BOBBY BAKER: Winner of M.I.N.D Book of the year 2011

There will be a performance by Bobby Baker who has experienced mental health illness. The show is a comical and serious talk on her own experiences of mental health illness, explaining her Wellness Recovery Plan, which has worked for her. It would be very useful to come along. This is a once in a life – time opportunity to meet an inspirational lady, who is down to earth and has battled with the `MENTAL HEALTH SYSTEM`  like us  – and won.

The performance is on Tuesday the 28th February 2012 at 1pm. Held at Blakenhall Community and Healthy Living Centre. Wolverhampton. Price £5/ £3 concessions price (including a cuppa). The cost is just £3.00 for anyone on benefits  – unbelievable. You will never meet another person in your life for £3 who will leave you so inspired and hopeful for your future. She has been there and done it. She speaks from personal experience, which at times leave`s you laughing – you do not get that from the Psychiatrist.

For tickets please contact  Email : margaret.wood@creativesupport.org.uk or Telephone : 07967 178678 Part of BLACK COUNTRY TOURING – big ideas in small places

The government fought off a fresh challenge to its controversial Welfare Reform bill on 17^th January, when peers rejected a proposal to delay the full introduction of slashed new disability payments after ministers offered concessions.As the cabinet hardened its tactics by agreeing to overturn a series of defeats in the House of Lords last week, a cross-party group of peers failed to introduce a pilot scheme before a new regime for disability allowances can be fully introduced.

Peers voted by 229 to 213, a government majority of 16, to reject an amendment tabled by Lady Grey-Thompson, one of Britain’s most successful disabled athletes, after the government warned her plan would cost £1.4bn. The government is planning to replace the working age disability living allowance (DLA) with a new personal independent payment (PIP) which will involve a more rigorous assessment system. The government aims to cut costs by 20%.

Lord Freud, the welfare reform minister, promised to test the operational processes of the new payment system. He said the government would hold two biennial independent reviews in the first four years of the new PIP system. The failure to amend the bill is likely to embolden the cabinet which agreed at its weekly meeting on Monday to overturn the triple defeat it suffered last week, when peers rejected plans on proposed benefit cuts in the welfare reform bill. Only two Liberal Democrat peers have now rebelled.

 Source: Guardian

Link: http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2012/jan/17/welfare-reform-bill-amendment-blocked

18^th January 2012

Changes to disability benefits are being “rushed through” to meet Treasury targets, campaigners have argued as peers prepare to debate the issue. They want ministers to delay changes to Disability Living Allowance, saying new medical assessment tests are not ready.

A group of cross-bench peers, backed by some charities, want planned changes to Disability Living Allowance (DLA) and its replacement – the Personal Independence Payment (PIP) – to be put on hold pending further consultation. Campaigners say the plans will drive more people into poverty. Ministers have conceded some changes but say their plans will focus help on those who need it most.

Introduced in 1992 to help disabled people cope with the extra costs they face in their daily lives, DLA is paid to two million people of working age. It is thought that half a million fewer people will qualify for PIPs by 2015 if the changes are passed. One critic of the proposals, Lord Low – president of the Disability Alliance charity – said the changes were being driven by the government’s need to save money rather than the interests of disabled people.

The problems with a new “work assessment” test for incapacity benefit – which is causing controversy years after coming into force – should be a warning to ministers, he added. But disabilities minister Maria Miller said campaigners were wrong to suggest that DLA was being cut by 20% and the government remained “absolutely committed to the idea and practice” of enabling people with disabilities to live independent lives.

The government has already agreed to halve the time seriously ill or disabled people will have to wait to be eligible for PIPs from six to three months. The government wants to pass its welfare reform bill, one of its flagship pieces of legislation, by the end of parliamentary session in May.

Source: BBC News
Link: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-16588521

17th January 2012

Half a million disabled people would lose out on benefits through the government’s reform to disability living allowance. Proposals to replace DLA for people with working-age with a new personal independence payment (PIP) would result in 500,000 fewer people receiving the benefit by 2015-16.

The government’s plans threatened the ability of many disabled people to live independently, warned David Congdon, head of campaigns and policy at Mencap. He added: “Disabled people, many of whom already live on the brink of poverty, should not be forced to cover the significant additional costs of their disability on their own.”

Like DLA, PIP would be split into two components: a daily living part, equivalent to the care component of DLA, and reflecting people’s needs for assistance in supporting themselves; and a mobility component to support people to get around.

There would be two rates for each component- a standard and enhanced rate – in contrast to DLA, which has three care rates (lower, middle and higher).Under the proposed assessment, disabled people would be assessed on their ability to carry out nine daily living activities, including preparing food and drink, bathing and grooming, communicating and engaging socially, and two mobility activities: moving around and planning and following a journey.

Source: Community Care

Link: http://www.communitycare.co.uk/Articles/16/01/2012/117928/500000-to-lose-out-on-disability-living-allowance.htm

16^th January 2012

The second of the Harrington Reviews of the Work Capability Assessment has been published.
The Work Capability Assessment is used to determine if someone is classed as sick and if so, which rate of benefit and support they will receive. It is applied to both new claims and also the 11,000 per week of claimants who are being reassessed under this system. Each year an independent report is published to monitor its effectiveness. Over 100 key organisations responded.
It found ‘… that the Work Capability Assessment is not working as well as it should. There are clear and consistent criticisms of the whole system and much negativity surrounding the process. There is strong evidence that the system can be impersonal and mecha-nistic, that the process lacks transparency and that a lack of communication be-tween the various parties involved contributes to poor decision making and a high rate of appeals.’    read report here>

Even Boris Johnson thinks the Government’s planned reforms of disability living allowance arer wrong and Continue Reading

I am pleased to inform you that our Goalball sessions will recommence at our new venue on Wednesday 11^th January. We will be meeting every Wednesday 5.00pm – 7.00pm at the new Bilston Leisure Centre (Bert Williams Leisure Centre) which is on Nettlefold’s Way, Bilston, WV14 0EF next to the Black Country Route and within touching distance of the Metro and Bilston Bus station. It is a brand new facility and a great venue to play Goalball. If you would like to come along and join us it would be great to see you there and have your support. For those of you who have not yet tried Goalball it’s a great deal of fun, good exercise and a sport both visually impaired and sighted people can compete against each other, it is open to all levels of ability and fitness. nFor more information or any questions you may have then please get in touch with me by email: tjukes@beacon4blind.co.uk or phone 01902 880111 and ask for Tim Jukes
Community Support Officer | Beacon Centre for the Blind
Wolverhampton Road East, Wolverhampton, WV4 6AZ.
T: 01902 880111 |D: 01902 880111 | W: www.beacon4blind.co.uk