10 minutes of your time?
- By angelica
-
Tue 19 Aug 2008 14:14
Hi everyone
I haven’t posted on the board for a while mostly because I discovered the chat room and some fellow insomniac carers (you know who you are
).I’m posting now to ask for 10 minutes of your time to try and do something that might benefit carers.
As some of you will know the Government has a Green Paper out at the moment called No One Written Off :Reforming Welfare to Reward Responsibility. In it the government are proposing to move carers on Income Support and Carers Allowance to Job Seekers Allowance. Personally I think that putting carers on JSA, a benefit that suggests we are not working and are available for work is an insult and I am very worried about what this means for all carers as I think that this is the first step towards getting rid of carers allowance altogether. Carers on JSA will not get carers allowance because of the overlapping rule. This means that the only carers left on CA will be carers with savings or other family income. It’s a small step to getting rid of CA altogether and with it the recognition that carers CONTRIBUTE to society.
I have put together two template letters…one for the local press and one for MPs and I’m hoping that as many carers as possible will use them (you can add bits or change bits or use them as they are) to email their own MPs and local papers.
Now you’re probably thinking it’s a waste of time
BUT all I can say is at the moment these are formative proposals…they are out to consultation until 22nd October. If there are enough people that object we have a chance (admittedly a small chance) of changing the government’s mind on this. Once it passes into legislation there’s no chance. And it’s no good us moaning when CA goes 
( surely it's better to at least to try and do something now to stop it going in the first place. 
Anyway here are the drafts. (apologies in advance for the length of the post):
Draft 1
Letter to local paper:
Dear Editor
As a carer I am writing to express my anger at proposals to transfer working age carers on Carers Allowance and Income Support to Job Seekers Allowance as is proposed in the Green Paper No One Written Off :Reforming Welfare to Reward Responsibility.
Transferring carers who are providing a minimum of 35 hours a week unpaid care (work) to a benefit that suggests they are not working and are available for work is an insult to carers and a contradiction of the government’s claim to ‘recognise’ carers’ ‘immense contribution’ to society (estimated to be worth £87 billion a year).
Furthermore, placing carers on JSA is misleading in that it implies that those with substantial caring responsibilities have the choice to combine unpaid caring work with paid employment when in fact the lack of appropriate affordable respite in the system means that many carers do not have a genuine CHOICE.
Carers are angry that the long awaited Carers Strategy announced this summer failed to deliver any immediate improvement in carers’ income. The proposal now to transfer working age carers to JSA has left many of us worried about government plans for the future re Carers Allowance.
The Green Paper claims to be reforming welfare to reward responsibility. Carers are amongst the most responsible members of society. Carers are used to praise from MPs (unsung heroes/heroines). As a carer I would like to know if our MPs are prepared to back their warm words about carers with action. I would like to know if local MPs and party candidates at the next election will be supporting carers by urging the Govt or MPs in their party to recognise carers valuable 'social input' as members of the working community by keeping carer benefits separate from the rest of the benefit system.
I am writing to this paper because I would like to know your readers views on this and I am sure that other carers in this constituency will be interested in their MPs and other party candidate’s response.
Draft 2 Letter to MPs
Dear (MPs name)
I am writing as a carer and as one of your constituents to express my anger at proposals to transfer working age carers on Carers Allowance and Income Support to Job seekers Allowance as is proposed in the Green Paper: No One Written Off: Reforming Welfare to Reward Responsibility.
Transferring carers who are providing a minimum of 35 hours a week unpaid care (work) to a benefit that suggests they are not working and are available for work is an insult to carers and a contradiction of the government’s claim to ‘recognise’ carers’ ‘immense contribution’ to society (estimated to be worth £87 billion a year).
Furthermore, placing carers on JSA is misleading in that it implies that those with substantial caring responsibilities have the choice to combine unpaid caring work with paid employment when in fact the lack of appropriate affordable respite in the system means that many carers do not have a genuine CHOICE.
Carers are angry that the long awaited Carers Strategy announced this summer failed to deliver any immediate improvement in carers’ income. The proposal now to transfer working age carers to JSA has left many of us worried about government plans for the future of Carers Allowance.
The Green Paper claims to be reforming welfare to reward responsibility. Carers are amongst the most responsible members of society. Carers are used to praise from MPs (unsung heroes/heroines). As a carer I would like to know if MPs are prepared to back their warm words about carers with action.
I am writing to ask for your support in urging the Govt to recognise carers valuable 'social input' as members of the working community by keeping carer benefits separate from the rest of the benefit system.
I would very much like to know your personal views on this issue but I would also be grateful if you would forward a copy of this letter to James Purnell at the DWP.
I look forward to hearing from you.
To contact your MP if you dont already have their details please use this link
If you do send one of these letters and you goyt a reply let us know how you get on.
This is me begging for a few minutes of your time on behalf of all carers. (Where's the begging emoticon?)
Love and peace
Angel
PS If anyone belongs to a carers group could you maybe take the templates there and try and encourage other carers to contact their MP as well? .....That’s me pushing my luck
Replies
-
By coffee
-
Re: 10 minutes of your time?
Wed 20 Aug 2008 10:47hi angelica read your post I fully agree as I am a task member I will be taking this post for other carers to see and maybe send a letteralso I have and forward it to carers support.
as you mentioned if they have a lot of people now complaining they will change their mind.
it did happen when theNHS wonted to close a couple of wards at Penn hospital alot protested docters nurses oldones etc within a certain time and the result was victory it did not close. so protesting by meetings, letters etc can work not always willhave sucess but who knows if we don't try?
coffeex
- By glynne
-
Re: 10 minutes of your time?
Wed 20 Aug 2008 12:50Well done Angelica; this is the sort of thing we could have expected from the ‘come and join us brigade; the protest group.’ Clearly if you want to know what is happening there you have to go join them and like others around the carers arena I will not do that; I have enough to do now without yet another site seemingly only wanting a bigger membership as an aim. At best and being charitable; it looks to be a case of ‘we will be I C and will dictate policy; decide where and what. I have aired my views on how I see things happening for the best before now; those ideas out in the open and open for discussion.; amendment; adoption or discarding.
In addition to your draft letters ‘they’ could have done a downloadable window poster bringing to the publics notice the plight of carers in the community. That an individual brings things on show the lack of resolve and urgency by ‘them’ who are no doubt good people at heart but misguided in the eyes of this person.
Am I being harsh? Well apart from the invitation to ‘come and join us’ we have heard little from them or have I missed something? Not be unusual if I have!
- By CHERYL THE PERIL
-
Re: 10 minutes of your time?
Thu 21 Aug 2008 18:10Hello Glynne
"Am I being harsh? Well apart from the invitation to ‘come and join us’ we have heard little from them or have I missed something? Not be unusual if I have!"
To be blunt , yes you are and yes you have.
The protest group are carers , same as you and I. They've asked people to join so that as many carers as possible can have a say about how the protest should progress, not to boost the membership just for the sake of it. They are willing to do a lot of the work involved with collecting information, and oraganising as much as they can. I can't think of a good reason why they should be expected to trawl around every carer forum , of which there are many to keep everyone posted ?
Best Wishes
Cheryl
- By angelica
-
Re: 10 minutes of your time?
Fri 22 Aug 2008 11:13Thanks coffee, thanks Glynne
Glynne i will support any initiative that helps carers. Like Cheryl I support the protest. And I'm also a member of the Carer Watch board.
I know we all have so little time. And I know that so many think what's the point of even trying to change anything....and i won't lie I feel like that too sometimes. But if you're a carer you're used to fighting the system...if we could all fight together i think we would have a better chance of changing it.
Love and peace Angel
PS..I promise not to talk politics in the chat room
- By JeanM
-
Re: 10 minutes of your time?
Fri 22 Aug 2008 11:20It would take a few minutes of your time to look at the protest board, it would take a long time for someone to go around ALL the carer forums to post.
The protest board is there as central information. As all the people involved are carers themselves, I'm sure you will appreciate that 'spare' time is not a limitless resource.So do I think you are being harsh? Since you asked.....Yes.
- By Lynn
-
Re: 10 minutes of your time?
Fri 22 Aug 2008 12:06I agree Jean, its so much easier to nip onto one site every few days to keep up-to-date. I was getting confused when it was fragmented in various places.
Also I remember an open invitation for people to get involved at the 'deep end' so if they didn't then that was their choice.
Good letter Angelica but I see this as seperate from the Protest Group.
- By angelica
-
Re: 10 minutes of your time?
Fri 22 Aug 2008 12:42As specific actions maybe Lynn.. as a cause no. Both the letter and the protest are arguing the same thing....caring should be regarded as work and payment for carers should be separate from the rest of the benefit system.
I support the protest Lynn but don't you thnk that it's a good idea to try and do something now as well? While the Green Paper is still out to consultation?
Angel
- By Lynn
-
Re: 10 minutes of your time?
Fri 22 Aug 2008 15:28Absolutely Angelica, I think the more initiatives the merrrier - every single thing can only help.
What I meant was, I would have thought the protest working group have got enough on their plate working on their remit - we shouldn't expect them to take responsibility for everything.
Lynn
- By glynne
-
Re: 10 minutes of your time?
Fri 22 Aug 2008 20:40My point was that by having members from other sites as representatives from those site with a mandate from others in that site to represent them a whole lot more carers will be represented and therefore carry more weight.
I have said this before and while it may not be the best way forwards it is surely better than one site with it’s limited membership with less weight behind it!
And I have said this before too; by saying come and join us or learn nothing says we run this; we run things our way or not at all and by insisting on that we come join you to learn anything at all reinforces that feeling. We want a lot of members! Of course you do; but they are all here now only spread about and lethargy alone will keep many out.
I myself have a terrible connection problem with the internet so my time on it is valuable to me; but without that I have no wish to join yet another carers site when the two I am in now do all that I want.
It’s method I am criticising not motive; that I heartily endorse.
(What I meant was, I would have thought the protest working group have got enough on their plate working on their remit - we shouldn't expect them to take responsibility for everything.) But isn’t that what they want by forming a new group?
- By JeanM
-
Re: 10 minutes of your time?
Fri 22 Aug 2008 21:47The Protest group was formed in response to call for a nationwide protest, which will be held in April 2009. It was not formed to take responsiblity for all the many excellent campaigns that are currently in progress and the more initiatives the better
People are working and working hard, in as many ways as possible to get the message through to the Government that something needs to be done now, not in 10 years time.And in answer to your first point, many of the protest boards members are there as representatives of other groups, not just on line forums. Equally, some are there to represent themselves.
But all are carers for a carer led protest.