Unfortunately...

Its been in the news...The Government and experts who had all the rioters in the recent London unrest as to being on benefits and/or being part of the gang culture have been sort of disproved if what has been mentioned in the news is being reported correctly. It would appear initially, very few were from a gang culture but worryingly 100 people arrested were in receipt of Disability Living Allowance.

In the great scheme of things that number is insignificant(DLA is known for being a benefit with the lowest incidents of fraud, it is also one of the most difficult to get)but in the coming days I have no doubt that the media and possibly politicians will use this statistic to tar all genuine people with the same brush and to victimise anyone who receives it. The media and politicians are very good at putting out the negative side of things but the people receiving or trying to claim help rarely are heard.

At the weekend some events took place with ill/disabled people trying to put this right but few if any were mentioned and one big discussion planned on BBC Radio 5 on Saturday night was dropped at short notice to cover another news story which has already received many many hours of coverage. The programme lasts three hours so there was plenty of time to have covered both if they'd wished to.

I have enough to think about with my Mum but I have many, many people telling me not to worry about the future and take each day as it comes, not to look for problems that may/may not exist but when you see posts like the following(plus the comments)is it any wonder many are worried and scared of what the future holds? Changes to what people are entitled to and raising the bar to make it harder to get what you are entitled to so you may find that you are classed as being ok and are no entitled anymore. And even worse as this rug is pulled out from under your feet, you have the worry that will also mean that you'll lose the roof over your head and could end up homeless.

Some help is being phased out altogether and others are to be awarded for a limited time and after a year could be stopped.

I have had friends and family, a social worker, charity representative, Council officials all saying much of what is being proposed "Ain't going to happen!" and that everything will be ok...to use that well known expression "Time will tell!"

But unless something happens between now and 2013, it will and the proposed changes will get through because the numbers are so skewed in favour of the parties in power. And not enough to switch sides and help cause amendments or compromises to the changes.

Of course there is biasness on sites like the following I have linked to but who else is fighting the corner of the disadvantaged?

At least a lobbyist campaign/pressure group like the following is honest and its not being done for a business cause or to make a profit to secure work contracts.

The Invisibility Cloak

Weekly Disability News Roundup