Sickness and Disability is not a Lifestyle Choice.
When your world changes....
You know that a stones throw, a coin toss, can put you in need of support and help? a need for Social Security?
When your life changes beyond recognition, because of a sickness or disability... it takes stuff AWAY.
You dont Volunteer for removal of vocation, job, business, lifestyle.
ITS NOT A LIFESTYLE CHOICE.
SIckness and disability isnt something "Over there" that happens to other people.
This is a list of real people, what they did before they could no longer work.
Just think, all of it, taken away. And this govt wants to remove as much support as it can from these people. Real people.
And so we begin...
"What did you do before you could no longer work? "
"We both worked in engineering, last project 2006-07 abu dhabi port project. had a brilliant life now life is shit."
"IT manager. Prior to IT work I was a mobile phone salesman"
"taxi driver for 10 years self employed in diff things b4 that and joined army at 16 "
"senior features co-ordinator for a magazine"
"international retail consultant "
"Lecturer for the Unemployed and CAB Volunteer. They were the days when I could go out/do whatever I wanted...."
"Police officer for almost 10yrs, always employed since leaving school at 16"
"Chief Financial Officer"
"Volunteer Coordinator / Project Management in voluntary sector."
"I was a baroque viola player and violin, viola and music theory teacher. Also worked as an usher at concert hall."
"I was a Property Valuer & Manager for the high end rental market. I had a portfolio of properties over 2 million quid. Good sal, bonus, car"
"Fundraiser, yoga teacher, youth worker. Working full-time since 15."
"Housing Officer. Gave up to become a carer"
"I was a checkout manager with 130 staff working 37 hrs a week. Now bedbound /housebound."
"I was a Community MH Nurse with specialist training to help people with severe/enduring MH Problems"
"Brought up my kids, once an acceptable thing, so now long-term unemployed & seemingly unemployable."
"Engineer, quality, process"
"Ward receptionist in neuro disability hospital"
Has that made you think enough yet? THESE ARE REAL PEOPLE .
And in my belief these people are being treated as scroungers, less than human, even bordering on implication that they are Shirkers, not trying hard enough. Shouts of Fraudster, Scrounger, Waster, Feckless all abound quite virulently through the media and society. Sickness/ Illness/ Disability has hit these people. ITS NOT A LIFESTYLE CHOICE.
You know that a stones throw, a coin toss, can put you in need of support and help? a need for Social Security?
When your life changes beyond recognition, because of a sickness or disability... it takes stuff AWAY.
You dont Volunteer for removal of vocation, job, business, lifestyle.
ITS NOT A LIFESTYLE CHOICE.
SIckness and disability isnt something "Over there" that happens to other people.
This is a list of real people, what they did before they could no longer work.
Just think, all of it, taken away. And this govt wants to remove as much support as it can from these people. Real people.
And so we begin...
"What did you do before you could no longer work? "
"We both worked in engineering, last project 2006-07 abu dhabi port project. had a brilliant life now life is shit."
"IT manager. Prior to IT work I was a mobile phone salesman"
"taxi driver for 10 years self employed in diff things b4 that and joined army at 16 "
"senior features co-ordinator for a magazine"
"international retail consultant "
"Lecturer for the Unemployed and CAB Volunteer. They were the days when I could go out/do whatever I wanted...."
"Police officer for almost 10yrs, always employed since leaving school at 16"
"Chief Financial Officer"
"Volunteer Coordinator / Project Management in voluntary sector."
"I was a baroque viola player and violin, viola and music theory teacher. Also worked as an usher at concert hall."
"I was a Property Valuer & Manager for the high end rental market. I had a portfolio of properties over 2 million quid. Good sal, bonus, car"
"Fundraiser, yoga teacher, youth worker. Working full-time since 15."
"Housing Officer. Gave up to become a carer"
"I was a checkout manager with 130 staff working 37 hrs a week. Now bedbound /housebound."
"I was a Community MH Nurse with specialist training to help people with severe/enduring MH Problems"
"Brought up my kids, once an acceptable thing, so now long-term unemployed & seemingly unemployable."
"Engineer, quality, process"
"Ward receptionist in neuro disability hospital"
Has that made you think enough yet? THESE ARE REAL PEOPLE .
And in my belief these people are being treated as scroungers, less than human, even bordering on implication that they are Shirkers, not trying hard enough. Shouts of Fraudster, Scrounger, Waster, Feckless all abound quite virulently through the media and society. Sickness/ Illness/ Disability has hit these people. ITS NOT A LIFESTYLE CHOICE.
After bringing up a child, suffering from three bereavements and being returned to the employment arena, I found my skills out of date (graphic design). I can't do a course or I will be deemed as not looking for work. Also hit with the bedroom tax. The future looks precarious at best.
ReplyDeleteSo true, thank-you for expandly on what I've previously said on Twitter, you read my mind people just seem to have their heads in sand still not wanting to think this can happen to anyone & so not knowing the consequences when it does & thinking don't need to worry there's a safety net, I thought I had one not just social security but through works benefit I had for over 13 yrs but I was badly let down. Now classed as disabled with chronic illness with no cure & 25yrs left till retirement age. You then have to fight when your at your least able nothing is made easily with little help on offer again due to cuts & understaffed & over worked. Just a total nightmare not just for me but husband & kids, that's why high % of marriages brakeup with illness as partners can't cope. Then it gets even worse as the ill would need even more help from carers.
ReplyDeleteI thought being on benefits was something that happened to other people until I got depression and couldn't concentrate enough to work. It can happen to anyone, without warning and when it does you'll be wishing that you didn't have to fill out all these stupid fucking benefits forms or deal with the bureaucratic nightmare of a system that is the DWP because most mornings you find it difficult enough to get out of bed or do any of the "normal" things that before you took for granted and didn't even have to think about. Not only that while you are feeling like the worst human being on the planet some will treat you as scrounger scum who is just trying to cheat the government out of the money because "you don't look ill" and you'll accept it because it's difficult to deny being unworthy of that treatment when you own brain thinks you're so horrible that you don't deserve friends and should just kill yourself, that's what depression can do.
ReplyDeleteafter years of vol work, education and caring full time for disabled parent with parkinsons and dementia and then also other parent with cancer, I too became disabled the year they died, now can hardly walk due to spinal degeneration and arthritis and in chronic pain 24/7 with no support and not curable and with 18 years before retirement age - i did not chose this it is not a choice, but i have to fight for basics like food, keeping warm, etc and hardly leave the house and if i have even one social night i am called scrounger and told get a job, while i am on crutches or sticks and filled to the eyes with pain killers to get out of the house, one day out means 3 in bed...i gave years as a carer, no one respects that, now I am disabled i am treated like a out cast
ReplyDelete