I support the Sparticus Report

          I have always been suspicious that the UK Tory government runs purely on ideological reasons seemingly at odds with the economic reality at the current time.

One of its projects has been getting disabled people off benefits and back into work, there is of course a slight problem with this, seeing that the economy is a bit of a mess there are actually no jobs to go to, it also doesn't help that is disabled people have to go to Serco and have their disabilities examined by an amateur with check list.

There has been some excellent work done by Sue Marsh , Bendy Girl and other to highlight just how ridiculous this system has become.

On the 9th January they released a report "Responsible Reform" commonly known as the Spartacus report on how the government basically misled the public on their alleged consultation about changes to the disability living allowance DLA.

The government has said it wishes to cut the money paid to the DLA by 20%, a slight problem is that fraud or the DLA is only 0.5% is that it is certainly not something they are going to improve on very much. So the Government a doing what they do best, and attacking those who aren't good at defending themselves.

 Summery of Responsible Reform from Ekklesia

'Responsible Reform' is based on the responses to the government's own consultation on its planned DLA reforms, which were only made public once disabled people requested them under the Freedom of Information Act.

Among the report's key conclusions are that:
* Only seven per cent of organisations that took part in the consultation were fully in support of plans to replace DLA with a Personal Independence Payment (PIP)
* There was overwhelming opposition in the consultation responses to nearly all of the government's proposals for DLA reform
* The government has consistently used inaccurate figures to exaggerate the rise in DLA claimants
* The report shows that nearly all of the recent increase in working-age claimants of DLA has been associated with mental health conditions and learning difficulties. Between 2002 and 2010, the number of working-age DLA claimants - excluding those with mental health conditions and learning difficulties remained remarkably stable
* 98 per cent of those who responded opposed plans to change the qualifying period for PIP from three months (as it is with DLA) to six months
* 90 per cent opposed plans for a new assessment, which disabled people fear will be far too similar to the much-criticised work capability assessment used to test eligibility for employment and support allowance (ESA)
* Respondents to the consultation repeatedly warned that the government's plans could breach the Equality Act, the Human Rights Act and the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

 The easy read version of the Report can be found here at United Response. While the full version is here at Ekklesia.
 
The latest Sue Marsh article at The Guardian

The news on this report and the Government is getting out slowly, and hopefully will cause the Government to actually do something actually positive for the disabled. Chanel 4 News

This Government has let the Banks and tax evaders get away with £Billions and don't seem to be that great at trying to fix it, oh wait, yes, this is the Tory party, when I said "Banks and tax evaders" I really should have said "Tory party supporters".

If the misery of the poor be caused not by the laws of nature, but by our institutions, great is our sin.
- Charles Darwin