Yorkshire Lupus Group - Diary dates 2006

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All Group Members and their guests are invited to all our Social Events and AGM's. Members are also welcome to attend Committee Meetings as observers (don't worry, you won't get Shanhai'd into doing a job!), it's a nice way to get to meet people, find out more about what's going on in the group, and it's free!

YORKSHIRE REGION

Christmas Lunch

Sunday, 3rd of December, 2006 at the Midland Hotel, Bradford. Details later.

Spring Meeting

Sunday 25th March 2007 at Lady Anne Middleton Hotel. Professor Andy Smith will be speaking on "Exercising with Lupus and/or Arthritis". Full Sunday lunch and AGM will be included.

NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL EVENTS

OCTOBER is LUPUS AWARENESS MONTH

Survival of the Fittest?

The Labour Government is planning to make major changes in welfare provision, particularly that of Incapacity Benefit (IB). These are changes which most disabled people are very worried about and which could plunge many into poverty and despair. Although those on IB are often dismissed as being 'on the sick', it is estimated that just 10% would actually be able to work. Yet over 80% of IB claimants are likely to be forced to attend 'work focused interviews' or lose around 30% of their weekly benefits. The result would be that thousands of the most vulnerable people in the UK, who find it hard just to get through the day, will be pressured into looking for work - whether or not they feel they are ready. People with "invisible" impairments like M.E., or those who have mental health problems, are likely to be the hardest-hit.

These proposals would give a dangerous amount of discretion to Jobcentre Plus staff, to make judgments about whether or not an individual was too ill to work. These decisions would be taken using a computer system rather than professional knowledge.

Claimants already have to pass an exacting medical test of incapacity. Why should those assessed with severe health conditions or impairments be treated like jobseekers and forced to undertake compulsory work-focused activities? Even those who want to work may not actually be able to; disabled people are routinely discriminated against both when applying for jobs and at work, or the jobs may simply not be available.

Although the changes outlined by Blunkett are supposed to apply just to new claimants, many present claimants are 'recycled' through the system, so will eventually be treated as new claimants. As though all this wasn't bad enough, further changes in welfare are proposed - such as the introduction of flat rate housing benefit. All this will increase pressure on those most in need of care, most in need of the welfare state.