Solidarity with unemployed activist arrested for representing a jobseeker – call out by Edinburgh Coalition Against Poverty via Boycott Workfare
Take part in a day of action at job centres Britain-wide, 25 February 2015.
Scottish Unemployed Workers Network activist Tony Cox was arrested on 29th January after Arbroath Jobcentre management called police to stop him representing a vulnerable jobseeker. We urge you to join a Day of Action on 25th February at Jobcentres round Britain to show your solidarity. More info.
Actions planned so far:
Edinburgh and the Lothians:-
Leith jobcentre, Commercial St 9am – 11am
South Saint Andrew St jobcentre 11am – 1pm
High Riggs jobcentre 10am – 12 noon
Musselburgh jobcentre 2pm – 3pm
Dundee, Tayside and area:
Solidarity protest at Arbroath Job Centre: There will be a picket of the Forfar court before the hearing on 25 February contact admin@scottishunemployedworkers.net
London:
* 09.45-10.45am, outside Kilburn Jobcentre with Kilburn Unemployed Workers
* 3pm, DWP, Caxton House, Tothill Street London SW1H 9NA (Nearest tube St James’ Park or Westminster) with Boycott Workfare
Cardiff, Wales:
IWW Cymru in Cardiff is in. 12-2 at Charles Street Job Centre, Cardiff..
https://www.facebook.com/events/607720169358185/?ref=3&ref_newsfeed_story_type=regular
Liverpool
11.30 Jobcentre Plus. Eaton Road, West Daerby
https://www.facebook.com/events/805964602791737/?ref_newsfeed_story_type=regular
UK Wide:
Send a message of support to admin@scottishunemployedworkers.net
Complain to Noel Shanahan, Director General Operations DWP, Caxton House, Tothill Street London SW1H 9NA
Please help spread the word about all events.
This blog has no sources of funding so here’s a quick reminder that you can help ensure it continues by making a donation.
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the void 
Reblogged this on sdbast.
From: John Slater
23 February 2015
Dear Department for Work and Pensions,
For the purposes of the following requests for information a
“Meeting” is to be taken to mean any “benefit related meeting
and/or medical examination/assessment with DWP employees or
contractors (e.g. those carrying out medical examinations on behalf
of the Secretary of State).”
Q1. Please provide the current versions of policy and guidance
documents covering benefit recipients being accompanied by a family
member, or other representative, to and supported during Meetings.
If no such documents exist please confirm this is the case.
Q2. Please provide the current versions of policy and guidance
documents covering the refusal to allow a companion/representative
to attend a Meeting or eject them at any point during a Meeting. If
no such documents exist please confirm this is the case.
Q3. In respect of the policies and guidance specified in Q1 & Q2
above. Does the DWP hold and legal opinion as to their compliance
with article 6 of the Human Rights Act (right to a fait hearing).
Q4. Please confirm who (e.g. JCP manager or any civil servant above
a particular grade) has the authority to eject a person from any
premises used by the DWP in relation to benefits.
Yours faithfully,
John Slater
Link to this
https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/policy_guidance_re_representativ#incoming-621314
Sanctions, Workfare, destruction of peoples lives, culling of the populous……………….
PLEASE READ THESE TWO LINKS!!!!!!
http://www.un.org/en/documents/udhr/
http://www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/petitions/individual.htm
Geoff Reynolds, please check this out.
OBD, thanks for your last comment.
ages
my pleasure 🙂
re day(s) of action make it big, make it count…. we have a basic human right to be represented, if we so choose, and it can be a very wise choice….
Reblogged this on Blinded by the Darkness.
Brilliant links – a great read – perhaps the Tories can’t read as all of their austerity policies are contradictory to the Human Rights Charter.
They can read well enough (I’mDeeplySadistic – maybe not so much); it’s just that their feelings of empathy/compassion have all been short-circuited.
“YOU DON’T NEED ANY MORE EVIDENCE THAN THIS TO CONCLUDE THAT THE DEATHS OF WELFARE CLAIMANTS GO HAND IN GLOVE WITH THE DWP’s ACTIONS”
Since February 2012, when the Department began collating national records,
60 Peer Reviews had been conducted by the time it responded to an FOI
request with the figure you have quoted. Of these, 49 reviews were carried
out in circumstances where a claimant had died and 40 were related to cases
of suicide or apparent suicide.
If you have any queries about this letter please contact us quoting the
reference number above.
Yours sincerely,
DWP Central FoI Team
EAT THE RICH!!
DOUBLE DOLE & PENSION
Tony is scheduled to appear in Court One – not that there is much choice in Forfar Sheriff Court 🙂 , also there is only one other criminal trial calling; we usually have 20-30 calling. The decks have been cleared for Tony; he is receiving special attention.
Heard Alex Salmond claimed £400 for Forfar bridies on his expenses. Fat greedy teuchter.
Reblogged this on UNEMPLOYED IN TYNE & WEAR.
Reblogged this on L8in.
‘Sinister’ new lobbying laws ‘are closing down debate’
By John Pring
newslatestDisability organisations have been intimidated by new lobbying laws – and the risk of losing government contracts – into failing to campaign on key issues like social care and welfare reform in the run-up to the general election, say disabled campaigners.
They fear that the “sinister” impact of last year’s Transparency of Lobbying, Non-Party Campaigning and Trade Union Administration Act, and the trend towards funding charities through government contracts to provide services, are “closing down all debate”.
Under the act, non-party campaigners – those that intend to campaign in the run-up to elections but are not standing as a political party or candidate – face tougher rules on the source of their funds and how much they can spend on campaigning.
http://disabilitynewsservice.com/2015/02/sinister-new-lobbying-laws-closing-debate/
I am working in the voluntary sector signing people up to vote.This new law is designed to smother and strangle opposition to the Coalition.
My organisation’s management have their own PERSONAL social media accounts monitored by The Electoral Commission which is desperate to prosecute any Trade Union, blogger or campaigning individual or organisation.
Pingback: 25 Feb Day of Action To Support Activist Arrested At Jobcentre | the void | Bedford Burrow
Reblogged this on krazyklaws's Blog and commented:
Absolutely appalling…
Reblogged on KrazyKlaws Blog. Anymore evidence needed of the Tory’s desire to destroy opposition to their authoritarian agenda not required.
This needs to go mainstream media to embarrass the Tories. What has Tony been charged with? Any decent barrister should get him off.
they go on and on about stopping ‘radicalisation’ – whatever that means – but what is this on behalf of the DWP – a picnic? – No its infringing our human rights – think radical and vision IDS the cunt – this government is radicalised towards a nazi programme of human cleansing
This is bloody disgusting.
They don’t want people to attend with claimants in there because they are breaking the law and they cannot ramp up the aggression,with bullying,intimidation and aggressive behavior being taken out on often disabled and other vulnerable people forced to attend frequently,would you want a witness to the crime.other jobcentre staff turning a blind eye while the abuse is happening in an open environment,while someone is in a distressed state.
kate belgrave published this on her blog yesterday,the last clip,listen to that.supposed to be a public official.
http://www.katebelgrave.com/2015/02/recordings-of-how-jsa-claimants-are-spoken-to-and-why-the-dwp-must-be-stopped-from-arresting-witnesses/
If you have nothing of any use to say don’t say anything at all, thank you!
Same rule applies.
mr r
yep, it’s cbt aka blame the victim, without the smiley slimy words….raise voices until the victim gets charged with aggression…
Sure that there is some collusion between JCP work coaches and g4s intimidators to provoke claimants.
“No skin off my nose” – JCP work coach while instigating a sanction.
mr r
och aye, they use cut off angle, to back one into a corner….
“MAXIMUS USE THE BBC TO ANNOUNCE THAT THE CULLING OF THE DISABLED WILL RESUME SHORTLY”
A new company given the contract to assess disabled people for a sickness benefit has told the BBC it will do one million assessments this year.
Maximus is being paid £595m over three years to carry out work capability assessments for people applying for employment and support allowance.
The Department of Work and Pensions cut short a contract with Atos last year after “significant quality failures”.
Maximus is promising to clear a backlog of around 600,000 claims.
It is also planning to reduce the time people wait for their results from at least 120 days to the recommended 90 days.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-31590017
NOBODY CAN PREDICT HOW MANY OF THE CLAIMANTS WILL DIE, BUT YOU CAN REST ASSURED THAT THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION COMMISSIONER, CHRISTOPHER GRAHAM, WILL DO HIS UTMOST TO HIDE THE FIGURES FROM PRYING EYES……………………
BILL GUNNYEON, FORMER CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER OF THE DWP NOW STANDS FIRMLY AT THE HELM OF MAXIMUS, AFTER HELPING DAME CAROL BLACK INTRODUCE PRIVATE HEALTH INSURANCE POLICY THROUGH THE BACK DOOR.
THOUSANDS HAVE ALREADY DIED DUE TO, ILL THOUGHT OUT WELFARE REFORMS BUT THE PRICE SEEMS WORTH PAYING TO APPEASE THE GOALS OF THE INSURANCE INDUSTRY.
ATOS DID THE RIGHT THING BY GETTING OUT EARLY BEFORE THE LITIGATION STARTS, USING UNQUALIFIED PERSONNEL WITH SHINY SHORT COURSE DIPLOMAS, COURTESY OF THE FACULTY OF OCCUPATIONAL MEDICINE.
WHOSE MEMBERS PUSHED THE GOVERNMENT BY APPEARING ON COUNTLESS, “INDEPENDENT” REVIEW PANELS TO BRING ABOUT CHANGE THAT WOULD ENSURE UNLIMITED JOBS FOR IT’S TAWDRY TRICK CYCLIST, PSYCHOBABBLE MEMBERSHIP.
USING THE SAME UNQUALIFIED STAFF, REMNANTS FROM OVERSEAS AND THOSE WHO DON’T GIVE A FUCK ABOUT A PERSONS GENUINE DISABILITY, THEY PROPOSE TO UTILISE THE SAME TICK BOX BIOPSYCHOSOCIAL LIMA SOFTWARE USED BY ATOS TO DENY DISABILITY BENEFITS.
SAME STAFF, SAME SOFTWARE, SAME OUTCOME………………….
“A TRAIL OF POVERTY, ANXIETY AND DEATH”
That looks doable… let me see, 10,655 per month, hmmm 395 per day…. hmmmm.
Really?
Yeah Right.
To illustrate how corrupt the tribunals system is, i will tell you my own predicament……………
Having been found disabled for life, my benefits were taken from me after an ATOS medical.
My medical report states that i sat down and got up unaided, laid on a couch and failed to be examined and was observed to stand in the same place for the duration of my appointment, whilst holding my walking stick….
The whole report is utter claptrap, yet was adjudicated upon by a DWP Decision maker.
I was awarded zero points on every descriptor, yet have an earlier report from DWP doctors who previously scored me at over fifty.
Having lived, (existed), on £33.32p per week since October 2013 is no mean feat, but it is a fundamental breach of not only, human rights, but equality and disability discrimination as well.
The ESA examination is nothing short of disabilility denial and the descriptors prohibit any disabled person from qualifying.
Being refused access to the higher tribunal by four different judges, i now await confirmation that my appeal will go to the higher tier.
Twenty four weeks ago the tribunals service told me that there was a delay of up to eighteen weeks for a judge to give the go ahead to raise the matter at the upper tribunal.
The only way i could pursue the matter was if i could prove that there had been something inappropriate at the lower tribunal.
This was easy, as i was told by the DWP, in writing, on two occasions, that my previous DLA decisions could not be used as a precedent against the new ESA benefit……………………
Upon searching the web, i found that what they told me was complete bullshit, any previous awards can be used as evidence, in fact, a similar case had been documented but well hidden.
For any of you out there who have not succumbed to suicide yet, do not give the authorities the satisfaction of burying you.
“There is no such thing as the end of the road where justice is sought”
“FREEDOM OF INFORMATION, NO, JUST HIDING THE EVIDENCE”
Government opts again for secrecy on benefit deaths
By John Pring
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has refused to publish secret reviews that should reveal whether the government’s welfare reforms were to blame for any of the deaths of 49 benefit claimants.
Disability News Service (DNS) has been waiting since last November for DWP to decide whether it will release details of the 49 internal “peer reviews” that have been held since 2012 following the death of a benefit claimant.
But it has now decided that it will not release the reviews, or their conclusions, recommendations or summaries, even in redacted form.
http://disabilitynewsservice.com/2015/02/government-opts-secrecy-benefit-deaths/
If a government agency takes away a person’s benefit – they have no money to pay heating/lighting bills and no money to pay for food – people need to eat to live – how can any one deny that these benefit sanctions are not related to the death’s of the people they have placed these sanctions on! Do MP’s get sanctioned for turning up late – well perhaps they should be.
Reblogged this on Britain Isn't Eating.
How to deal with ‘tv licensing’ goons’ 😀
* contains strong language
Anti TVL; Brilliant. They have been pestering me and intimidating me for years. Always a bunch of then, staring up at where I live, knowing full well I live alone. I hate the Bastards.
To be fair to the TVL ‘inspector’; it is obvious from the hurried manner that the householder arrives and considering that he has probably driven from work after being contacted by a frightened ‘missus’ that this goon has in the manner of a TVL goon been lurking around this property for a considerable time banging on the door and intimidating the female occupant and her children. The probably thought he had netted yet another single parent to trick into signing tvl’s confession form. TVL goons are lower than sewer rats – SCUM!!
Yup, when you think about it if the goon had done like we do with a parcel, you know like knocked the door lightly, popped a ‘you were out lol 😀 ” card through the door and done a runner the goon would be well gone before this dude arrived. I mean he has arrived, banged the door, and just kept on banging the door, after it was obvious he wasn’t going to fuck off the missus has phoned this dude, and he his far enough away that he drives, and as he says he goes to the gym it is not like he drives a short distance, the guy fetches his camera, sets it up and running, drives home and the goon is still on his property. That goon must have been there for like ages.
And no doubt the goon was doing the usual goon pervy shit like looking through the letter-box, looking into the living-room window and peering into the kids bedroom – low-life piece of shit.
And from the beginning of the video when the householder arrives you can see that the goon is lurking around the property.
he would have a point except its not his property he rents it from the council. there is no need for that level of aggression and iam surprised that the inspector did not call for backup.
This is how it is going to be.
Anyone claiming any kind of benefit (except pensions) are going to hounded, bullied and harassed continuously, until ultimately, and inevitably a sanction is applied. No one will escape if any benefit is involved.
Once Universal Credit is fully rolled out, the “conditionality” will be stretched out to cover all elements of the UC, we be fully at the disposal and diktat of the DWP.
Starvation, bad health will follow, evictions will soar as all income will cease. People will be cut off from communication via the internet. We will effectively be exiled. People will be compelled by their survival instinct to survive. Theft for the acquisition of food will increase. The cycle continues.
People will become resided to the fact that prison will at least offer a roof, a bed, food and relative security when compared to this scenario. There will be civil unrest. There will be blood. In an attempt to keep the costs of courts and prisons down, emergency legislation will be passed to “subdue” and “subjugate” the masses. Those incarcerated will be truly enslaved.
Martial law will most likely be enacted and we will find ourselves truly in fear for our own existence.
Does this similar to something, or am I just paranoid?.
I hope I am wrong, but………………………………………….
ages
grim picture…in the right ball park…workhouse or prison….nothing to choose between them….
pre 2013 able to claim pensions @ 60 (currently £148/wk) by 2018 it will be 65, rising to 66 and many won’t be entitled without means test….work till you drop, it is now!….
overburdenddonkey
Friday 19 October 2012
http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/home-news/jim-murphy-named-among-27-mps-in-new-expenses-row.1350640850
annos
want to see slab horror stories view @ recent wings posts…they’re done in scotland….only policy is hate SNP….
http://wingsoverscotland.com/setting-the-record-straight/
OBD,
When I feel the axe dangling over my head, as it inevitably it will. I will probably leave the country and claim political asylum in another EU nation. I urge others wherever possible to formulate an exit plan somehow, as a contingency.
ages
good idea, no one can remove your eu citizenship, even if the uk votes to leave eu…
Horrendous to be thinking along these lines, having grown up believing that the ‘worst’ fear for many, could being lack of (enough) money to cover the essentials; alongside the hope/aim to find enough money to just have a few days away somewhere once in a while, or to be able to visit family/friends and perhaps support a child/children. Now gradually being replaced with an awareness that this new and frightening scenario could all-too-quickly become reality..
It’s not paranoia if they really are out to get you:-
@DWP enablers/government architects.
Ages, you are spot on. Although, there is no doubt in my mind, that we will be bringing the BASTARDS down with us, no matter who is in power. We are the MAJORITY.
Bernadette H,
I agree and thanks, please see this link and read the first comment after the main article:
http://leftfootforward.org/2013/04/five-things-the-coalition-wont-tell-you-about-universal-credit/
Aye, the 55 % majority.
“Top Welsh Tory under fire after telling bankers furious about the EU bonus cap to be ‘innovative… to get around it'”
http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/top-welsh-tory-under-fire-8696757
From a thread on the UM site.
The PCS are now finding their own jobs replaced by workfare. They can’t say we didn’t warn them.
Dumb PCS union why don’t they fight the fight against MWP in JCP, stop administering sanctions and MWP (workfare) conditionality anything else is (political) duplicity.
Have no sympathy for the work coach thugs.
AFM,
How bizarre. As UC is rolled out, parts of HMRC are swallowed up under DWP. How long before DWP use Workfare in the JCP’s?. Is it just a matter of time before a JCP coach (now on workfare) threatens a claimant with sanctions for not accepting Workfare?. What a truly, nastily engineered, socially divisive and destructive this is.
JCP is already in catastrophic failure, the only option is to clear the low grade staff out or close it down.
How long before DWP use Workfare in the JCP’s
I think they already do, I’ve seen claims of people doing ‘Work experience’ in JCs.
Your right Another Fine Mess, one of whom who was on JSA, was in the local JC to help those who were looking for jobs on the computers, while I was on ESA I was asked by my health adviser if I was interested in doing the same job when the JC becomes digital, why the hell should I, or anyone else.
There was a young person doing work experience in a JobCentre-.when I went to sign; they sat in on my ‘adviser jobsearch’ discussion – I had the impression they had very little idea what was going on & wasn’t sure whether to feel more sorry for them or for me at the time – it just felt surreal.
As we discussed the relative ‘merits’ of PunyVersal Job Snatch; labour market conditions; life after the Work Pogram etc. ….
“isn’t karma a wonderful thing?”
Why are we asking PCS members to do this?
Because we believe both that it is wrong for Benefit Claimants to undertake HMRC work without being paid the rate for the job, and that HMRC will be masking staffing deficiencies in utilising this unpaid labour to carry out HMRC work.
…………….”POETRY IN MOTION”
Fuck the PCS… haha-fucking-ha 😀 Where can I apply for one of these ‘jobs’ 😀
I when on ESA a few months ago was asked by my dentist “why do you think you don’t have to pay”
Free health care going, stage by stage.
We have recently discovered that dental care, sight tests and prescriptions are no longer automatically free for those people with the most severe impairments under the new benefit system. My daughter, Erica who has multiple impairments, complex health needs and is now 100% funded by Continuing Health Care funding – is no longer automatically entitled to free dental care. Erica, like so many others has been moved from Income Support to Employment Support Allowance (ESA).
We received a letter from the NHS dental services in Darlington stating that she had been to the dentist in December 2013 and her dental care had to be paid by her. We provided them with information about her benefits and then after a few weeks received a second letter stating that she was not eligible for free dental care and if she did not pay £18 she would be taken to court.
http://www.changingmindschanginglives.com/2015/02/dental-care-sight-tests-and-prescriptions-are-no-longer-automatically-free-for-people-with-severe-impairments/
This is madness!!? I’m a working lone parent on tax credits and only last week had my free eye test and£60 towards my glasses. Yet severely disabled people don’t necessarily get the same?? The system is mad. My heart goes out to Erica n every one else in her situation
I also got one a matter of a couple of months back. I had only a check up and the lady receptionist asked if i was on benefits. Telling her my disability benefits had been taken, she asked me what i got to live on each week.
I told her the truth, £33.32p.
She said that i should not be expected to pay and ticked the box on my form for me.
A letter arrived from the same source as yours telling me that not only did i owe £18 for a check up, they had applied a fine that took it to £117.50p.
The letter said i must pay within a certain amount of days or they would add another penalty.
A few weeks later i got a bill for £157…………………………
on checking this dental website
Click to access R%20-%20Microsoft%20Word%20-%20FOI_Request_%282972%29c.pdf
i was astounded how many parts had been redacted. All the redacted parts were to do with disabled or vulnerable people.
Further reading made me aware that the fines were not administered under criminal law, but civil law………………..
I sent two emails to an address to appeal the fine, but the emails were returned saying mail box full.
If you read the small print it tells you that no court action will happen for a first offence.
I just ignored it.
Hi Geoff, Is it not the case that you have to fill a form in for all NHS TREAMENT if you are on a low wage/ monies. I applied for, and filled in a form called a HCI, which awarded me free health costs for 12 months. I did however, have to send my wages slips in as evidence. The amount being £78.00 wages per week. Not signing on anymore or was I pushed!!!!
That should read a HC2 Form
OT: UCs uselessness is noticed….
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-31610232
Send the darkies home.
PS I am not a racist; neither is UKIP a racist party.
Once again, gung ho hero, the brainless Cameron, has put the UK in the firing line from Russia………..
Don’t these fucking idiots ever learn?
He couldn’t interfere ans send weapons to Syria and now he has decided to appease some British Arms Dealer or weapons manufacturer who probably sat at a table at his recent black and white ball.
The actions of one fucking idiot puts the whole populus of the UK at risk.
Since when have we done away with political process and left the job to a lone ranger?
We never even heard of terrorism in this nation till the likes of the phoney Blair and Bush campaigns, just how much is this latest fiasco going to cost us in the long run?
Libya is now in ruins, as are Afghanistan and Iraq. Everywhere we go we leave an indelible stain of failure, and for what?………………
To keep some Conservative party donors happy!
In the next few weeks it will leak out that we have been sending the tools of war to the Ukraine via the United Arab Emirates, a diversionary tactic as to avoid the spotlight of the media.
How many more of our troops will undoubtedly arrive home to a posthumous medal zipped up in a body bag?
We are but a non entity in a theatre of war scenario with a huge global player like Putin, Cameron just a flea on his back…………….
Does he really think that entering another war will boost his chance of election success, like it did Thatcher?
………………….or are we to conclude that he is a thoroughly thick bastard that leaps before he looks………….
My mind is made up already, and the quicker we exit this wanker, the better!
…………………SHOULDN’T BEEN TOO LONG TILL THE PRESENT PERSON IN CHARGE OF UNIVERSAL FUCK UP, STEPS DOWN…………………..
7OO MILLION POUNDS SO FAR WITH A HUNDRED AND FORTY MILLION WRITTEN OFF.
HALF THE COUNTRY IN NEED AND FOODBANKS ON THE INCREASE, ONLY A FOOL WOULD PERSIST WITH THIS HARE BRAINED SCHEME, AND I GUESS, THAT IS ACTUALLY WHAT YOU HAVE…………………..
………The complexity of our welfare structure is probably the most complicated system in the world, far too complex for a computer software programme to handle……….
“But hey!, lets celebrate!, because soon the workfare staff will be replacing all the PCS personnel and the whole fetid system will go into meltdown”…..
ok then mr geoff reynolds, what are we suposed to do as a nation, who are we suposed to vote for to stop this madness ? you seem quite good at fileing all of these FOI requests perhaps you can shed some light on the matter of who should be in power for the next government as its not going to be UKIP!
This whole blog as Comments from people who appear to Don’t even want to work! I’d clean toilets other peoples sick off the floor if i had, to just for self respect and dignity alone! It’s the same names ranting and raving for the last four and a half years! How do you afford Internet access? the benefits system is used as a stop gap till you find a new job not languish on it all your lives, how anyone can not want to work and live off 70 pounds a week is beyond me . I;m sure there are genuine People to poorly to work, but most of the comments on here are double dole ?? what the fuck ? if you want more in life earn it, yes there are Zero hours contracts, but you still get wages, and being in work opens doors to other offers of work, Crazy how you can submit foi request after foi request but can’t submit a CV, I work 5 minimum wage jobs, over a 67 hour week! , but i have pride, and self respect, I can go out on a Friday take my kids to the zoo Etc, go to sporting events, Your not living on the dole your existing> The mind boggles, no one can walk into a 60 grand a year job, you work your way up, being angry on here soon as a new post goes up, Absolutely soul destroying.
FUCK OFF!! CUNT!!
…………..and what brings you to this site my dear? Would it be an interest in the downtrodden or just Tory central office spouting shit to deflect from the truth of what is happening in the real world.
We need more people like yourself doing 5 minimum wage jobs that are opening doors to other offers of work. Having a zero hours job will maintain self respect and dignity in abundance, but purchase absolutely nothing…….
…………it’s not my fault if the zoo won’t take your kids on friday’s.
p.s. being disabled, has it’s boundaries.
You’re a shining example to us all, undoubtedly – great to be addressed in this way – I’ve missed it since not currently having to sign-on. As you’ve dragged your children into it, it’s good to know they’re likely to grow up with so much, not just materially but morally too. Days out with you must be such fun … they’ll hopefully be ever-so-slightly less quick to judge, and more open-minded adults who can put themselves into the shoes of others – if not first walking a mile in them. If they do develop these crucial life skills (known as empathy), it’ll be though their own efforts, though. More likely, they’ll learn to judge people they’ve never met, let alone had a conversation with, and to make blanket statements (sweeping generalisations) – that are usually a sign of general ignorance – in both senses of the word) and a very self-righteous style.
I’ve just had the dubious pleasure of standing next to someone in the bank who sounded much the same – only it was the “foreigners” he was up in arms about (all of them – just not the ones who are friends of his friends, obviously – they’re fine).
This non-angry, non-whinging reply is being written whilst on paid leave from work, after visiting both of the job centres in my locality earlier on, and talking with some of the very civilised unemployed persons now being persecuted on here in addition to day in, day out, under the current ‘Stricter Benefits Regime’. Some are fairly young people (someone’s children – who are – yes, out of work and applying for jobs daily, whilst being told they’re not doing enough and should try harder) – you’ll recognise this; and some who have mental health issues. Most who have to go there know that the unemployed today are being talked down to and stigmatised like never before, for their not-yet-a-crime (officially) of being not in paid work at the present time. Unless they are new/not fully aware, but are soon to discover the depths to which the system has disintegrated.
This blog (it goes without saying) is a valuable source of information and support – with notable exceptions – in times of not working as well as if in not-very-well-paid/insecure/temporary work. There’s no shame in not working 5 minimum wage jobs – or even one, if those are someone’s current circumstances, or their longer-term situation – it’s none of our business. And no shame in being paid a low enough amount of money to need to have tax credits (although it shouldn’t be this way) – but of course, if someone isn’t working, they deserve opprobrium and to be undermined at every turn – the same approach the DWP now encourages its staff to use.
You’d make a great ‘adviser’ and could do just the one, very rewarding job, then. Far from resulting in more people being ‘helped’ into more work, though, the level of vindictiveness being experienced by anyone having to sign on in the present climate is leading directly to (many) people having their money stopped – which explains why they sometimes get just a little bit “angry” … Who do they think they are – unless working at least 7 minimum wage jobs, what right can they expect to be treated and talked to like fellow human beings?!
s n
spot on….i also admire the 2 places @ once contributions, this person makes to this blog..
! I suppose they must be minimum wage, magician’s assistant roles … abracadabra!
Shirleynot,
I could not have said that better myself, Kaz seems to forget that jobseeking is a full time job in itself. 35 hours of job searching activity, and prove it, or else.
Hi Ages,
And it’s harder work than being in (many) jobs due to the continual pressure and threat of removal of essential support (income). That’s before taking into account the pressure people are under anyway with trying to find work/being in between jobs …
DM Reader,
I don’t think you’re supposed count each cubicle as a separate job!
I’m a,working single mum and I’ve read these sites for years! I’ve been through the system and my heart n respect goes to each and every one of the posters with the exception of tory trolls like u kaz. And for your info I work 3 crap part time jobs…
Kaz, AKA Petite, are you one of the same?. Or is that a coincidence?.
What happened to Tony at court today? Anyone know?
From here “There should be a brief report on STV tonight, though it is limited what they can say as the case is still going on.” case still ongoing – what a surprise… 🙂
“This was just the initial hearing, so quite brief. Tony will have to appear in court again in June. But we can report that the sheriff saw no need for the extra bail condition requested by the procurator fiscal, so he is free to go into Arbroath buroo.” 😀
Tony’s appearance on 25 Feb would have been the ‘intermediate diet’ – to give Tony the “OPPORTUNITY” lol to change his plea to guilty – as if! It is the trial diet that is fixed for July.
Wonder what the Sheriff is thinking… 🙂
“Meanwhile, if you’re fond of a joke, you might like this description of the SUWN from Tony’s charge sheet. Apparently we ‘solicit’ outside jobcentres and attempt to ‘coerce’ benefit claimants to get them to have us accompany them! You couldna make it up – but someone just has.” lol 😀
What a laugh, the prosecution lawyers must be scanning through in desperation legal texts for bullshit charges.
Its Kafkaesque, its come true the Totalitarian state.
Been to ‘solicit’ (stand) outside (2) jobcentres today; only one person said “[You’re not sure though, how [he] acted leading up to the arrest” – which is a cynical and an unfortunate view. This is someone I know who doesn’t have recent involvement @JCP, though – so no recent jcp/dwp experience by way of comparison.
Of the people signing on, including those there with friends signing, they were – to a person – shocked but not surprised by this happening/able to relate to being bullied/threatened and inconsistently treated, with (mis)information as standard. Went without leaflets as had not managed to print these – and so felt a bit like a stalker, with no other supporters there when I was – didn’t too much mind though. I hope there’s a good outcome from the case; making a stand on this could be important so JCP minions don’t think is something that can fall within their repertoire to ‘help and support people off benefit’.
I presume the JC have CCTV evidence.
No? Case dismissed then.
Their word is their bond?
‘Solicit’ is a most singularly peculiar choice of words; mention the word ‘solicit’ in the context of a public place and most people associate the word with prostitution. E.g shirley was outside the jobcentre soliciting; you don’t think shirley was handing out leaflets; you think shirley was offering her services as a prostitute. Campaign was the word the Procurator Fiscal was looking for as in an advocacy group, apropos a campaigning group campaigning for the right of advocacy.
Come to think of it jobseekers already have a right to advocacy, SUWN are merely bringing this useful information to jobseekers attention.
And ‘coercion’ and much worse is what the jobcentre are guilty of under the guise of ‘help and support’.
Soliciting the views of other people only – no money changed hands (honest). JCP’s@a very drafty corner.
Er, it’s a JSA claimant’s human right to have representation if needed, and the representative’s right not to be arrested for it! FREE TONY!
Tony is INNOCENT!
The More Protests the Better the Needed
Too many had their Heads in the Sand in 2010
It is Not the Poor who are the ” Spongers ” it is Selfish Rich Politicians at
Westminster who are
Decent People should be Angry at the MPS Expenses Orgy Not acting like
Nazi Zombies and Victimising the Poor
Good that People in North Britain ( Scotland ) have some Backbone
People in South Britain ( England and Wales ) Need some Backbone
and to Stop being Tory Voting Boneheads
Socialism Yes and Slavery No
Defend Right to Peaceful Political Protest