive benefit system.

Conference participants

The second speaker was Shelia Messider, co-ordinator of Advice Centre Support in Sheffield. She spoke on how the perspective of policy makers needed to be understood in order to effectively put the case of claimants. She highlighted how the media distorted the issue by focusing on fraud.

Several claimants then gave testimonials. They spoke of the difficulties of employment, how uncaring employers created mental disorders. Of the difficulty people had in using the system and how those that couldn’t suffered more depression and ill health.

Conference participants giving testimonials

Three workshops were then held looking at issues of the media and disability welfare reform, different groups of people that might be approached for support and the different perspectives involved in disability welfare reform.

The green paper is not now expected until January 2006 which gives SWAN more time to put the case for positive disability welfare reform. The conference was a bright start in organising campaigning in Sheffield and beyond.


http://www.swansheffield.org.uk/