Dear readers its Thursday and most of us are on lockdown.
I did take a walk down to Ashton but I was unable to hand much out food wise because I have no spare cash, none at all but I did the best that I could do given the circumstances.
I realise that most of you are probably stressed and/ or worried about catching Covid 19 and are trying to keep away from people as much as possible, but its nearly impossible because we can’t afford to do one big shop for the week etc because universal credit prevents this.
Universal Credit is being touted at the moment as being the best thing ever, that it’ll help all self employed and previously employed people and that it will be of great benefit to them.
Claim universal credit and you’ll be ok!! But it’ll take at least five weeks to process and if you take a loan from us you have to pay it back.
The truth is that as of yesterday half a million people were attempting to apply for universal credit and many of them didn’t have the correct ID. They were then told to phone up the DWP using the universal credit hotline to make an appointment.
The truth is that the system couldn’t cope, too many people were calling and many have given up because they cant get through to speak to a DWP advisor who could hep them to proceed with their claim.
Universal credit is responsible for thousands of children and their parents being hungry and going without meals, adequate clothing.
It’s also responsible for many people becoming homeless. Many disabled people have given up with the system because its so stressful.
We must never, ever forget this cruelty bestowed to us by a cruel and uncaring government.
Another alternative was given to disabled people via Martin Lewis. He advised disabled people to apply for ESA not realising that its notoriously difficult to claim and most people are rejected upon applying so they have to appeal and then take it to a tribunal.
Thousands of people will now see and hopefully understand how complicated and heartless the DWP regime is.
Self employed people have been informed that they won’t get any help until the end of May. This will be far too late for most people.
Many will be close to loosing their homes.
Many will be hungry and the government doesn’t care one bit.
You see myself and other campaigners have been protesting and campaigning against this cruel, heartless system since its conception.
Many of us have been called scroungers, lazy, work shy and we must all get a job.
I suspect that some of these people will now be trying to struggle through the system as I type this, maybe they’ll realise how cruel the system is now.
Myself and other campaigners have lost count of how many people have died as a result of this sadistic, inhumane system. We’ve cried countless tears and mourned many losses.
We also worry about our children and young people because their struggle will be even harder than ours.
I’ve recorded so many awful situations in this blog, most of them heartbreaking, and now on top of this will be the deaths of people from Covid 19 struggling to cope at home after being told that they’re not a priority for help.
I really don’t recognise this country anymore, it used to be much better than this even during the hard times but I thank everyone thats campaigning for a better future.
Please can I ask you to take all of the Covid 19 Coronavirus information seriously. I know that it’s definitely not easy.
One day I hope that things will be better for us all.
Keep strong and I will continue to update my blog on a regular basis.
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The poor side of life 
Charlotte as said before you’re a legend. Respect. As a worker and union officer I was always terrified of UC and have chosen not to claim it. When my old landlord sold up the self contained property I afforded with housing benefit I got a room in a shared house which I hate especially as I’m 56 now! All I can barely afford without UC is this shitty room and over half my tiny wage goes on rent and the bills. I’m left with about 8 quid more a week to live on than an unemployed person.
What’s struck me is! I’m the only Brit in the house and everyone’s frantically asking me for advicervical. There’s nowhere it seems can help these ppl. CA B is rammed…
People not even union members are asking me for advice…one woman I spoke to is in private rented with 3 kids and says she was sacked for self isolating!
I’m so very lucky as a council employee in a school I’m being paid.
In solidarity with you all…..if we all, in our different ways, help those this system has left behind, we’ll get through. Stay safe all.
Trev BTW thanks for advice over my Rounanian refuse worker who’s just arrived here…turns out his employer could keep them on with arranging stuff about social distancing if that makes sense…sorting recycling on a production line.
In solidarity. .stay safe all. K.R.
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Latest figures just released by my local independent foodbank;
A 50% increase in demand in last 10 days.
552 food parcels provided in last 8 days.
And that’s with 30% of regular volunteers off self-isolating.
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Keep going Charlotte. Don’t give up even if you can’t provide food parcels from your own pocket. We run a very small food aid project in a small community (1200 residents) and thought we would have to close down once it was obvious how it is going. After all we live in a poor community in one of the poorest places in the whole of northern Europe.
Instead we have been given money and food to keep going. Last week we managed to deliver parcels to the existing people we support. Later, I had a phone call from one older lady in tears, so grateful. She’s just about to start twice weekly dialysis. She had to have a canula fitted (surgical procedure). The small parcel meant the world to her. It was just a very basic one – six eggs, loaf, 7 pieces of fruit, potatoes and carrots, some tins. I put extra soup in for her an fewer tinned spaghetti, etc. For the small family with one school age child we managed some breakfast cereal and fruit juice, tins, etc, as well as the same fresh items.
The next day a £20 note was pushed through our front door. That will allow us to continue for another week. Then our neighbour brought around 3 bags of food he had just got delivered from Tescos. He went off to his shed to see if he could make some perspex face guards.
Let’s hope all the communities are responding like ours. We hope to keep this up and more – because we know we will find more people are going to need emergency food parcels, through our efforts to contact every one of the 900 households currently being run by an 80 years old (self isolating). We have yet to begin to address the lack of school meals and how that might be addressed, but I might ask the school teacher opposite if he can help. Next door is a coffee shop owner who has shut down for the duration. They have offered us use of their kitchens to make hot meals but we need to work out how to distribute them. We have the services of several chefs for food prep (always aware of food hygiene laws). Within one week we have 35 helpers now deployed to shop and delver medicines, and about the same for social contacters for phone chats and organising support for those who are isolating (including me). Even the local deli has published a list of food they can provide through telephone orders with a door step contactless payment.
I hope your community is as wonderful as ours. I’m sure we will survive here, but I fear for the stability of wider society once the realities of the DWP and the benefits system sink in especially in urban areas. The shortages of food in the shops is not, IMHO, totally down to hoarders. It is a real shortage that will get worse. So I thought it might help you to know that there are communities organising and rallying round, and that you are not alone in being worried about other people, especially those at the thin end of the DWP. I know local Trade Union reps are offering advice and support, maybe they could help you keep up your work? Our Unite rep locally has been wonderful – he really “gets” it and how every grassroots activist like yourself is so important.
Most of all look after yourself and your family and stay safe. xxx
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Thank you so much for this #solidarity to you xxx
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Reblogged this on Fear and Loathing in Great Britain.
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Now would have been the perfect time to grow up as a Society, forget all the punitive notions of the undeserving poor, move on from IDS’s ego-driven vanity project, scrap JSA, Sanctions, Universal Credit, Working Tax Credits, and introduce a Unconditional Basic Income. It would have been so much easier. But maybe the system will collapse under the strain and some form of UBI will be necessitated.
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