The Klockwork Raven

I know we are living in an age of disinformation. The advent of fake news and counter journalism you would be excused for thinking what the heck is going on here.  As I grow increasingly more mature, that sounds better than getting old, I have some difficulty making head or tails out of what is truly going on in government.  I used to think that if someone accused you of doing something wrong, you would in addition to saying no, you’re wrong, you would be expected to produce evidence that you were right.

Now a days, it seems that the government can just say, no, you’re wrong and that is the end of it. The government could be accused of acting in their own panto, simply yelling at all of us,  “oh no it isn’t” despite Labour providing the evidence to show, oh yes it is! That’s the case with the Welfare reforms.  Labour has been saying (along with many disability charities) that the punitive nature of the current welfare system is actually killing people and Esther McVey simply says “Oh no it isn’t”.  Thousands of people have been complaining that people on universal credit are being driven in to financial hardship.  The government simply says “Oh no it isn’t”. The United Nations has accused the Uk government of systematic abuse of disabled people.  Theresa May says “Oh no we aren’t”.

It isn’t even just central government doing the panto thing. I am involved in several national committees. The news from every region is that disabled people are being driven into poverty. There are children and working people being forced to use food banks. Severely disabled people, having gotten their independence, starting to live in the community like everyone else are now being told that those with complex needs are too expensive and maybe driven back into group homes. Social care is in meltdown. Councils are reporting that they have to make savings in the Adult Care sector. Most won’t even have adult conversations with the service users to see what works and what isn’t. If assessments are anything like the one I just experienced, no wonder it isn’t working. Rather than telling people what is available and letting there service users decide what works for them, a social worker comes in to do an assessment, listens to every 10th word the person looking for help needs, goes off and writes up a care plan that is complete rubbish. They have an idea on how you will receive help and that is the way you are going to get it, like it or not. I have spent 6 months fighting for the correct care plan and I’m lucky. I have a lot of people I can go to to ask for advice. A lot of people don’t. That inequality is what makes me furious. It is another battle to fight and the union steward inside me is fighting mad. So I will fight on. Is any of this fair? Oh no it isn’t!