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Post by Deleted on May 22, 2020 10:13:43 GMT
"Cultural information without human organisms to learn and enact it is without effect, like an indecipherable document in an unknown language lying buried the sands of a desert; but a human organism without cultural information is, as Geertz memorably put it, “not an intrinsically talented but unfulfilled ape, but a wholly mindless and consequently unworkable monstrosity” (1973a, 68). Robert A. Paul Wow
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Post by Admin on Jun 3, 2020 11:15:01 GMT
The War on Disabled People by Ellen Clifford Must-read on resistance to 'conscious cruelty' of austerity which attacks the most vulnerable morningstaronline.co.uk/article/c/war-disabled-people-ellen-clifford"BOUND up in the relationship between capitalism and disability, disabled people are in a continuous war. They are paying for a financial crisis not of their making and their human rights are being eroded due to austerity cuts, issues sharply bought into focus in Ellen Clifford’s book The War on Disabled People. Disabled people are hidden in plain sight and “othered” by society, and when the austerity agenda began in 2010 with the coalition government, followed by subsequent Conservative administrations, the attack on disabled people and the wider working class was really ramped up. Clifford's book thoroughly documents the government’s ideological policy agenda of welfare reforms to rip away the welfare-state safety net and put conscious cruelty at the heart of their austerity agenda. From the work-capability assessment to universal credit, the idea is to push the capitalist agenda, ripping away support to push disabled people into work. As the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities committee ruled in 2017, the cuts faced by disabled people were a human catastrophe never seen before. Disabled people are having their rights systematically violated and, further excluded and marginalised in society, are paying a heavy price. Determined to fight the government on their own terms and push back against oppression and hostility, the emergence of disabled people’s grassroots campaigns is part of the wider anti-austerity movement. Campaigns such as Disabled People Against Cuts, Black Triangle Mental Health Resistance Network and others have given disabled people hope and determination that you can collectively organise and have a voice. It has politicised new activists wanting to turn that anger at how austerity affects them into action. And it has been successful in changing the narrative from one of necessity to one of ideological policy designed to harm and dismantle the welfare state and hand public services to the private sector. Campaigners have been creative with their street actions, using direct action as a campaigning tool to bring wider public attention to the issues impacting on disabled people, from storming Parliament in 2015 in the fight for the Independent Living Fund to visiting Iain Duncan-Smith’s home in 2013 during the bedroom tax campaign. They have also been working with academics to thoroughly research and document the impact of the cuts to present to politicians as part of a campaign strategy. For 10 years, disabled people have been the spearhead of resistance against the government and they’ve been working alongside other anti-cuts groups, campaigners and trade unionists in joint solidarity in the fight to build a better society for all. The book concludes with the question of where grassroots campaigns go from here with a Tory majority government in power — one of the numerous reasons why everyone needs to read it. The War on Disabled People, Capitalism, Welfare and the making of a Human Catastrophe is published by Zed Books, £12.99."
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Post by Admin on Jun 3, 2020 19:12:07 GMT
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Post by Admin on Jun 6, 2020 16:03:05 GMT
DWP minister blasts ‘feeble attempt to denigrate Universal Credit’ as over 250,000 are refused payment More than 2.3 million households have made a fesh claim for Universal Credit since the start of the COVID-19 lockdown. Posted by Steven Preece 6th June 2020 3 min read welfareweekly.com/dwp-minister-blasts-feeble-attempt-to-denigrate-universal-credit-as-over-250000-are-refused-payment/A top government Minister has lashed out against a tirade of critism against the controversial Universal Credit system as figures revealed that more than a 250,000 new applications made during the Coronavirus pandemic have been refused by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). Figures show that more than 800,000 fresh applications for Universal Credit were made during just two weeks in March but until now no one has known how many of these applications have been successful. In total, it is believed that 2.3 million households have made a fesh claim for Universal Credit since the start of the lockdown and this number is expected to grow further as the true social and financial impact of COVID-19 is gradually revealed.
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Post by Admin on Jun 6, 2020 18:49:48 GMT
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Post by Admin on Jun 11, 2020 0:13:11 GMT
275 severely disabled people launch legal case against DWP over lost benefit income Former claimants of Severe Disability Premium launch legal case for lost benefit income Posted by Steven Preece 10th June 2020 2 min read welfareweekly.com/275-severely-disabled-people-launch-legal-case-against-dwp-over-lost-benefit-income/A legal case has been launched by 275 severely disabled people over a claim for lost income under universal credit rules, Welfare Weekly has learnt. The claimants, represented by Leigh Day solicitors, have sent a Pre Action Protocol letter to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions Therese Coffey. They argue that they have missed out on £170 a month because they were moved on to universal credit before January, 2019 when the Department for Work and Pensions introduced the Severe Disability Premium (SDP) Gateway system.
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Post by Admin on Jun 11, 2020 0:14:53 GMT
DWP appeal High Court ruling that Universal Credit assessment period policy is unlawful High Court ruled that the DWP had been wrongly interpreting the Universal Credit regulations. Posted by Steven Preece 18th May 2020 3 min read welfareweekly.com/dwp-appeal-high-court-ruling-that-universal-credit-assessment-period-policy-is-unlawful/The Court of Appeal is due to hear the government’s appeal of a ruling by the High Court that the way the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has been assessing income from employment through its Universal Credit (UC) work assessment periods is unlawful. The hearing will take place on Tuesday 19th and Wednesday 20th May 2020 via video link, beginning at 10.30am. The challenge to the government’s assessment period policy is brought by four working lone mothers: Danielle Johnson, represented by law firm Leigh Day, and three other women who are represented by the Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG).
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Post by Admin on Jun 11, 2020 0:15:45 GMT
DWP minister blasts ‘feeble attempt to denigrate Universal Credit’ as over 250,000 are refused payment More than 2.3 million households have made a fesh claim for Universal Credit since the start of the COVID-19 lockdown. welfareweekly.com/dwp-minister-blasts-feeble-attempt-to-denigrate-universal-credit-as-over-250000-are-refused-payment/A top government Minister has lashed out against a tirade of critism against the controversial Universal Credit system as figures revealed that more than a 250,000 new applications made during the Coronavirus pandemic have been refused by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). Figures show that more than 800,000 fresh applications for Universal Credit were made during just two weeks in March but until now no one has known how many of these applications have been successful. In total, it is believed that 2.3 million households have made a fesh claim for Universal Credit since the start of the lockdown and this number is expected to grow further as the true social and financial impact of COVID-19 is gradually revealed.
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Post by Admin on Jun 11, 2020 8:38:05 GMT
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Post by Admin on Jun 24, 2020 15:47:39 GMT
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Post by Admin on Jun 26, 2020 15:01:42 GMT
The narrative that austerity was a necessity has long been shattered. It's been bad for the economy, deeply damaged our public services and entrenched inequality across the country. We cannot afford a repeat. A Decade of Austerity Ruined Britain – We Can’t Afford a Repeat By Chris Thomas Today marks 10 years since the first Coalition austerity budget. The last decade showed that austerity can be worse for the economy than any recession – but the government is determined to ignore the lesson. tribunemag.co.uk/2020/06/a-decade-of-austerity-ruined-britain-we-cant-afford-a-repeat
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Post by Admin on Jul 5, 2020 17:49:16 GMT
Universal Credit appeals against sanctions almost doubled at start of 2020 Exclusive: Ministry of Justice figures show that in the period between January and March, the number of appeals to tribunal soared by 96 per cent inews.co.uk/news/politics/universal-credit-appeals-against-sanctions-almost-doubled-at-start-of-2020-483511The number of Universal Credit appeals almost doubled in the first three months of this year as MPs attacked the “uncaring” benefits system, official figures reveal. Statistics published by the Ministry of Justice show that in the period between January and March, the number of appeals to tribunal in relation to Universal Credit soared by 96 per cent to more than 7,300. It highlights the ongoing issue with the Government’s benefits system, which critics warn can lead to sanctions against the most vulnerable in society, leaving them with their payments being cut or stopped entirely.
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Post by Admin on Jul 6, 2020 5:22:26 GMT
IAN DUNCAN SMITH " For far to long this nation has had it far to good on Universal Credit. This is why we are setting higher sanction targets for claimants and are hiring a ton of extra staff to ensure that people get the message that if you dont accept any work we offer you then you will be sanctioned with immediate effect. We will ensure that people will also be mandated to register and accept temporary work with recruitment agencies even if only for a few days. The message from us is clear refuse any work offered and you will suffer a penalty". Coronavirus: Ministers pledge to double staff in job centres www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-53297306It would have been worse under Corbyn - 200 thousand of the most vulnerable dead, millions in poverty & starving isn't enough death & suffering.
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Post by Admin on Jul 6, 2020 9:04:09 GMT
‘Slums of the future’ may spring from relaxed England planning rules, experts warn ‘Rabbit-hutch’ flats could be crammed into repurposed office spaces www.theguardian.com/politics/2020/jul/05/slums-of-the-future-may-spring-from-relaxed-uk-planning-rules-experts-warnThousands of tiny, substandard “rabbit-hutch” flats could be created in commercial buildings left empty by the coronavirus economic slowdown under planning reforms championed by Boris Johnson. University College London professor Ben Clifford - who recently completed a government review of housing produced outside the conventional planning system - said allowing developers to turn a wider range of commercial properties into flats without planning checks could lead to a wave of substandard conversions. “Unless there are proper safeguards, we could see even more poor-quality, tiny flats being crammed into commercial buildings lacking amenities and green space,” he said. “These could be what others have rightly called the slums of the future.” Johnson last week pledged to bring forward the most radical reforms to the planning system since the end of the second world war, starting with an expansion of permitted development rights, which allow buildings to be repurposed without full planning permission. Clifford was last year asked by the government to review the quality of homes delivered through existing permitted development rights, which cover offices, retail and light industrial units. He urged ministers to publish the report, which was submitted in January. “The evidence in the report would help inform a debate that has already started about these important issues, which could lead to huge changes in many towns and cities,” he said.
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Post by Admin on Jul 6, 2020 17:35:54 GMT
Thousands of children condemned to a life of ill health by government inaction to tackle food poverty A House of Lords committee warns that the way Britain produces, manufactures, sells and consumes food is a barrier to healthy eating morningstaronline.co.uk/article/b/thousands-of-children-condemned-to-a-life-of-ill-health-by-government-inaction-to-tackle-food-povertyGOVERNMENT inaction to tackle food poverty is condemning thousands of children to a life of ill health and costing the NHS billions, a committee found today. The way Britain produces, manufactures, sells and consumes food is a barrier to healthy eating, a report published by the House of Lords food, poverty, health and environment committee has warned, noting that the poorest children are the hardest hit. It adds that putting pressure on the food industry to reduce sugar, salt, unhealthy fats and calories in processed food could save the NHS billions currently spent treating obesity and avoidable diet-related diseases. In the report, entitled hungry for change: fixing the failures in food, the government is warned that its recommended healthy diet is too expensive for many families. It argued that the poorest are put at risk by a system which actively encourages less healthy food by making it cheaper and easier to buy. National Education Union joint general secretary Dr Mary Bousted said: “This report should serve as an urgent wake-up call to the government. “Families should be able to access not only enough food, but also the food that they need to stay healthy. “With over 200,000 children pushed into poverty by the coronavirus crisis, our members know that many will go hungry unless radical steps are taken immediately.” She warned that 4.5 million children will be trapped in poverty by Christmas and that the government “must act now to implement a nationwide strategic plan” to increase household incomes and release families from the shame and indignity of having to rely on foodbanks and food voucher schemes. A government spokeswoman said: “The upcoming national food strategy will look at the entire food system, from field to fork, to ensure that it delivers safe, healthy, affordable food, regardless of where people live or how much they earn.”
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