Today I was waiting for the bus home with my daughter when I bumped into an old school friend. I hadn’t seen her for a long while so we had a lot of catching up. She has learning difficulties and she struggled through school not passing any exams as there wasn’t the support in schools then as there is now.
When she left school the social security department as it was called then were very sympathetic. They encouraged her to be on the sick as they called it because her options for work were limited. They also encouraged her to take up voluntary work to improve her social skills and to give her a focus. As a result she was volunteering for a local organisation off her own back and did so for 24 years. She loved it and thought she would never have to leave. Then the Tories got elected.
She was told at a Jobcentre interview that she had to start claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance. They also told her that she had to leave the place where she had volunteered for so long and volunteer at a place of their approval. She was very upset, but did it because they had told her to. Before anyone states that she shouldn’t have done this I must add that she didn’t feel that she could. In her eyes what they say goes and she hasn’t got a lot of self confidence.
She started on the work programme and was given the usual countless tasks that everyone is given. She struggled through it but managed and lasted the full two years without a sanction. Her love of routine and checking her actions constantly helped her. She said it drained her but because a job wasn’t found they were sending her to a work programme in manchester. She has to sign on there every week instead of the local Jobcentre and has to borrow money off family to get there. Her family have no money either. She can’t comprehend why they won’t send her to the local Jobcentre, and I did try to explain but it was too complicated for her to understand. What they say goes she says, it’s not right but it’s how she sees things.
Whilst attending the work programme so far she says that she has applied for 424 jobs and only 2 prospective employers got back to her. She finds this difficult to understand. She said why don’t people have manners? I agree with her on this issue, even an automated reply would do. I tried to explain.
She’s now stuck in a so called voluntary position at a local charity and I’m disgusted that this charity are using workfare, using free labour and gaining financially at the cost of vulnerable people is never good in my eyes. She has to attend everyday but she cares for her mother one day a week. The Jobcentre have told her to stop doing this, the workfare placement must come first. In this lovely ladies eyes and my eyes also her mum does come first. She’s very old now and needs her shopping taken care off etc. I did try to explain about carers allowance but she didn’t understand, she is so confused but she did say to me that she stuck up for herself in the Jobcentre and said no. I really do hope that she doesn’t get sanctioned for this.
In my eyes this lady should not be in this position at all. Yes she can do work that isn’t challenging but she’s got a lot of difficulties and just tries to do her best and to live independently. The DWP have knowingly taken advantage of a very vulnerable lady and made her already difficult life even harder. She told me that she never used to drink because it’s bad, but she has started to. The reason why? Because she is so stressed she’s finding life very difficult.
There must be thousands of people like this lady being victimised by the DWP. She should be able to live her life in peace, but the DWP and the Tory government have put a stop to this. Please spare a thought for everyone in this position. Please don’t judge anyone because they may appear a little different than yourself. Everyone has a heart, everyone has feelings. Of course we know this but the Tories ignore this. Why? Because they sold their souls to to the gods of capitalism, tyranny and bankers many years ago.
Please if you can donate to keep my blog going if you can. I’m on a very very limited income and do struggle myself. My Paypal add is seercharlotte@gmail.com
The poor side of life 
Reblogged this on markcatlin3695's Blog.
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Reblogged this on sdbast.
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Found this just now, of an Early Day motion put to parliament which is signed by Jeremy Corbyn, the sole anti austerity Labour leader applicant.
http://www.parliament.uk/edm/2015-16/149
Early day motion 149
Print versionOpens in a new window
PEOPLE’S ASSEMBLY AGAINST AUSTERITY MARCH
Session: 2015-16
Date tabled: 17.06.2015
Primary sponsor: Burgon, Richard
Sponsors: Corbyn, Jeremy Rayner, Angela Lewis, Clive Lavery, Ian Smith, Catherine
That this House notes evidence that the Government’s economic strategy of austerity pursued since 2010 has seen a significant transfer of wealth from the least well-off to the more affluent; further notes the policy has had a disproportionately negative impact on the most disadvantaged areas; believes that this has contributed to increased inequality and impoverishment in society; welcomes contributions to the public debate advocating a positive economic alternative; and congratulates the organisation of the People’s Assembly Against Austerity march to Parliament Square in London, as well as a simultaneous march in Glasgow, on 20 June, both of which will be a democratic expression of the desire for that alternative.
Amongst those signing it is the Labour candidate for London Mayor.
But also the Labour MP for Ashton under Lyne, Angela Rayner.
This Early Day Motion is in support of the big anti austerity march organised by the People’s Assembly on this Saturday, June 20 in London (and one in Glasgow the same day).
If you want to encourage Labour to bring Jeremy Corbyn into their leadership and therefore a proper opposition to the Tories, then you might care to sign and widely share this 38 Degrees Petition,
https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/switch-your-nominations-to-jeremy-corbyn
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back in thatchers days i was a new single mum of a 16yr old and 14 yr old, when 14yr old left school they had brought out YTS for school leavers. while in school at 13 when he had to choose his options, he wanted to get into catering. but the decision was taken , without contacting me, that because i was a single mother i wouldn’t afford to buy the ingredients that would be needed. i was livid and went to see the teacher involved but too late even if they would have changed their minds…then he was sent on yts. a general one./ no choice. just bits of this, bits of that. and he was shoved in with those less intelligent than he was (not a problem really) and also disruptive kids some of who i know ended up in juvenile residential homes for offenders. i also joined a scheme befriending the elderly and disabled, was a 12 month contract. loved it. after my 12 months was up, my daughter joined. they stopped the outings and after 6 months abandoned the clients completely and sent the befrienders to work in a laundry in another town. i know the old folk i had visited were most upset wen my year ended but at least they were getting someone else… but no/ some of them didn’t. because the new lot were given other areas to work in. these scheme’s are fine, if they did any good. but in the end my son got nothing but a yts certificate that meant nothing.the old people etc were given a taste of more freedom by us then abandoned.. the workers in that 2nd year were made to go work in a laundry which they had not signed up for. it was voluntary not forced. i know what i would have told them as a trained nurse…….stick your laundry.
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In the 80’s Thatcher stated it with YTS (YOUTH TRAINING SCHEME) then there was no forcing of people to take a place with an employer but it was full time work for £5 extra benefit, at the time around £25 a week, so you got £30 a week. Now they force people to take these places doing the same full time work for only the benefit they would receive not working, no extra for taking a place.
In the 80’s my job centre clearly had jobs listed as YTS in its own section for young people but no one would look at the 6 months schemes on there, I believe they eventually scrapped them because very few actually went for the scheme, and those that did where lured in by the extra £5 a week
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Reblogged this on Britain Isn't Eating.
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Please name (and shame!) the putative charity which is exploiting people on Workfare.
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I always do. I send the name of the company to boycott workfare who have a very comprehensive list of workfare providers.
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I no longer give a penny to charities – prefer the likes of DPAC, Black triangle, etc – unlike the charities they make a difference and don’t rim government ministers, whilst pretending to be on our side.
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Unfortunately, this lady is by no means alone. I provide support to a large number of disabled people from all over the UK, including people with learning difficulties/disabilities and many of them have related to me how badly they have been treated by the DWP. They fear authority figures and the possibility of being sanctioned for simply raising concerns. Others feel that because they are in authority that they have to go along with anything that the DWP dictates. There is a huge climate of fear out there which is causing a large amount of unnecessary distress. With sanctions, cuts emerging from the DLA/PIP money saving fiasco and local authority cuts to support likely to continue, if not intensify, this fear is more than likely to remain until at least 2020.
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So true. I dread to think of the exact amount of people targeted this way. It’s unbelievable but then again totally believable. All we can do is to help them through it.
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utter sickening, but, so predictable of this government
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It seems even those who cant fight back sometimes manage but at a price isnt this to much to ask of them yet our government does welcome to action t4 were just like that summer of forty one they plan on getting most of benefits jeff3
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Reblogged this on Same Difference.
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These DWP gauleiters need to be logged and remembered for later action.
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tweeted @melissacade68
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