Benefits Street

LBC radio have made me mad this morning (and im usually a fan of the 6am show). They were discussing some ew television programme called 'Benefits Street', but I couldn't take it seriously because the amount of bile spouted forth was ridiculous. And let me first say, I don't claim any benefits so this nonsensical rubbish aimed at benefits claimants by pompous radio presenters shouldn't bother me, but even I can see that not everyone on the dole or on sickness benefit are useless scroungers like the one that sounds like are in Benefits Street. I wouldn't watch such garbage so im only going on what callers to the station said about the show.
I have friends on Twitter (I refuse to call them 'followers') who are genuinely disabled, and shame on anyone who would dare called them feckless scroungers. Dear God, I can feel my blood pressure rising with every word I type. Haven't these journalists heard about the tragic stories of disabled folk who have committed suicide because of these government clamp downs on sickness benefits? They ought to have, they've written the stories. Or do they think so little of them that the tales are forgotten as soon as they are in the paper?
Of course the lead swingers and scroungers exist. One only has to see the scruffy urchins swigging lager at 11am outside Weatherspoons on a week day to have proof of this (and these are not workers having a swift pint). Wherever you turn in life, from top to bottom, you will find chancers and the dishonest. Sadly its human nature. But my friends, its not all, how could it be? I don't know the figures of how many are claiming benefits, but are we seriously suggesting they are all cheating the system? Certain presenters on LBC radio seem to be doing so. Methinks their former tabloid urge to shock has completely taken over the rational part of their brains.
Its not as easy as benefits = cheats and the stories are easy to Google: tragic tales of folk with terminal cancer being forced to work due to ATOS passing them fit, disabled soldiers coming home from Afghanistan being denied Welfare assistance, and even working single mothers having housing benefit stopped because they earn £2 over some limit or other. The list is near endless. Are these feckless scroungers? No! Because not everyone is swinging the lead!
I never once imagined I would be speaking out on this subject, or feel so annoyed by certain attitudes toward it, because as I have pointed out, I do not claim benefits and am not in that 'world' but LBC radio have forced my hand. I cannot stay silent while ignorant bullies in mainstream media trample all over these poor people (the honest claimants not the lager louts). Social media has shown me that there IS an honest side to 'Benefits Street' and we, especially government and journalists, wold be unwise to ignore it. Or worse, label everyone as idle layabouts.

No Sickness Please, We're British

I could have used the title of Metallica's debut album for this post, "Kill 'Em All", it would certainly be accurate. Why? Because its about ATOS, the wretched private firm that carries out our Government's work capability assessments. Today we hear the news about 49 year old Linda Wootton, a double heart and lung transplant patient who passed away NINE DAYS after her disability benefits were stopped and shockingly was told to go back to work.
This was a lady who was taking ten prescription drugs a day and suffered from renal failure, high blood pressure and blackouts. Sound fit to you? The wretched ATOS thought so because after an interviewed with them, they ruled against her and she was ordered to find a job. And this isn't the first time this has happened, Google 'Atos fit for work deaths' and you will be faced with multiple tragic stories. Tragedies that could well have been avoided if our Government hadn't decided to unleash a monster on the disabled. These words might sound harsh to some but they are forged out of anger and sadness at seeing my fellow man suffer even more than they already do.
Ladies and Gentlemen of Great Britain, the evidence is crystal clear. Both the wretched ATOS and the Department for Work and Pensions are utterly heartless and only pretend to be sympathetic to their victims. Don't believe it! And whoever makes these decisions for terminally sick people to find work should be put on trial for manslaughter.

In It Together?

Trust me!

At his speech yesterday about Welfare cuts I wasn't suprised the Prime Minister didn't refer to the tragic case of Karen Sherlock. Karen was a patient awaiting a kidney transplant and was still deemed 'fit for work' by Atos. She spent two years fighting for benefits which were rightfully due to her, only two to die two weeks after a successful appeal.
Tell me, what kind of a nation subjects the dying to such treatment? A pretty bloody heartless one, and one im increasingly falling out of love with with every twist of our governments knife. Im all for cracking down on the the workshy who falsely claim sickness benefits in order to sit on their lazy backsides all day but attacking the genuine claimants, (some like Karen Sherlock on deaths door), is not the actions of a government who declare we are all 'in it together' (and if believe that, you'll believe anything).
There must be changes but not on the backs of the truly sick and disabled who have enough to deal with without worrying themselves into the grave. And this is whats happening. But then the vulnerable will always be an easy target for popmous politicians who are for the most part only in it to make a name for themselves in the history books.
Do you really think Lord Snooty and his Eton crew care about the average person, struggling to cope with the insecurities of jobs and money? Not on their silver spoons. This coalition has been a shambles from the beginning and far from helping those at their wits end, they are driving people like poor Karen Sherlock to despair. Caring? Don't dare believe a word of it. And the frightening thing is I cannot see Labour, UKIP, etc being any better.