The etymology of Social Security: From Safety and Care to Disdain and Unworthiness

The following is a post built on thoughts by Dave Burns | @daveburns422    Has anyone else noticed a drift into a change in the language we use to explain the benefit system?  “Social Security” has somehow been replaced in the press and parliament by the words “Credits” and “Benefits” – Americanism’s that are generally…

The government response to the WoW petition is irrational, incoherent nonsense on stilts

The following was written by @suejone02063672 | It was originally posted on kittysjones.wordpress.com The Government has persistently ignored calls for a full assessment of the impact of Welfare, Social Care and NHS reform on disabled people and their families. The number of households with a disabled family member living in “absolute poverty” increased by 10%…

Who Benefits? The Welfare State and the Middle Classes

The following was written by Sean Hodges | @Howdiddly    It’s been said that the name “benefits,” when used to refer to the British welfare system, is misleading. Actually, it’s a blatant attempt at political propaganda. Since coming to power in 2010 as part of the coalition, the Conservatives have launched an all-out attack on…

Tax credit cuts and the tearful Tory voter

The following was written by @debhal72    The whole episode of the tearful Tory voter and the realisation that her political choice would affect the living standards of her family has left me in a dilemma. I’m generally an empathetic person that looks for the best in everyone and tries to put myself in other…

The Great Living Wage Robbery | By @TellMeTheEnemy

The following was originally posted on Tell Me The Enemy – “Today’s enemy –hard  working families!“| By @TellMeTheEnemy “Cutting welfare spending is not the way to cut the budget deficit” Saturday’s Daily Telegraph featured a piece Chancellor George Osborne and Minister of State for Employment Priti Patel, defending the government’s cuts to tax credits – “There’s no…

Story of a severely disabled man in his late 70’s being forced out of his home

The following was written by Pauline Lane | @Antonineone1 For a period of thirteen years I worked for various charities including the CAB, and an independent housing charity with a housing advice line. This was in the south of England, and I know situations are different in other areas; I simply want to relay my…

Time to sow the seeds of change

The following was written by Michelle (Chelley) Ryan • @chelleryn99 My home growing up, was a two bedroom local authority terrace which I shared with my mum, dad and older sister. My mum worked part time as a cleaner, and my dad was a metre reader for the electricity board. We only had one annual holiday…

The deplorable Community Work Placement

The following was written by someone that wishes to remain anonymous. Any comments made on this post will be shared with the individual that wrote it, thank you.  This here and this here have been sent to me through Twitter, they also contain important information regarding CWP.  I was told to report to the Provider for CWP…

Disability benefit claims rose as there are now more people with disabilities, the system isn’t being abused.

Why has there been a rise in the number of people claiming disability related benefits over the last few decades? Some consider it a dramatic rise that they wrongly assume is caused by ‘abuse of the system’, but they’re wrong, there has been a rise simply because there are genuinely more people with disabilities, with…

What does it mean to be ‘fit/unfit-to-work’?

For starters, the obsession with fitness/able-ness to work is abhorrent, this obsession of labelling how able/disabled someone is, is abhorrent, this obsession with defining ourselves, defining our ‘worth’, based upon being able to work is abhorrent, life ISN’T just about work, at least it shouldn’t be. There isn’t some universal magical line that separates someone…