Owen Jones: Hatred of those on benefits is dangerously out of control

[paulnolan]

Taking away support can only be achieved by demonising recipients as scroungers in mansions

What does it say about modern Britain when the pre-meditated massacre of six children is described as "an accident waiting to happen" on national television? In the early hours of last Friday, someone poured petrol through the letterbox of the Philpott

Comments

[erunamiryene]

Hold the fucking phone, someone said that this happened because these people BROUGHT IT ON THEMSELVES BY BEING ON BENEFITS? Are you fucking kidding me with this shit?

I just ... I'm actually nauseated by that.

[kira_snugz]

this is completely sickening

[sparkindarkness]

Demonising the poor and disabled is essential to the powers that be - if they don't then the blame may fall where ti's deserved - on the rich who are screwing us, on the banks that are incompetent and on a system that continues to funnel money away from the most vulnerable and to people who already have more money than they can spend

Hence the reason why we're cutting benefits - and the tax rate for the richest. Because THAT makes sense in a recession

[ellonwye]

I had an ATOS medical assessment a few weeks ago, and it's a complete farce. I haven't been so anxious, humiliated and scared for a long time. Apparently a doctor who I've never met before can deem me fit for work in ten minutes, but both my GP I've been with all my life and my therapist of several months agreed that I was not yet ready for it and that it would be detrimental to my health right now. And do you know what counted against me in the assessment? The fact I turned up alone. You know, nevermind the fact that I turned down people who offered to go with me because I was humiliated that I needed financial assistance for being mentally ill and couldn't bear the shame of someone else being with me while this anonymous doctor asked me irrelevent questions

[paulnolan]

*hugs* if you want them. <3 If it wasn't for a complete fluke (Income Support finally getting back to me about an appeal I won back in August and letting me reopen my Incapacity Benefit claim) I'd be in the exact same boat - I had an Atos assessment due on the 14th, and given that I'm claiming for a mental illness too there's no way I'd have passed. :(

Everything works against you at these things... showing up at all, getting there using public transport, coming alone, sitting in the waiting room, responding when the "doctor" calls your name... it's a fucking disgrace.

Appeal. The more people who appeal and win, the more this mess will hurt the government financially and (hopefully) the more incentive they'll have to scrap it.

[casketscratcher]

This is honestly the way I feel too, now. They don't want to have to think about us any more.

Re: OT

[magli]

It's not specifically about welfare, but The Spirit Level covers a lot of ground when it comes to why equality (wealth wise) benefits everybody in a society. It will stock you up with some good arguments to meet the whole "Why should my hard earned tax dollars go to those lazy people who just don't want to work" logic.