Mark That Disabled Green Party Guy

Welfare Myth Exposed  Tory Viscount Younger recently reiterated in The House of Lords, a claim regarding the financial situation of disabled people receiving disability welfare, when he stated that a disabled person receiving the health element of Universal Credit (UC), along with the average level of housing benefit and Personal Independence Payment (PIP), "earns" £2,500 more annually than a worker on the national living wage. This assertion is based on research from the Centre for Social Justice (CSJ). Conservative Viscount Younger The Claim The claim originates from research conducted by the CSJ, which suggests that people on certain "benefits" can have a higher income than those earning the national living wage.  Specifically, their findings indicate that a non-working Universal Credit claimant receiving the average housing benefit and PIP could have an income of around £25,000, compared to approximately £22,500 for a full-time worker on the national living wa...

Telford Labour Council: Out of Touch and Out of Compassion As a dedicated disability advocate, I am appalled, but not surprised by the contemptible refusal of the Labour-led council to engage with our campaign to support disabled people suffering under the weight of the rising cost of living.  Cllr Middleton & Cllr Carter Telford Labour Despite multiple attempts to call on Councillors Carter, Middleton, and the entire Labour cabinet to back efforts to lobby their MP and address these urgent issues, they have chosen silence—refusing to answer calls, ignoring emails, and dismissing the very people their policies are supposed to serve. Telford and Wrekin Labour Cabinet Meanwhile, on the very same day we posed our question to them, 17th July, the Labour government released not one, but twelve detailed reports exposing the devastating impact of rising costs on disabled people.  Hidden Reports These reports had been hidden away for up to three years, by both the previous govern...

Green Party Questions Telford and Wrekin Council  A thorn between two roses outside the SW1 Building: Gillian, Mark & Andréa  On Thursday, July 17th, the Telford and Wrekin Council held its second-to-last full council meeting of the year. The Green Party members, along with the Executive Committee of Telford and Wrekin Green Party, saw this as a prime opportunity to raise a pressing issue: the cuts to disability benefits. They aimed to put a formal question at the meeting to urge the council to stand against these detrimental cuts, similar to actions taken by other councils, and to advocate for their reversal. The Question "Despite the perceived U-turn on disability welfare plans, there is still widespread condemnation from many councils, public bodies, and 86 charities. Will the Council commit to opposing the disability welfare cuts and advocate for their reversal to protect our local services, budgets, and our vulnerable residents?" This question had to be submitted by ...

Cllr Middleton: "As part of the Welfare Reform Bill (Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill) the Government have during the passage of the Bill listened and reviewed the impact on people receiving various benefits in order to ensure the balance of need and ensure an equitable system to support people with varying needs to live as independently as possible". Mark Webster responds Cllr Middletons assertion that the government has effectively listened to and reviewed the impact of the Welfare Reform Bill on benefit recipients is undermined by the following: The government had to make significant last-minute concessions to avoid losing the vote on the bill, indicating a reactive rather than proactive approach to stakeholder concerns. The timing of the review and the initial push for changes before its conclusions shows a lack of genuine engagement with the needs of those affected. Strong opposition from MPs and advocacy groups highlighted the inadequacy of the go...

Is This a War on the Disabled? If you’re a parent of a child with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), you’re probably used to fighting for every inch of support. But after the Schools Minister’s (Catherine McKinnell MP) latest appearance before the Education Select Committee, you might be left wondering: is this really the best Labour can offer? And, more pointedly, is this government waging war on the disabled? Let’s talk about what actually happened. The Minister, pressed for answers about the government’s plans to fix the spiraling SEND crisis, offered little more than a political shrug: “Wait for the schools white paper.” For thousands of families desperate for clarity, this was hardly reassuring. Even MPs on the committee struggled to get a straight answer. Sir James Cleverly summed up the frustration: “I didn't hear anything in your opening introduction that gave me the slightest clue as to how you're going to fundamentally address what we all agree is curr...

In a recent exchange in the T he Thatcher Room, Portcullis House London, La bour's Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall MP found herself in a precarious position, caught in a web of her own misleading statements regarding cuts to the Personal Independence Payment (PIP).  Portcullis House London This not only highlights the ongoing controversy surrounding the Labour Governments approach to disability benefits but also raises questions about transparency and accountability within the party. The Exchange: A Tense Confrontation During a session with disabled MP Steve Darling, Kendall faced scrutiny over her previous comments suggesting that PIP was a work-related benefit. Darling pointedly reminded her, “You said it in the chamber,” challenging her to reconcile her statements with the reality of the proposed cuts.  Steve Darling MP with his guide dog Jennie In a moment that could only be described as a near slip, Kendall attempted to deny having made such claims, stating, “I ha...

Letter to Labour MP for Telford Shaun Davies (With links) Dear Shaun Davies MP Record SEND Exclusions and Proposed Removal of EHCP's A recent report from the BBC should raise profound concern regarding the future of special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) provision in England, in light of both the Department for Education’s recent exclusion statistics and reported plans to phase out individual Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) for all but the most complex pupils. The published figures for 2023/24 show an alarming 954,952 suspensions in state schools , a 21% increase and 10,885 permanent exclusions. Over 100,000 of these exclusions were of primary-aged children, and alarmingly nearly half involved pupils receiving SEND support. These figures signal a system increasingly unable to meet needs, instead resorting to exclusion and removal. In this context, reports such as those in the "i" newspaper , that the Government intends to replace EHCPs with SEND “un...

 

As the Disability Officer for the Green Party in Telford and Wrekin, I feel compelled to voice my deep concerns regarding the recent Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment (PIP) Bill , which has been pushed through by the Labour government this week. My personal experiences as someone with multiple disabilities, alongside the challenges faced by my disabled child, provide me with a unique perspective on the implications of this legislation. A Disheartening Reality While we have achieved some small victories in the fight against these heinous welfare cuts, the reality is that the big battles continue, particularly through the so-called "Timms Review."   Sir Stephen Timms MP Along with almost 90 charities, and hundreds of Members of Parliament, I have zero confidence in Labours Sir Stephen Timms, the minister overseeing this review.  His track record suggests a lack of genuine commitment to addressing the needs of disabled individuals. Instead, we see a government ...