Here are the DWP headlines that came to my attention yesterday. IN ONE DAY.
"Suppressed report: welfare reform link to Homelessness and food bank use" Patrick Butler, Guardian http://www.theguardian.com/society/patrick-butler-cuts-blog/2013/dec/04/suppressed-tory-report-welfare-reform-link-to-foodbanks-homelessness
Disabled Worcester Mum says Bedroom Tax Move has left her £900 out of Pocket James Connell, Worcester News http://www.worcesternews.co.uk/news/10853447.___Bedroom_tax____has_cost_me_Christmas__says_disabled_mum/?ref=var_0
Unemployed Gravesend man hanged himself after sickness benefits were cut Khaleeda Rahman, News Shopper http://www.newsshopper.co.uk/news/10842726.Unemployed_Gravesend_man_hanged_himself_after_sickness_benefits_were_cut/?ref=twtrec
One day.
Today we hear that despite insisting to the Work and Pension Committee, the National Audit Office and everyone in between, Iain Duncan Smith had to finally admit today that it's likely his flagship benefit reform. Universal Credit will NOT be fully rolled out by 2017. 700,000 people could still be waiting to be transferred. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-25230158 He tried to sneak it out just before the Autumn Statment, but it didn't work. Andrew Sparrow tweeted "IDS wins a special Jo Moore burying bad news award"
As I posted a few days ago, WOW Petition achieved the 100,000 signatures required to trigger a parliamentary debate on the issues it raises. http://diaryofabenefitscrounger.blogspot.co.uk/2013/11/wow-petition-hits-100k.html As you can see above, they are legion.
Every citizen with any compassion can only read the stories above and demand that parliament - on all sides of the house - are held to account to explain themselves. A genuine debate, not a partisan bun fight.
So please, even if you never have before, write to your MP and ask them to call for, and attend, a debate. You can email them here http://www.theyworkforyou.com/ in just a few moments. It doesn't have to be long or clever. It just has to ask for a debate and say that it matters to you.
My instinct is the government don't want this debate at all. And though WOW worked tirelessly for a year to get the required signatures, the government don't HAVE to grant one. http://wowpetition.com/
You can make sure they must.
Please contact your MP here http://www.theyworkforyou.com/
