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Merry Wahogo and disability campaigners with their petition in Broad Street
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Disabled fight welfare cuts

By Linda Fort
June 20, 2012

A group of people with disabilities took to Broad Street to protest against welfare reforms.

They say disabled people are among the worst hit by government benefit changes, and it’s time to fight back.

Merry Wahogo, 61, a retired social care inspector of Church Lane, Earley, expects to lose her disability living allowance next year and is concerned for disabled people being declared ‘fit for work’ when they are not.

She has set up an online petition – which already has more than 5,000 signatures – to protest, and took to the streets to rally support.

She said: “If people knew the stories of what disabled people are going through, they would join us on the streets.

“I don’t want to hear of another suicide of a disabled person due to having their livelihood taken away.”

She said one of the main grievances among disabled people was the new method of declaring them ‘fit for work’, meaning they lose their living allowance.

This has been the case for a man who requires five hours of dialysis, four days a week, and another man whose MS caused his hands to go numb.

She said there were people with epilepsy who had been declared fit for work and sent off to claim Jobseeker’s Allowance, only to be told they could not claim because employers would not employ them, and finding themselves with no financial support at all.

With support from campaigning organisation Avaaz.org, disabled people have been able to organise and alert their MPs to their opposition to welfare cuts.

Ms Wahogo, who has a congenital skeletal disability, added that despite the heavy rain at the protest on Thursday, June 7, “people who were able to stop to listen were horrified at what was happening”.

The petition is at http://avaaz.org/en/petition/Stop_stealing_disabled_peoples_benefits.

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Most recent user comments 17 of 17

MakeYourDaddyProud,

Then why aren't they set up already? Is it because they need to rely on taxpayers subsidies in order to survive?

Dong-Ding, 3rd world slum
21/06/2012 at 16:21

@dong

Germany proves it is possible. China makes a lot of tat. I'm talking about important, tangible and forward thinking manufacturing enterprises, not tatty textiles.

MakeYourDaddyProud, Reading, Berks
21/06/2012 at 16:03

MakeYourDaddyProud,

So, how do you propose our manufacturing industry competes with say China? Perhaps we should scrap the minimum wage so that they can become competitive again? Far rather do that than prop up a completely uncompetitive industry with taxpayers money.

I did laugh at your 'ignorant' white collar workers comment mind. They're so ignorant that they have skills that are in demand and attractive to employers, something which the others seem incapable of doing. So ignorant in fact that they actually have a job.

Dong-Ding, 3rd world slum
21/06/2012 at 13:44

Unfortunately, we are a two-tier economy now. Ample white-collar jobs for the ignorant self-appraising Microsoft/Oracle masses who have much to spend (not on home grown products, sadly), and a largely forgotton manufacturing workforce that has been the lifeblood of this country.

Those same firms that would employ the very same people that have now become dependant on disability benefits because it's the next best thing.

Thankyou Mr Cameron for pandering to the wine drinking middle classes and allowing us to be dependent on foreign manufactured goods.

Entrepreneurs in this country only ever seem to think about get-rich-quick digital economy enterprises. You know, the ones that seem to turn over £££'s but only have a couple of employees. Where's the firms that employ thousands?

High taxes for digital economy firms and low taxes for manufacturing and throw into the mix a bit of mercantilism to balance the books I think...

MakeYourDaddyProud, Reading, Berks
21/06/2012 at 12:01

the way i see it is..

"If you can walk to welfare, you can walk to work"

Mother Superior, Reading
21/06/2012 at 11:50

@ Disgruntled "I would think they are thinking of the welfare of the nation but it's hard to do that when the nation takes away the things you need and depend on to survive. "

Happy to agree with you if what you say is genuinely the case.

AndyMan, Reading
21/06/2012 at 10:42

"EVERYONE, even the genuinely disabled, should be thinking of the welfare of the nation as a whole, which requires cutting our national debt. QED -AndyMan, Reading"

I would think they are thinking of the welfare of the nation but it's hard to do that when the nation takes away the things you need and depend on to survive.

A Disgruntled Reading Resident, Reading
21/06/2012 at 10:14

Mother Superior,

It's the only comment that bernie bullpit can make. He is of the belief, like little children tend to be, that money grows on trees and that there is an unlimited amount of it. There's no point wasting your time on him.

Dong-Ding, 3rd world slum
21/06/2012 at 09:24

keep reading the mail ding dong

And this has got to be the most stupid comment i see flooding the forums these days. Time to get a new line, we all see it now. Even the ones like me who only read the local paper, and have no interest in the daily mail which is boring if you ask me... Time to wake up mate to be totally honest.

Mother Superior, Reading
21/06/2012 at 08:46

cannot see properly, no sense of balance, cannot walk, has memory problems, ataxia on the working side, has cogitative difficulties, in a wheelchair, suffers from constant fatigue, has a curved spine, has sciatica on both sides....and asked to find work. Explain?

Yea but lets be honest.. thats a bit of a obvious one isnt it.

And we all know which ones they are talking about lol.

Mother Superior, Reading
21/06/2012 at 08:42

@Gary

Your fantasy case does nothing to detract from the urgent need to review DB claimants. You are much more likely to find claimants exacerbating perhaps one or two ailments, and qualifying for the benefit where they are able to do some work.

For example, one arm might be disabled, or coupled with some walking issues where a local, part time working day job might suit.

MakeYourDaddyProud, Reading, Berks
21/06/2012 at 06:48

EVERYONE, even the genuinely disabled, should be thinking of the welfare of the nation as a whole, which requires cutting our national debt. QED

AndyMan, Reading
20/06/2012 at 22:44

All very well talking about scroungers, i think the people we should be chasing are the wealthy individuals and companies who avoid paying virtually any tax. There are some severe cases of hardship being caused by these cuts.

Garys
20/06/2012 at 21:10

gorbiels aka Ids has a lot to answer for, this is all to do with right wing ideologys , cold cold people, the real scroungers and parasites are sitting in power, keep reading the mail ding dong

bernie bullpit, reading
20/06/2012 at 19:51

I agree that the scroungers need to be found, but what about the genuinely disabled...like a person who has had a brain stem stroke leaving her paralyzed on one side, cannot speak properly, cannot eat properly, cannot see properly, no sense of balance, cannot walk, has memory problems, ataxia on the working side, has cogitative difficulties, in a wheelchair, suffers from constant fatigue, has a curved spine, has sciatica on both sides....and asked to find work. Explain?

Gary, Wokingham
20/06/2012 at 15:31

Yes, I know someone abusing the system without remorse, and I feel that a lot more on this benefit are in denial about their ability to return something back to society via work.

I am wholeheartedly behind Dong's comments and the I am glad the government is pushing its means test programme into overdrive.

There is only a finite amount of money in the treasury coffers and I am at a loss as to why those claiming these benefits cannot see it.

I would even go one step further: even those entitled should be forced to do some work within their ability remit, even if it means 2 hours per day.

What I mean is, unless you subscribe to a disability workfare programme (one that is specially designed to help others), then no benefits are payable. Simple.

MQW

MakeYourDaddyProud, Reading, Berks
20/06/2012 at 14:07

They seem to have forgotten to mention that there are also people who are screwing the system claiming disabilities.

I have no problem in supporting the geniunely disabled, however not everyone claiming this benefit is genuinely disabled.

Dong-Ding, 3rd world slum
20/06/2012 at 13:55

Book your advertisement yourself 24 hours a day. Save time book online. Book an Ad.

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