Amnesty International is right. The treatment of disabled people seeking benefits is a black mark on British society
Amnesty International has recently passed a resolution condemning attacks on the human rights of sick and disabled people in the UK. One of the ways our rights are being challenged is the manner in which the government is trying to force disabled people into work. It's a black mark on a society when its disabled residents have to jump through ridiculous hoops to get the benefits that they need to survive on a daily basis.
In this difficult financial climate when there are so many unemployed, why is the government putting the onus on disabled people to attend meetings run by organisations who only know how to assess by ticking boxes? These organisations don't know what it's like to have a disability where one minute you might not be in pain, but five more and that could all change., or where the built environment and people's attitudes are as disabling a factor in the search for work as your own disability.
Why isn't the government putting equal pressure on companies to make sure that they employ disabled people? If that is too complicated, then the government could take a bold lead and make all benefits assessors people with disabilities themselves; we would do a darn sight better than those doing it now. Disabled people would want to help those that need it the most and make the whole process easier and stress free; we would want to make sure those that are faking illness get booted off the system quickly so that there is money in the pot for those that need it the most.
Disabled people have a real struggle to navigate the system. They may have chronic pain, learning difficulties or mental health issues that mean that they find the whole process exhausting and scary. Surely if you have a long-term disability, you should be given a folder clearly explaining how to get the benefits you need to help you to live as normal a life as is possible. You shouldn't have to wait until you meet another disabled person to learn that you can get support in certain areas of your life. Let's not forget that disability is not a lifestyle choice – it's something that we have to live with every day.
I would also suggest that when a disabled person wants to work, we let them live on reduced benefits income and earn a wage for one year so that they can see if they are physically and mentally capable of working. If they are, they would come off benefits, but if it is too much for them then they would have the system to fall back on.
Many improvements could be made to the jobseekers system in regards to disabled people in this country. Shame on our prime minister, who himself had a disabled son and understands the difficulties we have to deal with every moment of every day. We should put disabled people in charge of our needs. We should be able to live our lives with dignity and respect.
• This article was commissioned after a suggestion by DickensianBritainNow
Guardian
In this difficult financial climate when there are so many unemployed, why is the government putting the onus on disabled people to attend meetings run by organisations who only know how to assess by ticking boxes? These organisations don't know what it's like to have a disability where one minute you might not be in pain, but five more and that could all change., or where the built environment and people's attitudes are as disabling a factor in the search for work as your own disability.
Why isn't the government putting equal pressure on companies to make sure that they employ disabled people? If that is too complicated, then the government could take a bold lead and make all benefits assessors people with disabilities themselves; we would do a darn sight better than those doing it now. Disabled people would want to help those that need it the most and make the whole process easier and stress free; we would want to make sure those that are faking illness get booted off the system quickly so that there is money in the pot for those that need it the most.
Disabled people have a real struggle to navigate the system. They may have chronic pain, learning difficulties or mental health issues that mean that they find the whole process exhausting and scary. Surely if you have a long-term disability, you should be given a folder clearly explaining how to get the benefits you need to help you to live as normal a life as is possible. You shouldn't have to wait until you meet another disabled person to learn that you can get support in certain areas of your life. Let's not forget that disability is not a lifestyle choice – it's something that we have to live with every day.
I would also suggest that when a disabled person wants to work, we let them live on reduced benefits income and earn a wage for one year so that they can see if they are physically and mentally capable of working. If they are, they would come off benefits, but if it is too much for them then they would have the system to fall back on.
Many improvements could be made to the jobseekers system in regards to disabled people in this country. Shame on our prime minister, who himself had a disabled son and understands the difficulties we have to deal with every moment of every day. We should put disabled people in charge of our needs. We should be able to live our lives with dignity and respect.
• This article was commissioned after a suggestion by DickensianBritainNow
Guardian
