Wednesday, 26 December 2012

Diary of a Benefit Scrounger: Update on Proposed New WCA Descriptors (EBR)

Thursday, 29 November 2012

A Letter to my MP!

This letter I sent today to the new PA for my local MP.

I have taken the names out to protect the fact I actually have a nice MP who has worked very hard for me!

Hello Nice Person who works for my local MP.

It was nice to speak with you this morning.

To give you the basics 1st. On the 20th Dec 2007, heavy lifting accident at work, thought i pulled a muscle in my back and shoulder.
Jan 2008, diagnosed with a pinch nerve and signed off work for 30 days, Feb 2008, getting worse not better, March 3rd 2008, MRI taken, 4th April 2008, Major Spinal surgery at C5C6 and C6C7 cervical disks, disks replaced with titanium replacements.
Outcome of above, Complete disk failure to the Left, I can't turn my head to the left at all, Ulna nerve damage leading to a full brachial complex effecting the use of my left arm, I cant move the shoulder at all and the 3 fingers next to my index finger sort of work and my grip is about 11 kilos (should be more like 40). In addition the nerve damage causes nerve pain as the they misfire which requires me to take Diazapan, amytriptiline and Co-Dydromol every day, my doctor has just added Zopiclone to that list and next week more pills for high blood pressure.

Ok now in regards to the conversation today.

I received today a letter from the DWP informing me that my contribution based ESA had ended 3 days ago and I am no longer entitled to ESA. Nice Person this is disgusting, I should have been told a month ago so that I had 30 days to make sure my benefits didn't stop.

What really amazes me is I have now used up my 1 year contribution based benefits 3 times. Not bad for a 1 year contribution, it can be used 3 times or will it now become 4?

I have been asked to supply copies of the trust deed from my Personal Injury settlement (already sent back in November 2011) how much I received (supplied by my solicitors in Oct 2011) and my bank statements from 13th of august to date.
They have also asked for all information on deposits or land held in trust. (supplied Jan 2012).

The stress of the last 12 months has lead to me now being diagnosed with High Blood Pressure.

Until this is sorted out I have £xx a week from my Industrial Injuries Benefit and £xx a week from Personal injury trust to live on.
So I either stick to my controlled diet or pay the bills, not a good position to be in! and no idea if i get back pay to the day they stopped it or how long this is going to take to sort out. This means dipping into the trust fund to pay bills.

As I have said in emails to the other guy, this is not how to treat the disabled. I didn't ask to be this way it happened due to the negligence of my employers. However I have been fighting for my right to live a peaceful yet painful life without the added stress of fighting the DWP every step of the way.

The DWP Industrial Injuries Dept have declared me 40% physically disabled for life. (they don't count pain as a disability only the physical limitations). A Medico Legal document prepared by The Doctor's Name, Consultant spinal Surgeon at London Bridge Hospital states I am 60% disabled for life (he counts pain) and it is highly unlikely that I will ever return to any meaningful remunerative employment.

Yet 1st I'm found " fit for work " by the decision maker at the DWP, then I loose the appeal (I only score 6 points), then I win a bit as with an MP's and Bigger MP's help the DWP put me in the WRAG group.

I am appealing to both the Upper Chamber in regards to the appeal and appealing the decision to put me in the WRAG group.

I have had a meeting at local Job Center and (Luckily) the very nice lady had some common sense and has told me I don't have to do anything as i am obviously not fit to work.

I now have proof that the DWP were either incompetent or deliberately lost my ESA 50 as it was the original 2008 descriptors that were used and I scored significantly more than 15 points. 63 to be exact! This is confirmed in the documents received from HMCS written by the judge who handled my appeal. the judge refers no less than 4 times to the 2008 descriptors.
However under the 2011 amended descriptors I only scored 6 points. Just a small difference!

I have read the report released on Nov 6th in regards to the success of ESA and make the following points.

1.) Claimants with an outcome for their claim can be broken down as follows:

64 per cent of claimants were entitled to the benefit. Within this –

39 per cent of claimants were placed in the Work Related Activity Group (WRAG), and

25 per cent of claimants were placed in the Support Group (SG); and

36 per cent of claimants were assessed as Fit for Work (FFW) and are not entitled to ESA. Well that,s me!

The fact that I am one of the 36% shows just how flawed this current system is.

2.) The possible recorded reasons for a claimant placement in the SG are: (SG = Support Group)

undergoing chemotherapy;

deemed to be mental or physical health risk;

having a pregnancy risk;

having a severe functional disability; and

being terminally ill, with an expected life expectancy of 6 months or less.

These are insulting - they limit the group who require lifetime support to those who will be dead in six months and completely discount the 1000,s of disabled, like myself, who would love to be able to go back to work. However in my case and 1000,s of others that is not a realistic outcome. I won't get better in fact I will get worse - my next birthday is 51, each year after that my condition will slowly deteriorate as my age and lack of strength stop me doing more and more.

3.) Repeat assessments
All claimants in the WRAG and SG are given a prognosis of when they may be fit for work. Individuals are then again assessed through repeat assessments after the prognosis period expires. Similar reconsideration and appeal arrangements apply where claimants disagree with the decision to that described in the previous paragraph.
The interval between assessments is usually but not always a standard length of time such as 3, 6, 12, 18 or 24 months based on the claimant’s health. This is to ensure that they are still eligible to ESA and are allocated to the correct group.

So I will be required to go through this whole process again at least every 2 years regardless of all the Medical Experts that state "I will Never be capable of Any Meaningful Remunerative Employment"

4.) One of the most shocking statistics disclosed about WCAs was that DWP decision makers only refer to medical evidence as well as the Atos decisions in 2% of cases.

This I do not find hard to believe. I have 2 Medico Legal Experts, 3 Specialists and a team of physio therapists that have all stated "It is Highly unlikely that Mr Finch will ever return to Any Meaningful Remunerative Employment"

So basically nothing has changed, despite all The MP's work on my behalf.
I am still fighting for my right to be disabled, something I didn't ask for, it just happened and like the other 83% who were not born disabled, we didn't ask for this, it just happened. Now all I and the 1000's like me ask, is that, you the Government treat us with the respect we deserve and not as a bunch of scroungers trying to live off the system.

-- 
"Security is an Illusion, Life is either an adventure or Nothing at all"

"I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I have ended up where I needed to be."
Douglas Adams

Tuesday, 6 November 2012

Reassessment: Work Capability Assessments

According to the Government this is the period I was assessed by ATOS health care.

Claimants with an outcome for their claim can be broken down as follows:

64 per cent of claimants were entitled to the benefit.

Within this –
39 per cent of claimants were placed in the Work Related Activity Group (WRAG), and
25 per cent of claimants were placed in the Support Group (SG); and

36 per cent of claimants were assessed as Fit for Work (FFW) and are not entitled to ESA.

But Hang On A second, I am part of the 36 per cent who were assessed as FIT FOR WORK.

I am 60% disabled for life and have 2 Medico Legal reports and 1 Specialists report which all agree with my level of disability. So 3 Doctors agree I am 60% disabled, but ATOS says I can go to work.
I have a Letter from Chris Grayling to my local MP Dominic Raab asking the DWP, (his own Department at the time of the letter) to look at my file again.

Welcome to the "Lets save money by taking it from societies weakest campaign."

The only way to get in the Support Group!!!!!!!!!!!!!

1.4.2
Reasons for SG assignment
The possible recorded reasons for a claimant placement in the SG are:

undergoing chemotherapy;

deemed to be mental or physical health risk;

having a pregnancy risk;

having a severe functional disability; and

being terminally ill, with an expected life expectancy of 6 months or less.

The rest of this disgusting report is here http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/workingage/esa_ibr/esa_ibr_nov12.pdf

Monday, 5 November 2012

Please Read this!

http://diaryofabenefitscrounger.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/savile-hitler-welfare-reform-some.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed:+DiaryOfABenefitScrounger+(Diary+of+a+Benefit+Scrounger)

Saturday, 8 September 2012

Disgusting Article by Leo McKinstry

And this is why I think the press are in the governments pockets.
http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/344254

Friday, 7 September 2012

I am reposting this as this is without a doubt the most telling story of what the Welfare Reform Act has actually done to those of us who are disabled and trying to live with a little dignity and an occasional smile through all the pain and frustration we feel daily.

"S.O.S...

The battle of my life…

This following statement I am writing in the hope that it may fall upon the person out there I need to help me in this dire situation…I am writing it for anyone to use, re-post (if you would? Thanks) and to anyone out there who might listen and help…

We live in a country where we thankfully have the NHS, the benefit system, thank goodness that IS in place to help-but as they have cut off my benefits till some kind of proof of something or other is provided, I am now in a dire situation and unable to feed my children…The system is NOT working for me, but against me…Surely we’re the ones they are put in place for???

After my husband Alex Wood, suffered a severe brain injury on the 4th October 2011, my life, now nearly a year on becomes not easier, but ever more fearful and stressful.

After a few weeks now of insane trials, fighting against the benefits system, fighting for funding for Alex and my head spinning with where to go next, I am now writing this as I have to take this a step higher…

Yes, Alex is making progress, and yes, we do have some kind of future, yes, I am 100% behind him and on the frontline battling for him to continue making this progress, but for Alex to continue making progress, caught up, now in the dependent position of being a ‘single mum’ of four, aged 8, 7, 6 and 4, in order for me as their mother to feed, clothe them, keep a roof over their heads, I am fully dependent on the benefits system, and reliant on the council finding us a council house adapted to Alex’s needs, now blind and severely disabled and cognitively impaired…

The council tell me ‘there are no properties suitable’…Will there ever be?? Alex can visit for extremely short periods only as he is restricted by the lack of access and is, in effect homeless, as he cannot be housed in the temporary house we are in…

The situation is, that I alone am now responsible for providing for our four young children, for fighting to get the right and sustained funds for Alex’s rehabilitation and re-education. I have to be everywhere, and have to be everything for everyone, whilst running a house and making sure the kids have clean clothes amongst a myriad other chores…Whilst living with indescribable grief at the loss of the husband that Alex used to be...

Surely the system is there to help people in difficult situations, that’s why it exists doesn’t it? But my experience is that it is there to hinder and after receiving a letter telling Alex he has a job interview on the 28th September which if he doesn’t attend could effect his benefit (Employment Support Allowance) is just more than ridiculous…They tell me when I ring the job centre they’ll do it over the phone instead…??? Do they not get it? He is utterly and completely incapable of this…!

I fight daily battles, not just on an emotional level facing the fact that my soul mate, my whirlwind romance, my everything, is not the man he was, and all the grief that leaves me to deal with, but surmounting this, then further battles with the benefits system, a car which is on its last legs and not having any idea how I would ever replace it…

The system clearly does not work for people who genuinely need it. And I genuinely do!

I am not sat about all day on my bum wondering what I can do today with peace and quiet…I am out there making calls, thinking of and organising fundraisers for my husband, planning things for the kids we can do for free to give them a good childhood. Counselling them as they need it, their dad is not the dad he once was, and they grieve this terribly, as do I.

So who can help me? Who will share this? Who will help me get this to the right people who can make a difference and take my story on board and care enough to do something about it?

I have written to Boris Johnson, he might help?

The local MP, John Howell, in Thame was not interested, one of his secretaries emailed me weeks after I sent a desperate plea saying they did not deal with cases like mine, to go to the council…This does effect him actually, he is a government MP, under the noses of the government I am (as the child tax credits have been put on hold till I provide a particular piece of evidence) a mother of four under eights with no access to funds to feed my children…

I am going to approach the Labour Thame MP with what he might be able to do in light of this.

If you can share this post, spread the word, that will be doing me a massive service…

I am turning my fear for not being able to provide for my kids into rage and action…in the frontline now as I need help to get Alex the right rehabilitation, not at the mercy of the NHS and the fear that the indefinite funds will one day run out, and he will not have the chance he needs.

I have to fight for him, I have to fight for my kids, any other mother out there in my situation would do the same.

Thank you for listening, thank you for sharing, and I hope this gets my story out there and Alex does get the chance he needs…"

Sunday, 2 September 2012

How I feel, taken from Sue marsh's blogg, but so true

I had a life.

But it is that life that seems so begrudged today. On every comment thread, from the mouths of every minister, in every paper, it is that life that we are to be denied.

Stay at home, don't be seen having fun - there may be a Daily Mail lens trained on you. For goodness sake don't have a big TV or a nice car. How dare you go out for dinner or drinks? How dare you spend MY hard earned tax money on cake? A HOLIDAY??? You're kidding, right?

But this is what is so wrong! First ESA, and soon PIP are designed for the incapable. They are designed to MAKE you incapable. Stay in bed, give up fighting, become totally bedbound and you will qualify - fight, and struggle to live the best life you can and you won't. You mustn't just be incapable of walking, you must be incapable of mobilising at all. Don't get out and about with aids if you have limited vision! Don't bend or stretch when you can. Don't get any exercise to keep you going for longer.

It is an utter madness. It is so ridiculous, it's hard to put it into words if you've always been hale and hearty. We are being disabled by the very system supposed to enable us.

These cuts dressed up as reforms are based on envy. A belief that those who cannot fend for themselves, must suffer. Live the life I was living until last month. But that life makes you sicker, it makes you MORE disabled. The money is not going to those most in need, it is going to those wealthy ministers judge to be most in need and the two are so different they cannot be reconciled.

It's a sorry, sorry mess.

All I can think is that the ghosts of disability past, present and future visit Mr Grayling and Mr Duncan-Smith and scare the pricey pants off them. A night of terror, where the scales fall from their eyes and they see clearly why they have got it so wrong.

What else but personal experience could get through to these idealogues?

Sue Marsh's Blogg

Re posted from latentexistence

The Paralympics tell us nothing about most sick or disabled people

I’m struggling to believe that I have to say this, I really am, but here goes:

The Paralympics tell us nothing about most sick or disabled people.

No, really, they don’t. The athletes taking part in the Paralympics, just like those in the Olympics, represent the elite. They are the people who are lucky enough to have time for training, money for equipment, the physical ability to push themselves that far. Just as you could not expect any person who is not yet disabled to run as fast as Usain Bolt or to dive with as much skill as Tom Daley, you cannot expect a disabled person to run like Oscar Pistorius or swim like Ellie Simmonds.

For sick or disabled people the struggle is not to get to Paralympic standard but to achieve the same standard as most people who are not disabled. That’s what disabled means. For whatever reason the combination of the way that society is arranged and the impairment that a person has means that they are unable to function in the same way as most. Disability makes everything harder. It makes things more exhausting. It makes things more expensive. It makes things take longer. Sickness and disability can require everything that a person has and still not allow them to function. For many when the impairment is too great no amount of adjustment or struggle can overcome that, although technology and the efforts of those around them can provide other means for a happy life.

For a lucky few that sickness or physical impairment is not a barrier to Paralympic greatness. Even then, though they may be able to run or swim or shoot they might still not be able to dress themselves or wash themselves or cook for themselves. We should celebrate their sporting abilities, but we must not think that sporting ability tells us anything else at all about Paralympic athletes or any other sick or disabled person.

Tuesday, 21 August 2012

Crap day!!!

Ok so I suddenly get this cramp in stomach. It means get to toilet like right bloody now.
I trip over on the stairs, fall on bad arm.
great, so now I'm on the floor just about to shit my pants, when I realise if I yell for my carer it will be to late, I will have shit my pants.
So I drag myself across the landing into the bathroom, drag myself up on to the toilet, Fuck me, made it!

BUT I'M FUCKING FIT FOR WORK!!!!

Bloody Idiots the lot of them.

Please read Sue's blogg today!

http://diaryofabenefitscrounger.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/disability-campaigning-2012.html?showComment=1345562382868#c6961093345427104007

Saturday, 18 August 2012

Todays blogg is about a conversation

Do I have to Volunteer to start this on my own, or are there people willing to join me, share the work load and work as one Voice to accomplish this Churchillian task.

Oya's Daughter16 August 2012 16:44

David - you've seen the bit where she says it's school hols, she has paperwork to do, a court case upcoming, and her own health is wobbling, right? Seriously, don't bother trying to email her even to offer help. I doubt she even has the time to check every email going.

Hurrah that there are some folk doing something, great - not that I think writing stuff really makes a difference, and petitions aren't even worth the paper they're written on as has been shown time and time again, but it's a bit. it's something. So, keep doing something more.

David Finch16 August 2012 22:11

Ok Oya's Daughter. so were else can I help and what else can I do. If we can organise ourselves and give little things to do to more people we will accomplish far more. You are right Sue does far to much on her own and on her plate. But as someone new to all this I have no idea what I can do other than drive my MP and there staff nuts and write my blogg. Oh and do research on how and why the government felt the had to change the 2008 descriptors which I score 72 points on. Point me in the right direction and I will glad go there and yell from the highest roof tops that this is not how you treat people!

Delete

Oya's Daughter17 August 2012 18:01

Well that's just it - you're asking ME what else you can do, or to point you in a direction. I shouldn't have to - seriously, there's loads of campaigns out there. The Centre for Welfare Reform was actually started by quite a few of the Lords the LibDems want so desperately to get rid of as a result of the horrible stuff they were seeing. It's an option to check in there....but at the end of the day, people will have to find their own way as long as they don't keep expecting other people to organise them.

David Finch17 August 2012 19:11

But if we don't organise we don't speak with one voice, just lots of separate voices, and as I said, I am new to this, I didn't plan on becoming a disability rights campaigner just like I didn't plan on having an accident at work either. Thank you for some direction. Finding our own way only helps the individual person doing the fighting, when we should be organising and fighting as a single voice.

Delete

Oya's Daughter18 August 2012 10:03

Never going to have a single voice - if we wait for that we'll wait forever. Even during the civil rights movement there were a lot of different pockets. As long as the end goal is the same it's all that matters. Again, the issue here is choosing one person to lead and pressuring them to do it, rather than taking up lead ourselves. We're ill and disabled - sad truth of the matter is any number of us probably won't see the end of this road and what worries me is people will just flail around aimlessly when one "Leader" goes rather than pick up the slack.

Stop waiting for "one voice", stop waiting for someone else to lead. Pick something, do it.

David Finch18 August 2012 12:55

I am doing it, preparing a report on the huge bloody difference between what labour created and the cons are delivering, taking my MP to task, writing to everyone I can bloody think of and fighting my corner as hard as I can. I just lost my appeal and all my benefits, may loose my house to. I am also in pain every day, debilitating pain, I cannot move limbs, cannot turn my head and am fighting every day to just get out of bed, because I just had the rug pulled out from under my feet and am also now fighting depression. But still I get up and think who can I write to today, what can I do today to make ALL OUR LIVES BETTER, not just mine. I am not that selfish to just fight for myself, I am not alone and some of us out there cannot fight for themselves. I am not pressuring ONE person to lead but we could do with a group of leaders, as an ex soldier, one voice may be louder than a crowd but an organised group of people will accomplish far more. WE need to become ONE VOICE, that's all of us, not just me, not just Sue, not just any single one person, but all of us, shouting from the roof tops that this is unfair, unfit for purpose and a disgusting way to treat people. It is easy for the government to ignore 1000 individuals, but 1000 organised people in a group stating the same facts and the same properly researched information, they cannot ignore!

Delete

Thursday, 16 August 2012

The ESA Scam

This morning I received my new ESA 50 form and now have to figure out how to fill it in and get across the ruddy obvious.

Out of interest I pulled up the schedule 2 descriptors from the Employment and Support Allowance Regulations 2008 (http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2008/794/schedule/2/made) and did a quick score.

Amazing I scored 72 Points, I didn't have to think about the answers, I just answered the questions they asked. No squeezing my brain to figure out what there actually asking, just simple straight forward activities and sensible descriptors. Ok some are a bit oddly worded, but by the time you have read your 5th government document you get used to those.

Then I pulled out the ESA 50, I read each question, read it again because my brain couldn't understand the question, what are you actually asking. I still have no idea, so I called in my carer, yes I have one of those but am fit for work, the DWP and the Appeals panel both agree with the limited little box I need to fit in I am fit for work.
I can get up and get dressed (shirt, track pants, robe, slippers) and make my own breakfast (porridge, microwave) so I am obviously capable of going to work.
I can sit in an adjustable chair and I can use a keyboard, oh and yes, at 50 I can use a pencil, I can think of a few things I would like to use a pencil for, but none of them come under what it was designed for.
So I am obviously fit for work.

So between us we looked at the questions and the descriptors, discussed each one, scraped away at the strange wording and finally think we may have scraped out 30 points, as long as I am really careful how I answer the questions.

Of course we all know that no matter how much medical evidence I include they won't believe me.

I brutally expect to have appeal for a 5th time in 5 years, I have had to appeal everything, why because 1st my employers lied about the accident and said it didn't happen.
Even now, long after the same DWP found it was an industrial accident, the same DWP found me to be physically 40% disabled for life and the same DWP awarded me Industrial Injuries Benefit at 40% for Life.
I am still fighting.

Wednesday, 15 August 2012

Sue Marsh, my Favourite blogg

Sue Marsh is my favourite blogg, she has so much courage it can make you cry and Laugh out loud.
http://diaryofabenefitscrounger.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/my-esa50.html?

Sunday, 12 August 2012

A bit of good news, I need that today!

Well some good news, since it has been more than 6 months since the original decision i can apply to go on ESA tomorrow and start from scratch. Did my own assessment based on there legal descriptors and I get 42 Points, if i only needed 15 how did i loose. Because it seems the appeal doctors are from ATOS and therefore not impartial and they only asked the questions they wanted to ask.

They pulled the rug out from under me!

Totally depressed today.
Why have I had to fight every step of the way since the accident. 1st I had to prove it was an Industrial accident, then fight my employers through the High Court to get a settlement, then fight for my disability pension, then fight for Incapacity Benefit.
Then they moved the goal posts and changed Incapacity Benefit to Employment Support Allowance and I had to fight again
This time we lost and now I have to keep fighting.
Shouldn't I be putting all this limited energy I have each day into trying to get better, not FIGHTING for my RIGHT to BE DISABLED!

Saturday, 11 August 2012

Strange day

Well after getting home, posting that I lost my appeal.
I finally got around to opening the Post. Lo and behold a Letter from D Raab MP.
Enclosed was the most amazing letter, Oh why Couldn't the post have come before I had to leave home.
It was a letter from The RH Chris Grayling MP, Minister of Employment, about me and my case.
It even had an apology for loosing my ESA 50 form.
More Importantly the letter refers to the Medico Legal Report and declares that Mr O'Dowd is a "Medical Legal Expert"
Thank you so much Mr Grayling, now if your proof readers actually studied english would have helped, as they have referred on 2 occasions to what Mr O'Dowd said as if I have said it.
The best bit is Mr Grayling refers to the fact that the Expert has found me 60% disabled and highly unlikely I will ever return to work.
On the other side of the coin, the DWP obviously didn't supply everything or it wouldn't say there is nothing wrong with ESA 85 form which is full of false hoods and in some cases out right lies.

I Lost My Appeal for ESA

Well, I went to the appeal hearing this morning feeling confident everything would be okay. However I Lost!
I scored 6 points up from 0 points, but not enough, therefore I am Fit for work! It seems that a MEDICO LEGAL Report stating I am 60% disabled doesn't count for anything, nor does the fact the same report states "it is highly doubtful Mr Finch will ever return to any meaningful employment "
If it's not in the DWP ESA 50 descriptors it doesn't count and they moved the goal posts so far away from Incapacity Benefit I am amazed anyone qualifies.

Wednesday, 25 July 2012

Diary of a Benefit Scrounger: IMPORTANT : Harrington Calls for Evidence

Monday, 23 July 2012

Diary of a Benefit Scrounger: My ESA50

Wednesday, 18 July 2012

BACK EDM 295

ASK MPs TO TAKE A STAND AGAINST ATOS' HARMFUL 'FITNESS TO WORK' TESTS!

Update 2 (18/07/12): More good news: EDM 295 is up by another 5 signatures today, including the DUP's Ian Paisley Jr. That puts us in touching distance of making it the 8th Most Supported EDM of the year (4 signatures needed); and not at all far from 7th place (7 signatures needed)! This has been a great effort so far, so well done to everyone who's got involved. :-)

Meanwhile, the Conservative email list has finally been updated, so what better excuse to write and find out if any Tory MPs are willing to admit the obvious flaws in ATOS's 'fitness to work' tests? At the very least, I hope we won't let them keep getting away with *not* hearing our frustrations and worries on this issue...

This campaign page has been set up to make it easier for disability campaigners and members of the public to email UK Members of Parliament in support of Early Day Motion 295 (on disability assessments).

- If you're unsure of what an Early Day Motion (EDM) is, or why you should support EDM 295, the first three sections will be helpful.

- The fourth section will give you a template email which you can choose to edit, as well as some useful links which will help give you plenty of ideas if you'd prefer to write your own message.

- Finally, you can find all MPs' email addresses by political party posted at the bottom of this page. These are listed: (1) all together (so you can choose to email all MPs from a particular party with one click), or (2) individually (to help you find a specific MP, or in case you'd rather email a group of MPs with more personal messages).

(Note: Not all MPs are listed, as frontbenchers and shadow frontbenchers aren't allowed to sign EDMs!)

I'd like to take this opportunity to thank you for your interest in supporting ill and disabled people across the UK. If you have any questions or suggestions about this campaign, or the wider disability rights movement, feel free to get in touch with Jamie at epipsychidion86@googlemail.com.

What is an Early Day Motion (EDM)?

A very valid question. The following definition is taken from the UK Parliament website, athttp://www.parliament.uk/about/how/business/edms/:

"EDMs are used for reasons such as publicising the views of individual MPs, drawing attention to specific events or campaigns, and demonstrating the extent of parliamentary support for a particular cause or point of view. Although there is very little prospect of EDMs being debated, many attract a great deal of public interest and frequently receive media coverage."

What is Early Day Motion 295?

EDM 295 has been submitted by the Labour Party MP John McDonnell. Its title is ‘ATOS’, a reference to the private company paid £100m per year by the UK government to administer the Work Capability Assessment (WCA). The WCA is the "inadequate" and "devastating" 30 minute tick-box testused to assess the ‘fitness for work’ of disability benefit claimants. EDM 295 raises some of the many problems ill and disabled people, campaigners and organizations have with the WCA:

"[T]his House deplores that thousands of sick and disabled constituents are experiencing immense hardship after being deprived of benefits following a work capability assessment carried out by Atos Healthcare under a 100 million a year contract; notes that 40 per cent of appeals are successful but people wait up to six months for them to be heard; deplores that last year 1,100 claimants died while under compulsory work-related activity for benefit and that a number of those found fit for work and left without income have committed or attempted suicide; condemns the International Paralympic Committee's promotion of Atos as its top sponsor and the sponsorship of the Olympics by Dow Chemical and other corporations responsible for causing death and disability; welcomes the actions taken by disabled people, carers, bereaved relatives and organisations to end this brutality and uphold entitlement to benefits; and applauds the British Medical Association call for the work capability assessment to end immediately and to be replaced with a system that does not cause harm to some of the most vulnerable people in society."

The EDM can be found here: http://www.parliament.uk/edm/2012-13/295

Why should I support EDM 295?

It's true that EDMs have relatively little chance of being debated in the House of Commons. However, if enough of us email enough MPs about it we could make quite a difference to how this one is received:

(1) For a start, we have a chance to add real weight to this EDM. At the moment, it has 70 signatures. Parliament publishes a list of the Most Supported EDMs, which can be found here:http://www.parliament.uk/edm/

As it stands, EDM 295 can make it into this 'top tier' if we get another 3 MPs to sign. Moreover, if we get another 35 signatures, we can make it as high as third place!

There are 114 non-coalition MPs who remain eligible to sign, plus another 36 Lib Dems. Third place seems like a challenging, but definitely manageable, aim for us all!

(2) Being sent lots of messages on this one subject will keep MPs aware of the strength of public feeling towards the Work Capability Assessment. It'll make it harder for them to either ignore or forget about the difficulties currently faced by ill and disabled people across the UK.

(3) The higher up the 'most supported' list we get EDM 295, the stronger the message we will send to the government about the huge concerns surrounding the WCA. It will also be a further step forward in the ongoing efforts to build a solid 'base' of support for sickness and disability issues in the House of Commons, which may help influence future policymaking after the next election.

(4) Finally, it will send out a positive sign to people who have suffered under the WCA if we can persuade MPs to put their name to a motion which condemns its failings. For such a long time ill and disabled people had hardly any voice in mainstream politics - this would be another small but significant victory in showing that those days have been firmly left in the past.

What should I say?

If you've made it this far and still want to help - great! The email lists at the bottom of this page will give you the chance to either email individual MPs of your choice, or every MP from a particular party:

- Emailing a smaller number of MPs individually with messages addressed to them (e.g. Dear Mr. Smith…) shows a more personal touch, and may make the MPs look more closely at your message. This is an especially good idea if your own MP is on the list, as they are allowed to reply to you personally (as long as you include your address in your email). This will mean they are most likely to look at your concerns and try to do something about them.

- However, there’s also something satisfying about being able to email all MPs from a political party with just one click! If you’d prefer to do that, just copy the huge list of email addresses at the start of each party list and put them into the ‘To’ field of your message before sending it.

As for what you write: that’s up to you! It could be a few sentences asking the MPs to sign, or a longer explanation of why you think the Work Capability Assessment is damaging and needs to be changed.

If you're having trouble thinking of what to say, there's a template message below, which you can change and adapt as you like.

There are also a few helpful websites listed beneath the template, which list many of the key problems with the WCA. They may help you work out which points you'd most like to make in your email.

Remember: your message doesn't have to be as long as the one below. Just make it clear why you're writing, and that you'd like the MP(s) to consider signing EDM 295 and you should be fine!

Template

"Dear x,

I'm writing to ask you to consider signing a recent Early Day Motion (295), on behalf of your ill and disabled constituents. The motion notes the many flaws associated with the Work Capability Assessment for disability benefits. Its full text can be found here:

http://www.parliament.uk/edm/2012-13/295

The Work Capability Assessment is an entirely inappropriate means of assessing sickness and disability benefits, frequently leading to unjust outcomes for some of the most vulnerable people in the UK. Around 40% of negative decisions are eventually repealed, rising to 70% for those with representation (by, for example, a Citizens Advice Bureau). These figures represent hundreds of thousands of disabled people denied vital benefits for months while waiting for their appeal to be heard. It's difficult to emphasise just how profound and enduring a source of fear and confusion the WCA is for huge numbers of disabled people, both in your constituency and across the United Kingdom.

I hope you will feel able to support Early Day Motion 295. I can assure you that the sight of MPs willing to stand up and acknowledge the WCA's flaws means a great deal to many disabled and ill people.

Thank you very much for reading this message, whatever your final decision.

Yours sincerely…"

Websites

1) Citizens Advice Bureau press release on the WCA: "Not Working" (very clear!):

http://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/press_20100323

2) Jon Cruddas MP condemns the "not fit for purpose" WCA:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/jun/01/labour-mental-illness-coalition-cuts

3) "British Medical Association Demands End to WCA":

http://bma.org.uk/news-views-analysis/news/2012/june/scrap-work-capability-assessment-doctors-demand

Feedback

After your emails have been sent, you’ll likely get a load of automated messages back. That’s standard – just ignore them!

However, after a short while you may also receive messages from MPs’ assistants asking you for your address, as "MPs can only talk to their own constituents".

Don’t be put off – if this happens, just write back, telling them you aren’t a constituent, but asking themif they could just bring EDM 295 to their MP’s attention on your behalf. Most assistants will be more than happy to make their MP aware of a particular issue if asked politely.

EMAIL ADDRESSES

Finally, we get to the MPs' email addresses! These are listed by political party in two sections.

The first section for each party is a long list of email addresses you can copy and paste into the 'To' field of your message, to email all a party's MPs together.

Beneath that is a list of individual MPs by name, with their constituency and email address, in case you only want to email particular MPs. Again, I highly recommend you email your own MP personally, telling them your address if you can so that they can write back.

Good luck with your efforts, and thank you so much for your support!