READ THIS AND RT PLEASE @harlechnnorfolk x325 Are David Cameron and his Policies Demonizing Disabled People? « Thomas Hemingford

Phrases like ‘The Big Society’ and ‘We’re all in it together’ make for good sound bites and, on the surface, look like concepts many people would agree with and support.

However, now some time as passed since David Cameron’s party came into power and evidence is now starting to appear that show what it really means and how the Government’s policies are affecting people.

One of the most disturbing things is how vulnerable groups – and especially is seems disabled people – are seemingly being targeted and demonized by David Cameron and the Conservative Party’s policies.

Take the effects of cuts on people in different demographic groups and with vastly different levels of income. So, you may be a multi-millionaire and have to pay more to the Government – but you’re still a multi-millionaire, right?

Or maybe you earn an above average salary or a reasonable high salary. You’re not going to starve or go without food or not be able to buy your children new shoes, right? You’re not going to have to pick which bill you should pay because you simply do not have enough to pay more than one. Right? And you can still enjoy days and nights out, holidays, occasional spending sprees, buying new things, buying people gifts for birthdays and Christmas and other treats. These are just some of the things that long-term severely disabled people cannot do, as they just do not have the money. And unless they won the lottery, they probably will never have the level of money available to spend and save that most people do.

And if you are thinking, ‘Well, I work 50 hours a week plus and don’t have any money to save’, then just imagine having even less. You can check the figures yourself – you will still have much more.

So how does David Cameron expect disabled people to pay their bills if they are going to get less money?

Is there any sense or logic in putting disabled people in a position where they will inevitably get into debt that they have no hope of being able to repay?  What will that stress and anxiety do to people with severe illness and disabilities?

The sadistic irony in this is that these are policies aimed at trying to help get the country out of debt; when in fact, it’s just putting the most vulnerable into debt.

This policy is barbaric.

Consider also the changes made to Housing Benefit and the changes to the LHA (Local Housing Allowance) rates and limits.

They were capped to stop people misusing the system and living in a house that they would otherwise not be able to afford. This is a worthy exercise BUT no consideration has been given to the thousands of people who need more rooms or space because of disability. What about those who need more bedrooms due to severe disability, for example?

There are thousands of families that have a disabled parent and a disabled child or children. With many disabilities and illnesses, the reality is that it is simply not safe for other children to share a bedroom with a disabled child (e.g., medical equipment, medicines, needles, fits, hypos, severe bed-wetting, mental illnesses, unusual sleep patterns – the list goes on) . In many cases, one disabled parent cannot share with the other adult. So, if you have 3 or 4 children, spread across an age range, who simply cannot share bedrooms, and a disabled parent, you will need a 4 or 5 bedroom house or you could be putting one or more children at risk. There are thousands of families in this situation, often with one parent being the carer to both a disabled adult and disabled child/children.

Whether legal or not, this policy does not belong in a developed and civilized nation.

It is being questioned whether this is legal. It is discrimination because but for the fact that such families have these requirements due to disabilities, they would otherwise be able to safely live and cope in a smaller house.

These families are not wanting to live above their means or wanting a bigger house and more bedrooms just for the sake of it; they need the bedrooms because of disabilities within their family and the consequences those disabilities have. It would not be safe their children in a smaller house.

The policy that David Cameron has promoted and introduced is creating a wave of negative, nasty and almost satanic feelings towards disabled people. This is simply wrong and I am that no one in the Conservative Party seems to be bothered about this demonstrates the quality of their conscience.  Many parents with disabled children are surprised, horrified and disgusted with David Cameron.

There was an article about this in a national newspaper - Guardian Article

This issue is also gaining massive support thanks to campaigners and the Internet. There are now many blogs and forums discussing this, for example: “This-is-what-david-camerons-big-society-really-looks-like”

There is also a campaign being started against the LHA changes and how this could affect thousands of families with disabled parents and/or children across the UK. This has the backing of a number of organisations, including some companies, disabled organisations, and others in relation to landlords. I’ll post more info soon.

My final word on this is this: do not believe what the Conservatives tell you. If you want to know the truth, search the Internet, read blogs and forums, watch the videos on YouTube. If you are serious about wanting to know the truth, speak to a severely disabled that you might know or try to find someone in your area and talk to them. Get the answers first-hand and you will see in an instant what the real truth is and just how wrong the Conservatives Party’s moral compass is. Severely disabled people do not have thousands and millions; they have nothing but their pride, the truth and their hope in the hands of others.

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