Sunday 5 June 2011

Living in the Real World

Politicians have to make decisions that affect the lives of others every day.  That's part of their job.  And sometimes such decisions will be unpopular.  But at the very least, those affected by the decisions have the right to expect that those making them will have some idea what they are doing.  Not so with cuts to disability benefits however.

Today in the Daily Mail we read how Mr Cameron is hiring a personal trainer to help him deal with stiff muscles and joints.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1394417/Keep-fit-Dave-calls-250-hour-physio-tummy-trim.html

This trainer is apparently costing our intrepid leader £250 per hour.  PER HOUR.  That's pretty close to the amount paid per month to someone claiming DLA at the highest rate for mobility (and you need more than stiff muscles and joints to qualify for that) and the lowest level of care.  Imagine.... one hour against a whole month.  Better still, take time to do some maths here.  If that trainer worked just 8 hours a day, five days a week for four weeks it would be £10,000!  Staggering stuff, eh?

Yet this government has presided over - and encouraged with all its 'government sources' leaks - the most shameful villification of the sick and disabled in living history.  Even though DLA is given to those who can work (as well as those who cannot) it is to be replaced by a personal independence payment.

Think about it.  Personal Independence Payment.  Well, it all depends what you mean by independence, really, doesn't it?  Because the sort of independence one can buy on £275 per month is quite different from the sort of independence you might expect for £250 per hour.

We're all in it together?  Live in the real world, Dave.

3 comments:

  1. This morning Miliband has stated this:

    Welfare has to change due to the Banking crises.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thank you Robert - sorry I didn't reply to this earlier. I haven't been online much recently due to health problems.

    I'm beginning to think that many politicians are actually swoppits - does anyone remember them? They were plastic toys where you could swop the heads, bodies etc. as you pleased....

    ReplyDelete
  3. I have read your entire blog and I am extremely impressed with how you state the truth you get a thumbs up from me for sure. I just do the same thing Dave and you know that is a quality hard to come by these days.

    Yes I agree with you entirely about it all. Good on you for not giving up and believe me I feel like it, but you are making me want to fight again after reading this and like you said we are in this together.

    I have disability problems myself, it takes the micky what they are doing by taking people's benefits away that genuinely need it. I wouldn't mind them clamping down so much like this if it was a very high percentage that was on benefits scamming the system, but the fact is that it's such a low percentage that are actually scamming the system like it and there is no need to be clamping down on everybody like this.

    What makes me sick is they are treating us like we are out and out criminals when we are just poorly! It's bloody disguisting. Thanks for the information you put up about everything by the way and about Cameron yet again! The more I hear about this guy the more I am despising him!

    ReplyDelete