Welfare reform - what it says in the white paper

[Scally]

Well John, you can always vote Green and be part of the future of British politics, not the past. But if nobody else does, then we ourselves care for the carers: I am a strong believer in self-help!

Our response
http://www.carersuk.org/Newsandcampaign ... 1228921484

It's an elegant and passionate document Matt: please pass on my compliments to the authors: who I assume are Kate Groucutt, Senior Policy and Public Affairs Officer and Emily Holzhausen, Head of Policy and Public Affairs

We are very well served by our expert staff and once again I am impressed by the clarity and comprehensiveness of our website.

Next stop, Board minutes!

[TurboZed]

Well John, you can always vote Green and be part of the future of British politics......

Brilliant idea! and I'd really look forwards to the day when it costs many pounds per mile in taxes to move, food in shops will be 5 times the price it is now to pay for those taxes, and god knows how much in energy bills because its "not green" to keep warm you know. Rotting brains go green I hear......

[charles47]

I opened my car door and the top hinge sheared off, leaving me with a slight problem - !!

I knew you had a screw loose Charles, I admit I kept on telling folk behind your back that I had ma doots, but I never realised you were totally unhinged!!!

One or two people have suggested this: it's getting to the point where I'm beginning to believe it!

[ukjonathan]

Hi I think the problem is they still don’t recognise the term carers, as a real role within society, because if they admitted this it would cost them a great deal of money and on top of that we would as a whole gain rights which we don’t have. All they do is give us the occasional praise, which does nothing, and while ever we are not recognised for the role we play we can be used as they so wish. This is the reason they say we will go onto unemployment benefit. After all it answers itself, if you are given UB then naturally you are classed as unemployed, not in work. By keeping us under the so-called radar they don’t have to justify the pittance we receive. Until carers are recognised then we will always be left in poverty, and treated the way we are now. They will continue to pretend we don’t exist after all we are saving the government and the state millions of pounds. I do believe we are still not recognised as a unit because if we were we would have had recognition and they would not treat us the way they do. They could not because we would then have rights, and also we would have to be paid at least the minimum wage, which we don’t have at this time. We can scream as much as we want but we will never be fully heard unless we do something that proves we are here, maybe we should set a date to call social services to say we are having a one day strike then we would defiantly be heard it would be in every newspaper and on every news channel.

[rosemary]

http://www.theyworkforyou.com/debates/? ... ers#g553.5


Betty Williams (Conwy, Labour)

Will special consideration be given to the parents of children aged between six and 12 who have severe disabilities, especially learning disabilities, where the parents have a special caring role? My right hon. Friend will be aware that there was a carers' parliamentary lobby here last Thursday. Will the White Paper that he has described to us today link with the Government's response to the Select Committee on Work and Pensions report on valuing carers, which was published last August?


James Purnell (Secretary of State, Department for Work and Pensions )

Yes it will. My hon. Friend made representations to me about her view that we should not go ahead with the proposal to move carers on to jobseeker's allowance. We have made it clear that we will not do that, but will look at the right approach as part of our work on long-term care and a single working-age benefit. On her first point, which she is absolutely right to make, parents who care for disabled children who receive carer's allowance will be outside the conditionality regime completely. If they are on JSA but their child receives the middle or higher rate of the disability living allowance, they do not have to look for work either. I hope that that reassures my hon. Friend.

[rosemary]

http://tiny.cc/Benefits647

72 comments added so far

What stinks worse than the idea is the tone. From the pious, cruel-to-be-kind brayings of the Freud-Purnell pantomime donkey, every word emanating from the rear end, they seem confused into thinking that the jobless have a lesser stake in this society than the employed, and believe in the deserving and undeserving poor. To watch a minister with a plumply padded pension and a free widescreen telly and, of all creatures, an investment banker threaten those on £69 per week is to observe the unspeakable in pursuit of the unemployable.

[TurboZed]

Nice link, but I do find him very hard to read.
Not sure about others, but I think this white/green (lets face it it should be brown!) paper really shows is just how massively out of touch with life in this country the government and their leaching employees are living in their rich, comfy, secure and insulated worlds. Infact its very very scary!

[Scally]

I'm puzzled:

If they are on JSA but their child receives the middle or higher rate of the disability living allowance, they do not have to look for work either. I hope that that reassures my hon. Friend.

Thats not the advice I'm getting from my local jobcentre. To listen to them, if you are on JSA then they will hound you down to accept that 45 hr a week job as a security guard in your local shopping centre making a right prat of yourself chasing shoplifters for the princely sum of £5.50 an hour, or freeze in the dark. I think I have been shortchanged - or diddled - out of a tenner or so a week?

That said, I suspect that you cant earn £90 a week as I do and also claim JSA, or am I wrong?

[rosemary]

http://tiny.cc/ToriesSupportWelfarereform

Conservative support for shake-up of benefits system threatens to increase unrest on Brown's back benches

But Chris Grayling, the Tory spokesman on welfare, told Mr Purnell in the Commons: "There is no doubt you are going to face a big rebellion on the Labour backbenches... I can assure you that Conservative votes will help these measures on to the statute books – even if Labour members try to stop them."

[rosemary]

http://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/Articl ... 6?UserKey=

Shadow work and pensions secretary Chris Grayling said: “These are Conservative ideas and they will need Conservative votes to overcome the likely Labour rebellion.â€Â