SillySprout wrote:Jenuall wrote:"I'd love to see some stats..."
*stats provided that disagree with the position*
*tumble weed*
I really want to come back to everyone, but there's a lot of comments to reply to and I'm supposed to be working at the moment! I'll try pop on tonight. I love stats and will try get some too and share them, regardless of whether they support the case I have argued or not. How has minimum wage changed since Labour were replaced in government? What has the impact been of raising the tax free allowance? Are higher education opportunities greater or worse, and if possible, what percentage of these go to poorer students? It's been pointed out here that in work poverty is a problem - are this government improving that, or is it getting worse? It's easy to fall into the trap of spin of 'record cases' (both left and right wing papers do this all the time & I highly recommend reading papers on both sides of the spectrum as it really highlights media bias), but population growth means you're often seeing records. What I want to understand is percentages of the population. Obviously those answers are not quick and easy to find. It would be amazing if this topic was full of stats when I come back, but I'm happy to look too, it will just take some time.
What I do want to say at the moment is that I've read a couple of comments about personal situations and I want to make it clear I do not have the stance that everyone on benefits is lazy, or anything else along those lines and I apologise if anything I have said has been taken that way and offended anyone. That absolutely is not the case. My Mum was carer for my stepdad in his final years and she did an absolutely amazing job and deserved more than every penny of support she received. I absolutely, 100% believe that more should be done to support those in need, though in some cases, that is not simply more cash. My Mum could have benefited from somebody coming around the house and help with some of the heavy lifting, for example. The Tory approach of making work pay better whilst making it harder to claim will help push some into employment and help them better themselves, but it will also hurt some. I'm simply asking the question of overall, have more people found themselves better off due to this approach? Of course, as things get better for some, it gets worse for others. Unfortunately our political parties are idealism based and all sides fail to support people in the middle.
What you're describing at the end there is Adult Social Care. Do you know what that is? It's a means tested benefit to pay for carers to come and do exactly what you're describing and mine was here today to help me put together lunch and essentially wake up and plan my day and week.
The Care Act 2014 under the coalition government improved some of this but it is funded my local councils that are paid by the government. the Conservative government has consistency cut funding to local councils over many years and so it is very hard to get this help. My first request for ASC was denied and completely inaccurate. My second claim years later was approved but only with the support of an independent advocate provided by a charity. Such requests are systemically turned down in the first instance owing to the pressure on councils not to fund care for vulnerable people. This isn't just money, it is paid directly to the carers in most instances.
My first PIP assessment was revolting.
I never claimed despite always being eligible until 10 years after I moved out of family and that is how I was treated. I spared the government 10 years of eligible benefits to try and "go it alone" and it was needlessly painful to make a claim and get the right amount of support. My story with the NHS is the same, in fact, it's worse.
I'm on the learning disability register and I have autism, I have problems with gross motor coordination, severe depression episodes and travelling is psychologically painful owing to sensory overload.
That I survived as I did for 10 years alone is strawberry floating incredible not merely an achievement.
But sure 1-3% of people or whatever just make this gooseberry fool up. The tory policy is precisely to demonise everyone " on benefits" (as if it were a drug they can't get rid of because... Well.. They're ill).