So Employment & Support Allowance is here to stay to replace Incapacity Benefit. Having got through an IB50 allegedly I will not be checked again until 2013. That means nothing to me. It could be tomorrow as far as I am concerned.
Whatever happens there is nothing I can do to stop being swept up into it. well what do I do now? Do I sit and do nothing and wait for it to happen?. People say to me that I shouldn't worry myself about it and just wait till it happens. I am sorry to disappoint you folks but I am worrying about it now.
The DWP virtually say in there explanation of ESA that as long as you can breath you are fit for some type of work. I have already read a lot about the ESA and there are many things written in to it to make your illnesses or disabilities not be as severe as they are for you the actual sufferer.
To me the ESA is nothing more than glorified jobseekers allowance.
So that leaves few choices: work or suffer on the pittance the government think you need to live on while not forgetting to go to your work-focused interviews or you will get sanctioned.
If you want to try and find a job [not that you haven't already been trying] don't forgot there's a recession looming on so there aren't that many jobs about really as everyone seems to think there are. You will have to compete with the people who have just lost there jobs and the employers who don't employ disabled people which I have said about in a previous post.
ESA is just a trap so the government can save money to pay for bailing out banks, wars and making the rich even richer. The sick and the disabled and the unemployed are just treated as some sort of under-class.
I don't believe all this garbage the DWP are coming out with how going to work will help your self-esteem and make you feel better. Robert wrote in my last post about him only being offered jobs at Asda handing out baskets. Sorry but handing out baskets at probably the minimum wage would not do Robert's or anyone's self esteem any good however wonderful it may be made up to sound.
The ESA has also been designed so people will worry and end up on the pathways to work so they can also make a profit out of your misery.
I also hold responsible the Jobcentre for failing in all there promises they made to me of helping me get back to work.
How the DEA raved on about how how wonderful it would be to go to rehab in Birmingham for eight months and how they would help me get a job. I went to Birmingham virtually every day for eight months and all they did was get me a voluntary work placement and effectively dumped me there. After all that they closed my case. Where is all the support? I am no nearer to a job as I was then.
I am nearly 40 years old, had a life threatening brain injury and I have got to start at the bottom again. ain't it about time somebody gave me a break for a change. It isn't all my fault I am in this situation. I can not be held responsible for everything that has happened.
The people who I trusted to help me get back into work have failed me and all they have done is make a profit out of me.
Sunday, 2 November 2008
Saturday, 11 October 2008
Politicians
Having recovered from the brown envelope from hell and the next door neighbour trying to run me over I thought its about time I did something on my blog.
The DWP letter said I will not be assessed for another 5 years [allegedly] I am still afraid. I worry about what going to happen next. I just try to go from one day to the other and see what happens next.
Just lately I have been doing quite a bit of writing. I am helping a lecturer in social work at a university who contacted me, all voluntary of course. I have been writing about my experience of having a brain injury, the correct description is actually I have very severe cranio-cerebral injury with clear evidence of damage to the frontal and temporal regions of my brain.
I am writing what it is like waking up after being in a coma, how I felt and how I feel now, peoples attitudes to a hidden disability like when I go out and about and the "Does he take sugar?" effect when you try to conduct your daily business, you know like how difficult it can be when you try to do something simple like order a couple of meals in a pub, you know when your brain knows what you want to say but you can't get it all out how you want and the person taking the order thinks you are a bit of a simpleton, then there are people tutting behind you because you are a bit slow and then trying to deal with all the multiple noises around as well, it can be very difficult.
Would it have made a difference to my recovery if I could of gone to a rehab centre sooner, rather than have to wait five years, the inadequacies of case management that charge £35-£40 an hour and then later withdraw there support because they are not making a profit from you and how when you went to the appointment they kept looking at the clock to make sure you stayed the full hour, how you can't get to see a social worker face to face now like I used to who helped me, going on schemes setup by the jobcentre that don't help, the brown envelopes from hell, medicals, ideally it is to help the students understand what it is really like for someone being in this position.
I have a date for next year when it is to be presented which at the way things are going it will soon be here. I am looking forward to it but it sounds daunting so I am going to build myself up to it. When I contact the lecturer and show what I have written I keep getting more ideas so I have to write them in. I have also dug up a lot of old paperwork and I keep finding things that I now want to write in as well.
Just lately the government and the opposition are both been ranting on about getting the scroungers, no I mean the disabled/sick people and unemployed back into work, but with the banking crisis and possible recession jobs are scarce let alone jobs for disabled people as well. James Purnell could not have picked a worse time to bring in the ESA. Where are all the jobs for disabled going to come from and who's going to pay for all this support?
They are also going on about giving disabled people all this support, what support?, in my experience so far the support stopped as soon as they got me the voluntary work placement. Where will the support end? Will it end as soon as they have got you into a job and off the ESA? Will they provide support for you once you in your job?.
The conservatives have been going on about including the 3 strikes and you are out for people on IB as well as the unemployed if you refuse a reasonable job offer. I have applied for jobs but I haven't had 3 reasonable job offers yet. Its a miracle even to got a reply to say that you haven't even get an interview. Getting a job offer would be a miracle in itself.
I have read a letter from 1994 from an employment & rehabilitation consultant to my solicitor which said because of the level of my injury I would not have been even considered for sheltered employment [places like Remploy, a Remploy manager has to run his factory at a cost effective basis, therefore when a vacancy does arise the Remploy manager is likely to chose the most profiecent worker and not the slowest] and that there would have been many more suitable candidates. Whether this has changed now I do not know.
It was considered that I had no current earnings prospects and would not be placeable in the open labour market.
Also in the same letter it said relating to the DEA and disability services of the DWP that it was now common practice for the disability services to take no action whilst a person is in continuing receipt of Invalidity Benefit [which is now IB].
If this was happening in 1994 and that I was just considered a lost cause then what if it this applies to all the other people that were on IB then it is no wonder there is 2.6 million people on IB. It seems that what the government and future governments are trying to do now is shut the stable door after the horse has bolted. They are not going to find it so easy as they make out.
When I was talking to the lecturer I said was is it just me but when I see disabled people at work they are doing the things I have mentioned before in my blog like the sweeping litter in shopping centres or push trolleys in DIY store and she agreed with me. It is not just me who thinks that.
People also fail to realise that disabled people actually want to make a future for themselves as well and have prospects and will not just take any job. There are things to consider like having enough money to pay the bills, have enough food to eat. have enough money to survive on from day to day. We are all allowed our own dreams for what sort of future we want and not just do what the ministers think we should do.
The DWP letter said I will not be assessed for another 5 years [allegedly] I am still afraid. I worry about what going to happen next. I just try to go from one day to the other and see what happens next.
Just lately I have been doing quite a bit of writing. I am helping a lecturer in social work at a university who contacted me, all voluntary of course. I have been writing about my experience of having a brain injury, the correct description is actually I have very severe cranio-cerebral injury with clear evidence of damage to the frontal and temporal regions of my brain.
I am writing what it is like waking up after being in a coma, how I felt and how I feel now, peoples attitudes to a hidden disability like when I go out and about and the "Does he take sugar?" effect when you try to conduct your daily business, you know like how difficult it can be when you try to do something simple like order a couple of meals in a pub, you know when your brain knows what you want to say but you can't get it all out how you want and the person taking the order thinks you are a bit of a simpleton, then there are people tutting behind you because you are a bit slow and then trying to deal with all the multiple noises around as well, it can be very difficult.
Would it have made a difference to my recovery if I could of gone to a rehab centre sooner, rather than have to wait five years, the inadequacies of case management that charge £35-£40 an hour and then later withdraw there support because they are not making a profit from you and how when you went to the appointment they kept looking at the clock to make sure you stayed the full hour, how you can't get to see a social worker face to face now like I used to who helped me, going on schemes setup by the jobcentre that don't help, the brown envelopes from hell, medicals, ideally it is to help the students understand what it is really like for someone being in this position.
I have a date for next year when it is to be presented which at the way things are going it will soon be here. I am looking forward to it but it sounds daunting so I am going to build myself up to it. When I contact the lecturer and show what I have written I keep getting more ideas so I have to write them in. I have also dug up a lot of old paperwork and I keep finding things that I now want to write in as well.
Just lately the government and the opposition are both been ranting on about getting the scroungers, no I mean the disabled/sick people and unemployed back into work, but with the banking crisis and possible recession jobs are scarce let alone jobs for disabled people as well. James Purnell could not have picked a worse time to bring in the ESA. Where are all the jobs for disabled going to come from and who's going to pay for all this support?
They are also going on about giving disabled people all this support, what support?, in my experience so far the support stopped as soon as they got me the voluntary work placement. Where will the support end? Will it end as soon as they have got you into a job and off the ESA? Will they provide support for you once you in your job?.
The conservatives have been going on about including the 3 strikes and you are out for people on IB as well as the unemployed if you refuse a reasonable job offer. I have applied for jobs but I haven't had 3 reasonable job offers yet. Its a miracle even to got a reply to say that you haven't even get an interview. Getting a job offer would be a miracle in itself.
I have read a letter from 1994 from an employment & rehabilitation consultant to my solicitor which said because of the level of my injury I would not have been even considered for sheltered employment [places like Remploy, a Remploy manager has to run his factory at a cost effective basis, therefore when a vacancy does arise the Remploy manager is likely to chose the most profiecent worker and not the slowest] and that there would have been many more suitable candidates. Whether this has changed now I do not know.
It was considered that I had no current earnings prospects and would not be placeable in the open labour market.
Also in the same letter it said relating to the DEA and disability services of the DWP that it was now common practice for the disability services to take no action whilst a person is in continuing receipt of Invalidity Benefit [which is now IB].
If this was happening in 1994 and that I was just considered a lost cause then what if it this applies to all the other people that were on IB then it is no wonder there is 2.6 million people on IB. It seems that what the government and future governments are trying to do now is shut the stable door after the horse has bolted. They are not going to find it so easy as they make out.
When I was talking to the lecturer I said was is it just me but when I see disabled people at work they are doing the things I have mentioned before in my blog like the sweeping litter in shopping centres or push trolleys in DIY store and she agreed with me. It is not just me who thinks that.
People also fail to realise that disabled people actually want to make a future for themselves as well and have prospects and will not just take any job. There are things to consider like having enough money to pay the bills, have enough food to eat. have enough money to survive on from day to day. We are all allowed our own dreams for what sort of future we want and not just do what the ministers think we should do.
Monday, 22 September 2008
The World According to Russell
On my way home from work the other day I was using the zebra crossing near to where I live. One car stopped and the one coming the other way was a distance away to be able to see me and stop. However it just carried on while I was virtually in the middle of the crossing, another step and I would have been another statistic, unfortunately it just happened to be the next door neighbour in there big 4x4. rather incensed by the fact that she had nearly knocked me over I knocked on there front door and I said "did you realise you nearly fucking knocked me over at the crossing" you are supposed to fucking stop at the crossing when someone is walking across" all she said was "I didn't see you ". I can't remember whether she said sorry. If she did I would have been happy enough about that and perhaps she won't do it again the next time.
A little later on her Husband Russell came round to say that I shouldn't go round to there house swearing in the street [despite the fact his wife could have killed me]. What am I supposed to do go round to later for a cup of tea and cucumber sandwiches and say "when you next go over the crossing be careful and just try and make a better job of it next time"
Russell is the kind of guy who is aggressive, paranoid, intimidating and in the past has had heated arguments with his wife which the whole street and beyond can hear and he pushed her out round the lawn and then comes round our house ranting about was it us called the police.
I said to him don't come round here giving me a lecture when you should be more worried about wife's driving. I had every right to be angry. I have already been involved in one road accident and been on a life support machine and left brain damaged and I haven't any more plans to be on a life support machine. he said "I bet you don't know what a lecture is mate?", after I told him I had a brain injury he started talking to me like I was a bit simple. This in turn prompted my Wife to arrive on the scene and she said to him not to talk to me like I'm stupid.
My children were traumatised by the whole thing and hid in there bedroom and later said that they were glad that the nasty man from next door had gone away.
I did phone the police up later about about the near miss at the crossing but they could not do anything as I had not been injured or killed.
So if you drive a car and you go over a crossing while someone is walking across it doesn't matter until you are actually hit. it doesn't make sense that you have to be injured first before anyone can do anything.
I emailed the county council about the crossing and its dangers and they said it is going to be converted into a puffin crossing. Whether that makes it any safer I will have to wait and see
A little later on her Husband Russell came round to say that I shouldn't go round to there house swearing in the street [despite the fact his wife could have killed me]. What am I supposed to do go round to later for a cup of tea and cucumber sandwiches and say "when you next go over the crossing be careful and just try and make a better job of it next time"
Russell is the kind of guy who is aggressive, paranoid, intimidating and in the past has had heated arguments with his wife which the whole street and beyond can hear and he pushed her out round the lawn and then comes round our house ranting about was it us called the police.
I said to him don't come round here giving me a lecture when you should be more worried about wife's driving. I had every right to be angry. I have already been involved in one road accident and been on a life support machine and left brain damaged and I haven't any more plans to be on a life support machine. he said "I bet you don't know what a lecture is mate?", after I told him I had a brain injury he started talking to me like I was a bit simple. This in turn prompted my Wife to arrive on the scene and she said to him not to talk to me like I'm stupid.
My children were traumatised by the whole thing and hid in there bedroom and later said that they were glad that the nasty man from next door had gone away.
I did phone the police up later about about the near miss at the crossing but they could not do anything as I had not been injured or killed.
So if you drive a car and you go over a crossing while someone is walking across it doesn't matter until you are actually hit. it doesn't make sense that you have to be injured first before anyone can do anything.
I emailed the county council about the crossing and its dangers and they said it is going to be converted into a puffin crossing. Whether that makes it any safer I will have to wait and see
Monday, 15 September 2008
Give it to the Cripple Pt.2
I finally heard from McDonald's about my complaint after my visit a couple of weeks ago. It is just a basic acknowledgement of my email but it doesn't answer my actual complaint. It makes them aware though that people listen to what there staff are saying in front of customers.
Whether anyone actually does anything about the guy who said "give it to the cripple" is a different matter. This is basically what they said:
Thank you for contacting us about your visit.
As a company we aim to provide 100% customer satisfaction and high standards of quality, service and cleanliness at all times. I regret this has not been your experience on this occasion
Your comments are taken seriously by us and have been passed to the management team. The details of your complaint will be used as part of their assessment of the restaurant's performance and procedures. These ongoing reviews help to identify any areas needing improvement within the restaurant.
Sunday, 14 September 2008
Get Back to Work, You Sponging Scumbags.
I found this interesting article in the Timesonline about a new TV programme aimed at benefit claimants:
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/carol_midgley/article4726714.ece?openComment=true
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/carol_midgley/article4726714.ece?openComment=true
Wednesday, 3 September 2008
Brown Envelope from Hell Part 2
First I would like to say thank you to Benefitscroungingscum for plugging my blog. I have not got a thing for Jeremy Kyle but it makes me angry when I hear the media say that allegedly Incapacity benefit recipients are sitting on there backsides watching the 42" plasma tv watching Jeremy Kyle.
I just came up with this taking it easy watching Jeremy Kyle and it seemed to stick. I imagine Bendygirl came up with hers with how people see benefits recipients as scrounging scum or benefit cheats rather than human beings just trying to get on with there lives as best they can.
While on the subject of TVs I was given a TV because someone had just bought a new one and thought I would like there old one which was very kind. If anyone would like to donate a 42" plasma tv that would be nice as well.
If the media actually took the time to see how people on IB get through day to day, week to week, month to month, they might find out what it is like to be on IB.
I had my brown envelope from hell come this morning, after I stopped shaking I read that the DWP have decided that I do not need a medical [that's a relief in itself] and I have enough points and my case will not be reviewed until September 2013. I have been since told that 5 years is the maximum that they can leave before another review. It was also a good indication what was in my brown envelope that there was not a map to go to the medical test centre. I think it is the first time I have not had to go to a medical.
What a nightmare it has all been what I have had to go through in the last few weeks just to prove I have had a brain injury and the symptoms exit and I am not just making it up. Why is it necessary to put IB recipients through all this?. We would all love to go to work but peoples medical conditions can make it difficult. I could sit at home feeling sorry for myself but I don't and I find doing voluntary work is quite therapeutic and I am putting something back into the community.
Having recently seeing how a McDonald's staff member treated there disabled team member I certainly won't be rushing to apply to take meals out to the customer in the blue bay. I never did hear anything about my complaint about my observation.
No doubt though James Purnell and his cronies or whoever in the future will think of new ways to pick on disabled people. They are probably thinking up something new now.
I feel that the my recent experience with the IB50 has not helped my health at all with all the worrying. I have been worrying about stupid things like whether the DWP have been parked outside in the car park where I volunteer checking on me. I imagine it will take a few days to sink in and I will start sleep properly again.
The only thing I am thinking of buying at the moment is the definite remastered edition of Rage In Eden by Ultravox. I loved the album when it came out the first time, it is a very dark album, I still love Billy Currie's swirling synthesizer riffs while he makes love to his keyboards. it still sounds as good as it was then in 1981.
right I am off now to go and sit in front of the 42" inch plasma TV and watch Jeremy. Where's the lottery ticket?
I just came up with this taking it easy watching Jeremy Kyle and it seemed to stick. I imagine Bendygirl came up with hers with how people see benefits recipients as scrounging scum or benefit cheats rather than human beings just trying to get on with there lives as best they can.
While on the subject of TVs I was given a TV because someone had just bought a new one and thought I would like there old one which was very kind. If anyone would like to donate a 42" plasma tv that would be nice as well.
If the media actually took the time to see how people on IB get through day to day, week to week, month to month, they might find out what it is like to be on IB.
I had my brown envelope from hell come this morning, after I stopped shaking I read that the DWP have decided that I do not need a medical [that's a relief in itself] and I have enough points and my case will not be reviewed until September 2013. I have been since told that 5 years is the maximum that they can leave before another review. It was also a good indication what was in my brown envelope that there was not a map to go to the medical test centre. I think it is the first time I have not had to go to a medical.
What a nightmare it has all been what I have had to go through in the last few weeks just to prove I have had a brain injury and the symptoms exit and I am not just making it up. Why is it necessary to put IB recipients through all this?. We would all love to go to work but peoples medical conditions can make it difficult. I could sit at home feeling sorry for myself but I don't and I find doing voluntary work is quite therapeutic and I am putting something back into the community.
Having recently seeing how a McDonald's staff member treated there disabled team member I certainly won't be rushing to apply to take meals out to the customer in the blue bay. I never did hear anything about my complaint about my observation.
No doubt though James Purnell and his cronies or whoever in the future will think of new ways to pick on disabled people. They are probably thinking up something new now.
I feel that the my recent experience with the IB50 has not helped my health at all with all the worrying. I have been worrying about stupid things like whether the DWP have been parked outside in the car park where I volunteer checking on me. I imagine it will take a few days to sink in and I will start sleep properly again.
The only thing I am thinking of buying at the moment is the definite remastered edition of Rage In Eden by Ultravox. I loved the album when it came out the first time, it is a very dark album, I still love Billy Currie's swirling synthesizer riffs while he makes love to his keyboards. it still sounds as good as it was then in 1981.
right I am off now to go and sit in front of the 42" inch plasma TV and watch Jeremy. Where's the lottery ticket?
Thursday, 21 August 2008
Give It To The Cripple!
When in McDonald's recently I was waiting at the counter when I overhead one of the staff behind the counter asking a young man to take a meal out to a customer to the blue bay in the car park.
This young man said why should I? Give it to the cripple!. [The cripple he was referring to was the disabled lady who I feel sorry for who I said about before in one of my earlier posts]
I scowled at him as I had heard what he said and he knew I had heard exactly what he said as well, he just gave a false laugh and said he was he was only joking. I don't think he was joking somehow. I found this type of comment in the workplace about a co-worker appalling. It reminds me of the bully at school saying you were a spastic because you said something wrong and everyone in the class laughed at you.
I have written to McDonald's as I feel this is unacceptable especially in customer service environment and I am awaiting there reply. I don't know whether anything like this is covered by the Disability Discrimination Act as the lady in question wasn't close by. Would this be covered under the DDA?. I have heard and read about discrimination in the workplace but to see it happening in front of my own eyes is something else.
This young man said why should I? Give it to the cripple!. [The cripple he was referring to was the disabled lady who I feel sorry for who I said about before in one of my earlier posts]
I scowled at him as I had heard what he said and he knew I had heard exactly what he said as well, he just gave a false laugh and said he was he was only joking. I don't think he was joking somehow. I found this type of comment in the workplace about a co-worker appalling. It reminds me of the bully at school saying you were a spastic because you said something wrong and everyone in the class laughed at you.
I have written to McDonald's as I feel this is unacceptable especially in customer service environment and I am awaiting there reply. I don't know whether anything like this is covered by the Disability Discrimination Act as the lady in question wasn't close by. Would this be covered under the DDA?. I have heard and read about discrimination in the workplace but to see it happening in front of my own eyes is something else.
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