Cuts and the hardest hit!

The government’s prolonged attack on benefits includes the requirement for people receiving incapacity benefit to endure regular assessments, overseen by privateer Atos Healthcare supposedly to determine whether they are “fit for work.”

Under the Work Capability Assessment checks, hundreds of thousands of disabled people could lose their benefit based on a box-ticking exercise that asks questions such as “Can you put something in the top pocket of your jacket?”

For many people, incapacity benefit is their sole source of income for food and housing.

The Hardest Hit campaign, which brings disabled people together to resist attacks on their living conditions, is planning a mass demonstration outside Parliament today- May 11th. It seems to be making an impact.

With real inflation spiralling out of control, the threat of new fuel increases and reductions in main core services, many of us are now really feeling the pinch. Next week sees another Demo/ lobby against the Pensions Bill. Since the proposals to speed up equalisation of the State Pension Age, Age UK has been contacted by angry, anxious women who feel the proposal is unfair and will undermine their plans for retirement and, in many cases, cause significant hardship. A lobby of MPs is to take place on Wednesday 18 May 2011 between 1 and 7 pm.

Other demonstrations are planned and now surely is the time for unity involving us all- including both the young, the older person and the disabled.