Welfare bill spells difficulty for many

This is a piece i have submitted to go in our paper the socialist this coming week. It may not appear as this may be jigged around here and there to fit in the paper but i thought i'd post my original version here for all to read if they wished.


So as the Welfare bill makes its course through the houses of
parliament going backwards and forwards between the commons and the
lord's disabled people such as me reflect on what will make our lives
harder than they already are.

For me the proposed changes are yet to be spelled out to me but I
understand the DLA is likely to be replaced with Pip which will surely
cost more in the long run to introduce and make the transition across.
I was granted DLA indefinably after I was told I may not see ever
again following the traumatic loss of my sight in 2004. From what I
understand PIP will be harder to claim and more and more strict tests
will have to be performed before you are granted help and support.

No doubt such profiteers such as ATOS will be there carrying out the
tests on disabled people with tough rigorous tests to carry out to
prove if you are fit for work or not.

With DLA this was not means tested so you could still claim it while
working which has been a great help to me as I only work part time and
receive working tax credits as a top up due to such poor level of
wages.

I know many cases of people who have already been through tough
screening and have lost out with attempts to get benefits to help them
live independently. Missing out and still not being able to find work
is extremely tough. I was unemployed a few years back after leaving
blind college in Here ford the RNCB which again receives local
authority funding for students to go there to study and receive
support in a residential environment.

I fear for others and myself who will have to face tough questions in
the coming months and years in terms of what we can and cannot afford.

Disabled activists may have been heartened by the role the house of
lords has played so far but we would air on the side of caution and
say the lords only oppose part of the welfare bill. As socialists we
would oppose the whole bill as it is a vicious attack on ordinary
working class disabled people.

With all 3 main capitalist parties Tories, lib dems and labour all
agreeing with the principle of the bill it is time disabled people
along with others in society say enough is enough and put our efforts
in to fighting for a new workers party fighting for the interests of
all not just the 1%.