Dear readers, its Thursday once again and I hope that you are as well as you can be.

I was struggling to decide upon what to write for this weeks blog. It’s hard to get it right sometimes and we have had such a big news week because of the pandemic and the events in America.

This week I thought that I’d tell you how I am this week, I haven’t done this for a while and I hope that you don’t mind.

As you know I’m now suffering from long covid, after becoming ill with covid 19 in April. Looking back at how ill I was I should have gone to the hospital, but I didn’t mainly because I didn’t want to burden my local hospital when it was already struggling.

Since then its been an uphill fight to recover, basically its varying types of shit days. Bad shit day, medium shit day and a good shitty day. I laugh about this because its exactly how it is.

Today is a bad shit day because I didn’t sleep well last night, I’m in pain like many of you probably are, and I’m worried that the brain fog is going to return again. I’m stressed, fed up, is it bedtime yet? I rushed out of bed because the electric had gone so now I’m going to have to try and stretch the emergency credit out.

Long Covid, like Covid is a very strange illness, you don’t know when its going to hit you and how hard. Personally it hit me the most in my right lung, the bottom of my left lung and a bit on the top. This means that my breathing isn’t brilliant but its better than many others so I shouldn’t complain.

As we entered into another lockdown, myself and many others were already self isolating. Physically it really takes it out of me when I go shopping and I haven’t stepped into a big shop since before Christmas. I wish that I could, it would be great to see people again but I can’t, I need to keep myself and my daughter safe. I really don’t want to catch it again.

The downside to having to stay safe is that most of my shopping has to be done online. This week I’ve not been able to do this because it was bill week, and every penny was gone as soon as it arrived.

Online shopping isn’t cheap though. At best you can buy some things for the same price, maybe a few quid cheaper or basically you have to pay more. I’m in agreement that we shouldn’t buy things from Amazon because of how they treat their employees, but its been one of the only places that I can do my shopping on. Needs must, and I cant afford to take the moral high ground with this. It is what it is.

The good news is that we now have two vaccines available and hopefully we will be able to have our vaccinations soon. It’s important to realise that you can still transmit and catch a milder form of covid when you’ve had the vaccination, so keep safe until you’ve had all the vaccinations and keep this in mind.

This week I’ve been ranting about the governments refusal to state that they’re going to extend the £20 uplift that Universal Credit and Working Tax Credit claimants now get. Boris Johnson said yesterday that he wants to get everyone working… Yes in the middle of a pandemic. People are dying, more and more people are catching covid 19 and many more are now suffering with long covid.

Johnson hasn’t got a clue what he’s doing though, he didn’t even know that people are working and claiming universal Credit. People are dying, we need to keep safe and all he whitters on about is that he wants us all in work…

I’m sure that returning to work isn’t the primary focus of someone recovering from Covid 19, recovering is and trying to survive on the pittance that we get are our main topics to focus on.

The government wont extend the uplift and include everyone that was excluded the first time unless we fight for it. They don’t want to give poor people any money at all, so be prepared to fight for this. If it doesn’t get extended its going to be disastrous for so many of us.

£20 isn’t a lot of money in the scheme of things, but it does make or break you though. It can pay for a weeks shopping or it can be used to buy gas and electric. It’s a no brainier isn’t it. Personally I’m all for increasing it so that we are able to eat better, heat our homes more and spend money in the local community.

I’ll end it there, this weeks blog has been a bit of a rant and I apologise. It’s how I’m feeling at the moment and I’m sure that it will get better.

Keep safe and I’m thinking of you all

Dear reader, I’m writing this blog upon hearing that another lockdown has been announced. My first thought was that it was about time that they did this. Deaths had been spiralling out of control because the government is failing to protect the public in any way.

When the lockdown was announced, they also announced that schools should remain open. Their attitude being a complete denial of the risk of catching covid for children, teaching staff, parents and vulnerable relatives.

Thankfully the NEU and Unison stepped in and took action straight away and took action to keep both teaching staff, families and children safe.

It’s a misconception that children don’t catch Covid 19, they do and many have become seriously ill and have died. Children also unintentionally spread the virus with their family members whilst at home. With approximately thirty children per classroom its impossible to avoid.

Thankfully the government were forced to do a u turn thanks to the hard work of the NEU and Unison. Children apart from vulnerable and parents who are key workers are now being home educated which is a massive relief.

Children of nursery school age are still being expected to attend schools and nurseries. They must keep the workers working, never mind anyone’s safety.. I’m hoping that the government does a u turn on this also.

I must add that this is their victory, along with ardent campaigners they pressured the government to do the right thing. Shamefully they had no help from the opposition although a few labour MPs did come out in support.

The government has also promised to give each child a laptop to work on whilst they’re home learning, and some mobile phone operators are offering data to do this.

I’m betting that they fail on these targets, and just about every target that they announce, going by their history they always do. It’s down to the individual schools to find the children in their schools that needs a laptop, then to get the laptops to each child in need.

Every day their announcing that they’ll reach their vaccination targets, but with no mention of help to transport people to the vaccination centres. They’re already delaying the gap between the two vaccine injections against scientists advice.

Will this be their biggest failure? Maybe. The public are expecting this to happen, and I expect that they’ll be a lot of pressure on them to deliver.

The government are refusing to help accommodate homeless people and their also refusing to restart the Everyone In scheme that helped to house rough sleepers during the first pandemic. It’s January, freezing cold and the government refuses to help the very people that are at most risk of becoming ill with covid 19 and even worse dying.

Once again kicking the most in need to the floor like yesterdays newspaper.

No promise has been made to extend the extra £20 to universal credit and working tax credit claimants either. Every time they’re asked they say that they’ll keep it ‘under review’ double speak for no… But if you continue to campaign for it you might get it.

It will be devastating if this support isn’t continued.

Zero promises and protections have been offered to those excluded from any financial help during the last lockdown, even though they’re in great need of this. Already suffering and many living in poverty, they urgently need help but will the government deliver?

I expect other announcements to be made in the coming days but I do know one thing… They’ll fail to reach their targets, for all of their grand speeches, they’re not the ones trying to make this happen.

They’ll continue to ignore the needs and wants of the most vulnerable in society. For all the bluffing that Johnson is making he really hasn’t got a clue what to do. Surrounded by Tory MPs, many of which will be working out how to profit even more from the pandemic. He’d rather be on holiday, happy in the knowledge that his government is and will continue to fail those that need help the most.

Shame on them.

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/national-lockdown-stay-at-home

A huge thank you to my readers for supporting both my blog and campaign throughout last year. You all mean the word to me and I really mean that.

If I could change the world I would do, but I just do my bit from my kitchen table.

Health wise I’m not brilliant atm and I’m struggling. Long covid is bloody awful, and I relapsed again. I can tell you that covid 19 has changed my life forever.

For anyone that would like to donate towards the blog and campaign theres a donate button at the top and side of the blog. Every penny counts and helps others as well as ensuring that I can continue to blog by paying my internet bill.

Lots of love to you all. Remember, you are important, you are loved and you are needed. My inboxes are open to anyone that wants to chat.

Dear readers I write this blog on New Year’s Eve, a time when we are supposed to be celebrating and welcoming the new year with open arms whilst saying its going to be a good one and suchlike. This year its going to be completely different. The new strain of Covid 19 has ensured that many more people have caught it, and many are also dying.

I really wanted to write this blog today with cheer, hope and the optimism that things will be better, but I’m a realist and I can’t do that.

Myself like many of you reading this have lost friends because they caught Covid. Many more have lost much loved family members, people that they’d normally celebrate the new year with, and losses such as these are highlighted at this time of year.

Yesterday the government put most of the country in tier four, because we are now right back with the daily death rates being as high as they were at the beginning.

Personally I don’t think that this is enough. Why? Because the rules are so complicated and many people find it hard to follow them. And lets not forget that the government has still ordered that schools remain open, blatantly ignoring the advice from SAGE and the teaching unions.

Tier four doesn’t mean anything until the schools are shut. Ive said previously on my blog and in articles that I’ve had published. Its impossible to control the spread of covid whilst the schools remain open. It’s impossible to social distance properly in classrooms, you only need to ask a teacher or a child and they will say the same.

Boris Johnson claims that schools are safe, as usual he’s lying, he knows that he’s lying and teachers and parents are furious. The government has systematically refused to support parents and children correctly, and they’ve also failed the NHS. They’re evil and callous with no regard for a human life.

Yesterday I woke to the news that one of my friends is seriously ill and is in hospital with covid, and another is at home trying to cope with having Covid the best that they can. It’s bloody heartbreaking.

I do believe that a full lockdown is needed, including schools to prevent the rise of covid cases, and to give the government chance to vaccinate people. I also have my doubts about the governments handling of the vaccine. They’ve messed everything up so far and I’ll believe it when I see it.

This year has been an awful year for me personally, I certainly didn’t plan on catching covid 19, and I was careful. It’s changed my life so much and the recovery is long and slow. I have damage to my left lung, and I suspect part of my right lung also because of the pains that Ive been getting there. I’ll know more once Ive had my next ct scan in January.

It’s bloody tough, especially when you’re trying to be a parent as well. It certainly has been an eye opener for my daughter. For weeks she virtually became my nurse, helping me to do the most basic of things. When she wasn’t looking after me she was praying that I’d get better. I’d say that it was more scary for her than me.

Financially its been a bloody nightmare not only for me but for so many people. Thousands of people have lost their jobs as a direct result of the pandemic and the government has failed to compensate them at all. Meanwhile the DWP still expect claimants to do full job searches both online and in person.

I also have another worry. Will the DWP recognise long covid as an illness, preventing people to look for work? I doubt it. This week I asked them this and they didn’t answer.

Meanwhile we still have to continue the best that we can, in the hope that things do get better.

This new year my wishes for you are

That you all remain safe,

You cope with the pandemic in whatever way that you can do,

That our struggles become easier,

That you are all able to have enough food and warmth

And that you remain the fabulous people that you are.

Remember that you are loved, you are important and you are all worthy of a good life despite what the government tells us. My inbox remains open if you want to talk as does my Twitter and Facebook inboxes.

Lots of love and keep safe xxx.

A huge thank you to everyone that has supported my campaign and my blog this year. I really couldn’t do it without you. 

For anyone who would like to donate there is a donate button at the top and side of this blog post. 

Thank you xxx

As Christmas approaches the worry and stress of the festive season arrives with it. Thousands of people have become unemployed as a result of the pandemic, many won’t be able to celebrate Christmas.

Christmas is meant to be a time of great joy, love and meeting family members that we might not have seen for long while. Sadly, for people shielding this isn’t going to be possible, and its not wise to do so.

The government and their lack of action towards the pandemic is all too evident. One day they’re telling people that they can see their families over the Christmas period, the next they’re saying keep this time limited. They’re still not committing to a direct order, a full lockdown even though 612 people died from Covid 19 yesterday.

If people take the governments advice and travel to see their families either it be locally or a journey away theres going to be a huge rise in Covid 19 related deaths and people ill with Covid 19.

612 deaths is nothing compared to what it could become if people unknowingly spread the virus to loved ones. Expect the death rate to become much higher. The sensible thing to do would be to stay at home, but not everyone can.

Please can the media start sharing the death rates again? Sadly so many people have normalised the covid deaths and we cant allow this normalisation to continue.

For people like myself that don’t mind staying at home and postponing Christmas it isn’t a big deal, but for others it isn’t. The series of lockdowns and self isolating can be horrific causing extreme mental distress and suffering.

The media are telling people, quite rightly that they should check on their neighbours but this isn’t always possible due to self isolating, disability and illness. Not everyone has access to the internet and not everyone wants it.

The lack of leadership and advice from the government has resulted in the deaths of thousands of people, not only from covid but also from problems surrounding covid. Does the government care about these deaths? Nope not one bit. They’re openly taunting us, insulting us with their lack of action.

I do believe that a full lockdown is needed, including all schools and educational facilities. But we also need people to be supported, listened to and their needs met. We desperately need to prevent the deaths that will undoubtably happen after Christmas when families return to their respective homes.

We also need to prevent people becoming infected with Covid 19, so many of them will suffer for many months from long covid and related illnesses caused by the virus.

Unemployment levels will continue to rise, homelessness will increase and more and more people will be plunged into poverty.

All of the above could have been prevented if the government had taken proper and responsible action when the pandemic first hit the England. It’s almost as if Johnson and co were sitting with their fingers in their ears shouting ‘I can’t hear you’.

I have no doubt that they saw the pandemic as an opportunity to kill people that they deemed not worthy, empty feeders, people they can’t profit from. It’s shameful and downright disgusting that they categorise people like this. Every life is important and no one should be made to suffer like this.

The pandemic could have been a time for the government to shine, show some positive leadership, but their arrogance and attitude towards the working class prevented that. Instead they leave a trail of death and destruction.

So what do we do now? We need to be sensible, not putting yourselves and others at risk. If we are all sensible then we might be able to enjoy next year properly.

Please spare a thought for everyone that are now finding themselves out of work as a direct result of the pandemic. Many of them will be experiencing the horrific Universal Credit system for the first time. Lets help them in any way that we can.

Please take care everyone and keep safe.

Apologies for the quality of this blog, I’ve had awful Covid 19 brain fog all week, and i woke with a headache this morning.

I shall be blogging next week as I find Christmas hard as well for so many reasons. I’m here if anyone needs to talk.

Yesterday was Unite the unions national day of action against Universal Credit. It was good to see Unite The Union and Jonathon Reynolds supporting this important day of action. Thank you to everyone that took part.

Their main focus this year was to keep the £20 universal credit top up permanently because theres no sign of the pandemic ending and this money is really helping people to survive.

Please note that I’m not forgetting everyone on legacy benefits. They still need the extra £20 top up. They’re struggling and it’s important to support them also.

Myself and other campaigners such as DPAC have been campaigning against universal credit since its conception. We read the paperwork, watched the debates in parliament and we knew how terrible it would be for anyone forced to claim it.

Back when when Jeremy Corbyn became the leader of the Labour Party. Both he and John McDonnell actually listened to our worries and concerns. We were invited to parliament to discuss it. We were being listened to at last and we had some hope that things could change.

There wasn’t an echo chamber but I did feel supported to some extent. At last our voices were being heard. I hoped that this would bring about the changes that were and are needed. Still I remained sceptical, but when something is so bad, so damaging to the poorest and most vulnerable in our country you tend to hold onto every bit of hope for change. We felt supported to a degree.

That’s not to say that I wasn’t putting all of my eggs in one basket so to speak. I knew that if, and it was a narrow if Jeremy Corbyn would have been elected as prime minister there would have been some changes made to the way that universal credit is paid and how it discriminates against people.

I still doubted that Universal Credit would be stopped, however I did believe that she very important changes could have been made to change it so it wouldn’t remain the cruel system that it is now.

I was also aware that it would be a very tough battle to get him elected. There was and is opposition towards him from both sides of the political arena including the Labour Party. When he lost the election I wasn’t surprised. There’s no way that they’d have allowed someone like Jeremy to be elected.

I’m not foolish enough to think that Corbyn was the messiah and that he would sort out all the problems with our social security system. I saw it as a good step in the right direction, to start changing things for the better. I respect him for that and for all of the hard work that he has done and continues to do on behalf of us.

To say that I was deflated was an understatement. All of our hard work looked as if it would be ignored. Thankfully Debbie Abrahams and Jonathon Reynolds are continuing the campaign.

I am a tad annoyed that there wasn’t any show of solidarity from Sir Kier Starmer. It would have been nice to have a show of solidarity, no matter how shallow but there was nothing.

To explain why I’m so frustrated at this I’ll explain further.

I and others have been campaigning against universal credit since its conception. I’ve stood outside Ashton Under Lyne Jobcentre for years, in the rain, snow, when ill, helping people to navigate this evil system. We offered and still offer help, advice, solidarity, food and compassion. All of this is missing from the DWPs remit.

Universal Credit is immensely complicated, it discriminates against everyone claiming it. It pushes people further into poverty and absolute poverty. The very fact that you have to wait at least five weeks for your first payment says it all.

The five week wait ensures that everyone will have rent arrears, and they won’t be able to buy food. Oh! But they can get a loan they say… Yes you can, but you then have to chose wether the money goes to pay the rent or does it buy you some food…. If you’re hungry then you’re going to choose the latter.

Universal credit ensures that any person claiming it remains in debt. The loans from the DWP have to be paid back and I’ve never spoken to anyone that actually manages to receive their full payments. Lets also not forget about other none DWP related debts that are garnished from a persons monthly payment.

If that isn’t bad enough, this system punishes you even further. DWP advisors give claimants unachievable goals… You must continue to look for work… It doesn’t matter if theres a pandemic and you have to self isolate… Claimants have to do as their told or else.

It’s no coincidence that the levels of homelessness have shot up as a result of rent arrears. For any caring person it makes no sense to force someone into debt. Having a home, shelter and food are basic requirements. It’s a sad indictment of the governments cruelty that they don’t consider this as a necessity.

There is so much more that I can tell you about how awful universal credit is, but you get the gist. It’s horrific, people have died and will die as a result of being sanctioned and of failing so called DWP medical assessments and the thought of attending one of their assessments. It’s heartbreaking.

Universal Credit was designed to punish the working class because they’re poor, because they need some help, have hit hard times, are disabled or ill. After all theres nothing that the Tory Party hates more than the working class.

What the Tory party wont tell you is that they see us all as a commodity, to be used to make money for themselves and their friends. If you’re ill or disabled then they value you as worthless, so they neglect you to the point of destitution. It’s so bloody awful.

I am hoping that the Labour Party will carry on with the good work that had previously been done by ourselves, John McDonnell and Jeremy Corbyn. I know that Jonathon Reynolds is trying to push this as is Debbie Abrahams.

There shouldn’t be a wall of silence from the leader of the opposition regarding universal credit and the suffering of the working class. It might not be trendy but its damn well important. Here’s hoping that he will in the future.

To everyone that is trying to survive whilst claiming universal credit.. You aren’t worthless, you aren’t stupid, you aren’t lazy or work-shy and you aren’t a commodity to be used whenever the DWP and the Tory party feels like it.

You are the bravest people that I know, you’re braver and smarter than any Tory MP is. In my eyes each and every one of you are heroes and I will never stop campaigning on your behalf.

Please know this.. There are lots of campaigners out there like myself that do care. We will speak up on your behalf and we will continue the fight for a fairer system, one that cares for each and every one of you. You all deserve this.

I hope that you are all as ok as you can be. I know that many of us are dreading Christmas for many reasons. Please know that I’ll be thinking of you. If you need to talk you know where I am.

Please read, share, tweet and email my blog. It’s vital that we continue to get the truth out there.

A huge thank you to everyone that reads my blog, shares it and supports my blog and campaign. It really does mean the world to me.

If you would like to donate towards the blog and campaign theres a donate button at the top and side of this blog post. Thank you!

Yesterday 626 people died from Covid 19 but you wouldn’t know about this if you’re not on Twitter. Channel four news did mention it but it wasn’t their top story.

There’s been zero publicity surrounding this and zero communication from politicians about this except for Nicola Sturgeon. At least she cares.

I’m not saying that left wing politicians don’t care, I’m sure that they do but why have they remained silent on this? Don’t the families and friends of those that died deserve some support? They must feel extremely neglected at the moment and its shameful that they’re feeling like this.

Don’t their deaths mean anything? I’m certain that deaths from Covid 19 are being normalised in society. There’s also a whole lot of people that still believe that its all a conspiracy. How callous is this? I’m sorry but it disgusts me.

Every person that died yesterday was someone’s child, sister, brother, parent, aunt, uncle, carer, grandparent and friend. Every one of them were loved by someone. They’ll be missed but sadly do officials care enough to mention this?

I’m furious, they deserve much more than this. They deserve to be remembered.

All of this could have been prevented but it wasn’t. We have a prime minister that is failing the public each and every day. He doesn’t care who dies, nor do his friends either.

You see, I’ve said before that we are all surplus to requirements. If they cant profit from us then they’ll neglect us as they please.

Johnson should have been dealt with the pandemic properly in the beginning. Common sense dictates this but Johnson couldn’t care less. He disappeared for a while, and not one of his Tory MPs questioned this.

Lets talk about the latest news about the new tier system.

It’s complicated, unclear and to be honest lots of people wont even realise that the government have changed the rules again.

It’s ridiculous, people are ignoring the restrictions because they know that they can do. Therefore people are continuing to spread it wherever they go.

The government tells the public that we are in phase 1, 2 or 3 lockdown but they continue to keep the schools open. Thus proving that they don’t give a stuff about our children, teaching staff, school staff and vulnerable family members.

Surely the government must realise that closing schools, especially secondary schools is the right thing to do. Despite the scientific evidence, complaints from the teaching unions and parents they’re still keeping the schools open.

The government will never admit that they’re wrong and they don’t care how many people die as a result of their negligence.

The government is also ignoring the mental strain thats being put on teaching and support staff every day. Not only are they scared of becoming ill themselves, but they’re also worrying about their pupils and their families.

Can you imagine how heartbreaking it would be to learn that you’ve infected a loved one and they become ill or worse. They shouldn’t be put under this stress.

What we need to happen is a full national lockdown. Not a half hearted one because these so called lockdowns aren’t working. The very evidence that 696 people died from Covid 19 yesterday proves this.

We need a full national lockdown thats the same in every town, city and in rural places.

We need all shops except the essential ones to shut, so many shops are still open that say they’re essential but in reality they aren’t. You only have to head over to YouTube and see the Home Bargains and B&M shopping hauls that prove this.

We need each and every person to be properly compensated whilst they can’t work.

We need bailiff visits and evictions to be stopped again

More importantly we need all schools and educational establishments to close. There’s certainly not enough social distancing and the so called ‘Bubble” system is a joke. People are dying remember that.

Whilst it’s definitely not our children’s fault that they’re spreading it, it is the government’s fault for putting them in this position.

The loosening of the restrictions at Christmas time is ridiculous. So many people will become ill or worse as a result of the governments negligence. I suppose they’ve done this because they want to appear popular but they wont be when the death toll is high.

I want all politicians to at least acknowledge the people that have died and I want The Labour Party to challenge the Tories about their shocking management of the pandemic. Before you say it I realise that most Tory MPs won’t but I can ask anyway.

Unemployment is set to hit 2.6 million by mid 2021 and still the government wants to take the extra £20 a week away. It might not seem like a lot to some people but its a lifeline for so many.

So many people have been pushed into poverty through no fault of their own yet their being treated terribly by the government. Don’t even get me started on the DWP and their required job searches whilst we are in the middle of a pandemic.

It shouldn’t be me saying this though, its our politicians job to do this.

Here’s hoping that they will soon.

As for me, I’m still battling this latest infection although I’m not as breathless as I was. The stress of Christmas is already affecting me. I cant afford to buy my daughter anything for Christmas, I only just managed her birthday.

Thousands of people will be feeling the same. If I could cancel Christmas I would.

Please read, share, tweet and email my blog. We need to get the truth out there.

Thank you to everyone that supports my campaign and blog. It really does mean the world to me. Thank you so much.