Good article Jen although I still don't trust any of the statistics. That, in itself, is an indictment of the government in that they do not produce easy to understand statistics during the changes being made.
In the article Debbie Abrahams says:
"People on IB or ESA are very sick and vulnerable and should not be vilified by Iain Duncan Smith as he did again earlier this week when he suggested that some people in receipt of sickness benefits are behaving in a fraudulent way. We should be caring for them, not humiliating and demonising them."
I can't find the link but in an article in the NS this week Laurie Penny heads it "No sick person responds to their diagnosis by thinking "I can scam taxpayers for £73 a week!""
Having talked about navigating the humiliating system for disabled people "without them being lied to every step of the way" She goes on to say "If the DWP would just come out and say that it doesn't believe the state should help people who are ill, disabled or injured, it would somehow be more bearable. At least people would know where it stood. But the stated aim of the welfare changes is to "get people working", because: "Work is the best route out of poverty."
Her analysis is that this is a "fib on several levels". She points out that in-work poverty is a larger drain on the benefits system than the unemployed and also that most of the things that help disabled people get back to work have been cut. She adds that the Tories have slashed carer budget and closed the Remploy factories.
She goes on to talk about the "propaganda assault" that "portrays the disabled and workless people as "scroungers", "sponging" off the state".
It's a long article and I think - if anyone can find a link - an eye opener.
