Manchester Event/Protest

[krys]

Hello everyone

Yesterday Tonyd and I went to Carers UK meeting in manchester.

Gavin opened the meeting and talked about the government strategy.
Ivan Lewis was not able to attend, so Tony Lloyd MP for Manchester
Central spoke, which led to a long discussion afterwards, it was
obvious that people were angry and many talked about their day to day
circumstances. Mr Lloyd said we should write to our MP's and Lobby,
to make the government aware.
The afternoon workshop was cancelled and we discussed the protest,
a lot of suggestions were forthcoming and afterwards Tony and I had an
informal meeting with Gavin and Matt.


http://carerspovertyprotest.myfreeforum ... out74.html

krys

[g.herschel]

Write to your M.P. its a joke they never listen did you hear what Gordon had to say last night re care for the elderly?????????

its obvious the only people that will get any help from Labour before the next election are those who have children , mortgage , 2 cars , use gas electric & eat food sadly we as carer household will be at the bottom of the list there are only 700-000 carers in receipt of allowance to few to have any real say in the next election and as we have now been lumped together with all other benefit claimants we will just be seen as scroungers weve got no chance at all.
time for all carers to run up the white flag me thinks well not me my fight goes on ive got some 7 letters still unanswered and dozens of e-mails waiting for answers most of them sent off before the review was published iam sad to say they have just been grinding us down my heart is no longer in any kind of protest movement at the moment iam happy fighting for myself .

TONY LLOYD M.P. ADVISED CARERS TO WRITE TO AND LOBBY THEIR M.P`S TO MAKE THEM AWARE OF THEIR PROBLEMS WAS ALL OF THIS NOT DONE DURING THE CARERS REVIEW SURELY THAT STATMENT PROVES THAT NO ONE WAS LISTENING, TONY LLOYD HIS FUTURE UNEMPLOYED SHORTLY BUT WHY SHOULD HE WORRY WITH THE BACK TO WORK SCHEME IAM SURE HE WILL FIND SUITABLE JOB SOMEWHERE .



GEORGE === THE CARERS ALLOWANCE IS DOOMED WE HAVE NO CHANCE IN EVEN RETAINING THE ALLOWANCE WHEN ITS REVIEWED ALONG WITH ALL OTHER BENEFITS
NOW WHAT WERE THE WORDS OF THAT SONG ???? OH YES HI HO HI HO ITS OFF TO WORK WE GO AND WE CAN STILL CLAIM OUR CARERS ALLOWANCE BENEFIT SAID DOPEY YES THATS RIGHT SAID DOC .

[krys]

hello george,

if you read the carer poverty protest, you will see that just like
you and us all here, all the carers in that meeting were just as angry
and that is why gavin and matt cancelled the workshops and discussed
the protest, everyone gave their support, and we recieved lots of
contacts, who at the moment i am trying to reply to, all wanting
to attend this protest, or do something locally.


krys

[smiler]

there are only 700-000 carers in receipt of allowance to few to have any real say in the next election

But how many are entitled to it that don't receive it ? if you include them then that makes a lot of difference especially if you also include the person been cared for. Change isn't going to happen overnight.
It doesn't matter what the benefit is called at the end of the day it is the amount of money that carers receive that is important. Also getting CA or any equivalent money classed the same has DLA for disabled people NO OVERLAPPING RULE and it is not taken into consideration for other benefits as well as been increased by at least 50% plus say 10% plus the rate of inflation for the following 10 years.

I didn't hear what Gordon said yesterday but they will only be interested in people who they can tax the most not who needs the most help.

[rosemary]

Krys

I posted on Protest board earlier this morning about what you/Tony had said about yesterdays event and possible dates for the protest.
What we read online across all the boards is a very minute no of carers and their anger compared to whats out there .You and Tony witnessed some of that yesterday.
Many carers and those we care for are in crisis now.How many personal stories do we read,how many news articles cover these issues but more importantly after the Welfare reform too, how many are not sure what the future holds.We need build on the anger now if possible.
The protest will need a clear aim but can still cover a variety of issues.

Personally I will support the protest whenever it is.It is a chance to be visible and be heard,whether anyone listens is another thing but I dont think that should stop us.Better to have tried than do nothing.
However,and I know general concensus was for April 2009 but I truly feel that is too far away and too late.Its not just about the carers strategy and what it failed miserably to deliver but the whole scenario round social care on which consultations are taken place now.
The paper for it is supposedly released in the Spring 2009.Would that be April do you think?
Would a protest possibly 'after' the paper be worth doing?
Would any protest arranged around that time be overshadowed by responses to said paper?
We also have the promised review of Carers benefits still to take place.If we delay too long it will be too late.

These only my own opinions about Welfare reform but as much as many carers want to work and need support in doing so, there are also many who simply cant and no way should they be transferred to a job seeking allowance with the attached restrictions.Carers are not out of work and moving them on to JSA takes away the very little recognition they have now.For me its the government fiddling the numbers.

With my own pc in for repair I have not had the time online to read any other responses to this apart from CUKs and a few things stand out...

However, Carers UK fears that the proposals (to be implemented from 2010 onwards) will cause serious concern for carers brought into Jobseekers’ Allowance (JSA) which is inappropriate as they are unavailable for paid work because of their caring responsibilities.

Spot on.Many carers for one reason or another are unable to seek work so why should they be lumped in with those who are.

No one written off]reward responsibility’[/color]

I dont mean to sound melodramatic here as most caring is done out of Love but rewarding responsibility???....................is that what the pathetic amount of CA has been all these years as there are not many who can take on more responsibility than what carers do.

“Carers in receipt of Income Support as a top up to Carer’s Allowance will be moved on to Jobseekers’ Allowance (JSA

So does a carers life change overnight?? Does the day they move to JSA mean a magic wand is waved and suddenly they can be actively seeking work . Somehow I dont think so,do you???

The strongest point I felt Imelda got across was her last few words...

We have called upon the Government to set a clear timetable for the review of carers’ benefits promised in the Strategy. Carers can’t afford to waitâ€Â

[philippa_150712]

Totally agree with you Rosemary

Looking at the Green Paper and at the proposals to put carers who currently claim CA and income support on JSA...

I would say this is the first move towards scrapping Carers Benefits, specifically CA altogether never mind increasing them.

Who will it leave on CA....those who currently work part time and claim CA...but they will be transferred to JSA if they lose their job and carers with savings or income from other family members....easy step to getting rid of it altogether.

Then the only acknowledgment that you are a carer will be the fact that it will be seen as a reason not to work and still claim JSA.

Annie said on another thread that the govt are not eradicting disability with the proposed changes to incapacity benefit they are abolishing it....I have a horrible feeling that they might be trying to abolish carers too What's everyone else think?

Let's get visible asap!!

Belle

PS What are CUK's thoughts on protesting before April?

[Sandie]

With talk of 'Personalisation' of the system - when individual budgets may be awarded to those in need of care, it seems to be on the cards that Carers Allowance will disappear.
Those people assessed as being in need of care will be awarded an amount they can use to pay for their own care. In some way, this is already done through the Care Component of the DLA.
One member suggested that those being cared for see this as 'their' money and don't want to spend it for the purpose for which it is awarded. Then this will have to be their choice, although those who are incapable of making decisions will have a nominated person to whom this amount will be paid.
I honestly believe that any protest over the Carers Allowance is doomed to failure. When the two amounts are taken into consideration (the CA and the DLA Care Component) then the income for those doing the caring is greater than CA alone. It's only a matter of time.
I remember when Child Benefit was introduced - a decision was made that this would be paid to the mother as the men could not be trusted to pass the payment over

[kenm]

At last --someone has seen the light!

I have been saying for months it looked like CA and indeed carers would be abolished.

The protest should have been now not next year. It could already be too late.

[philippa_150712]

At last --someone has seen the light!

Sorry for being slow Ken I guess I just didn't want to believe it

best wishes
Belle

[krys]

hello everyone

the protest thread started by george on this forum in may led to
a few people working together to try and make this work.
rosemary is right in saying that online carers are just a few
and there are thousands of off line carers as we are well aware.
yesterday for me, was a turning point, as i saw with my own
eyes the strength of peoples feelings, the anger, and frustration,
of their day to day caring roles, and yesterday with the change
at the event, the support for this protest was amazing.
regarding carers uk imput, matt has been in touch all along
the way, and then tony and i met gavin and matt yesterday and
our impression was that they wanted to do something soon,
however, on the other hand we have prtc who are aiming
for april, also we are still contacting carers centres and
other organisations

krys