Hi All
Some of you may have been following this matter on G+ but for those who haven't allow me a moment to explain what this is all about. i fear it is long and complicated but it is something that smacks at the very heart of what a civilized society is all about.
I have lived next door to this couple for a long time, they are a charming couple close to sixty years of age with no dependents to help them. During the years my wife and myself have seen (I will call her Joan) deteriorate from a vibrant woman who worked hard and yes played hard to one that is now debilitated with chronic disease and illnesses. She spends more time in hospital that at home some years yet through out it all her husband has acted as her career and stayed with her where some might have thrown the towel in and walked away. I don't know their voting tendencies but from what they have said over the years i get the impression they are lifetime supporters of the Conservative party. if so what they now are experiencing is disgusting and shabby by the party they elected.
Joan is in receipt of various benefits one of which is a motorbility car which she uses to get around her husband is the driver as Joan is so doped up on tablets most days she wouldn't be fit to drive anyway. I know she has undergone numerous operations over the years in fact her husband jokes that she is divorcing him a bit at a time and that the hospital now have more of her then he does. From that one statement you will see that despite their problems they have managed to retained a sense of humour. Now that has been blown away because some faceless clerk somewhere had decided that Joan is fit for work.
yes this woman who has more things wrong with her than any British Leyland car of the past has to attend back to work interviews why well simple because of a bureaucratic mistake which was no fault of theirs. It seems that during the change from Incapacity benefit to the new ESA her letter about her entitlement and what she had to do if she wished to appeal went missing. Either an error occurred within the DHSS or our lauded Postal service of which i used to be employed screwed up yet again. Whatever the reason the first Joan knew of any change was when the notice arrived for her to attend these interviews. of course now the Jobsworth at the Jobs center says her window of opportunity to appeal has passed and there is nothing to be done.
I disagree and, if permitted, will do all i can to get what i see as a gross miscarriage overturned. I have read the notes posted on G+ from various people and can only say how gratifying it is to see such support and i will keep you all notified of our progress on this site as some of my messages are delayed or deemed unsuitable to be posted it seems. it would be wonderful if anyone with experience of this new benefit could let me know how it has affected them.
While i support that change is needed to our vastly expensive benefits system it has to be done with a degree of compassion. The genuine disabled claimant must be supported while the, malingers must be weeded out and to do that unlike Joan who was never offered a independent medical examination such things must be done. Our weakest in society have to be protected, their lives are too fragile to be placed in the hands of faceless companies too interested in meeting targets that looking at the wider picture. Speaking of which I wonder how much these outside contractors are making? far more that a doctor would no doubt.
There you are the episode in what i fear will be a long and protracted action. I have laid the background out before you now let me know what you think. This maybe is what a Blog Site should be for to inform and rally support for causes. i plead nay implore anyone interested to do all they can to change societies perception of those on Benefits. Most are like Joan and her husband simply trying to make the best of each day as it comes to live out their lives simply and without fuss and in the dimming end of their days do they really need to be castigate by those charged with protecting them?????
I look forward to your thoughts but remember i will delete any that use inflammatory language or blaspheme unnecessarily. Lets keep it clean and informative for Joan and her husbands sake.
Thanks
D
So today's update on this sorry tale. we have written to the local job center asking for an urgent appeal about this disgusting event. and have sent letters to the Prime Minister, sec of state for works and pensions and the local MP for what good some of them will do. But as Joan said we should do everything correctly at first. We will leave out=r bif=gger guns in hiding until we know what the lay of the land is.
More to follow
D
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