Rees Mogg has a "conversation&q uot; with unemployed youth worker

God forbid that someone like the hideous Rees Mogg should have to meet a real live member of the public. Why won't people just stay in their little boxes so he can carry on pretending they don't exist? People really are just numbers to him.

Just watched this. So distressing and IMO he’s laid the blame squarely where it belongs.

I felt very emotional watching this video because this man is representative of many that I work with: people who have worked hard in life, overcome obstacles, found jobs, only to be ground down by systems that don’t favour people like them.

Like this man (his name is Dominic) I have clients who have had disabilities since birth and yet had to go to PIP Tribunals to prove their well-documented disabilities. ?

It must be dreadful for the cabinet members to actually be confronted by people who are suffering as a result of their policies.

No wonder they prefer to remain in Westminster being driven in their cars and only viewing the populace from their windows.

Johnson deigned to be interviewed for the first time in 2 years on BBC, but nothing on ITV. Not sure about Sky.

Was it his wife next to him? She looked aghast as she had never met anyone like him.

Pip isn't a benefit to help people into employment, what is he on about?

Central government cut money that goes to local authorities to provide services. They don't have enough money.

The PIP assessment process is DREADFUL. DLA for adults changed to PIP in 2013 and people who had life long conditions like the man in the video who was most probably on a lifetime award as his condition wont improve, were asked to reapply under PIP. The PIP forms are horrific for a start but once they are filed, you are called for an assessment. These people do the assessments in building that inaccessible to people with physical disabilities. There is no disabled parking, steps into buildings, no lifts. Wrt those with autism and LDs, they make you wait a long time. They call people for assessment who receive care off local authorities or go to special schools and colleges. That is how ridiculous it is. They have cut benefits off those that were most vulnerable. PIP is not a benefit to help people into work.

The disability news service is good to read with respect to this.

Can you imagine calling that chap to an assessment too. You have to send evidence with the application, all your recent appointment history and then they request information off your GP and various specialists. Then you call the gentlemen in the video for an assessment to see whether he and his various professionals were telling the truth? It's absolutely ridiculous. The fraud rate for DLA was 0.05% as well.

I watched the video but could not access the sound so I cannot comment on what was said. What I saw was Jacob Rees-Mogg listening intently, as was the lady I assume is his wife.

Silly comments about 'meeting real people,' 'viewing the populace from their windows' 'people are just numbers to him' are just childish.

I suggest you find a way of turning the sound on.

He said he's lost his job because of the government cuts to services.

He said although he had cerebral palsy he had got a degree and worked in youth services.

He said because of the cuts to services he'd lost his job as they had closed all the youth services in his area.

He said he couldn't get a job because the job market was no longer accessible to him as a job he could access no longer existed.

He said although he was BORN with cerebral palsy, he was asked to apply for PIP and then had to attend an assessment to make sure he had cerebral palsy.

He said disabled people have died because of cuts to benefits and services.

It's all true.

JRM said he needed PIP as it was a benefit to help disabled people access work, which it isn't. It is a disability to cover the extra costs involved with having a disability.

There is an interesting article here regarding changes to benefits and how they have affected people with disabilities. here

Sorry, I missed out the word 'benefit' before 'to cover the extra costs'

Eazybee, sadly the sound is important here as it demonstrates the frustration. Please try to find a way to hear the sound.

It was a deeply humbling watch. It made me at once very very sad and very very angry.

It's both about the demise of youth work and the situation for qualified people with disabilities.

Regarding PIPs am fortunate, but people I've supported in the past have had to claim PIPs and it's a deeply demeaning system
AND as others have said, nothing to do with seeking work.

Kali2

Was it his wife next to him? She looked aghast as she had never met anyone like him.

Perhaps an aide as she had a notebook and pen.

She didn't look aghast, she wasn't being addressed but perhaps started scribbling notes?

I didn’t see it but DH did and he said it was one of the most upsetting things he’s ever seen.

Mr Hutchins, a stand-up comic who has performed a number of gigs at Manchester's Frog and Bucket comedy club, is a member of the campaign group Manchester Disabled People Against Cuts.

He says he often uses his act to raises issues he campaigns about and went to the Conservative Party conference because he 'felt a duty to get disabled people's voices heard'.

"Four years ago I got made redundant. The Tories are always saying to people that employment is the way forward, but they're the ones putting people out of work.

"I wasn't expecting to grab anybody, I just went there to show solidarity with disabled people.

"I saw Jacob Rees-Mogg and thought it was a good opportunity to get my point across.

"To be fair he listened to me and he gave me his time, but I think his response was just lip service to be honest."

It will be interesting to know if Rees-Mogg follows this up.

MayBee70

I didn’t see it but DH did and he said it was one of the most upsetting things he’s ever seen.

Well, Mr Hutchins said that Mr Rees-Mogg listened very politely.

What is done about it remains to be seen.

They really do have to raise taxes and restore services.

Alegrias1

I suggest you find a way of turning the sound on.

Unmute it

Eazybee

Unmute it

I’ve just seen it. Really upsetting. Makes me think of a friends brother who had motor neurone disease but only became eligible for benefits just before he died. And he only managed that because he had my friend helping him.

Yes JRM listened but didn’t address the issues at all.

It’s appalling that this man has to prove he has cerebral palsy. What a waste of money doing all those checks on people born with a disability.

All the appeals that have been won too the express no less 78% success rate on appeal

It’s appalling that this man has to prove he has cerebral palsy. What a waste of money doing all those checks on people born with a disability.

Yes it is.

I absolutely agree that youth work should be an absolute priority, but before whinging about the Tories please take note of this:
The county council youth services in our county were completely shut down in 2006 under a Labour government.
So all the youth workers here lost their jobs in 2006 under Labour.
People have short memories and they blame whoever is around.