Anti Poverty Campaign for Disabled People 'surprises' Minister Margaret
Hodge.
On Friday 28th April, the Disabled People's Direct Action Network (DAN)
presented its Anti Poverty Campaign to MP for Barking Margaret Hodge at a
demonstration outside her surgery. Highlighting problems with the welfare
reform paper that plans to get 1 million people off Incapacity Benefit, DAN
activists strongly asserted:
"The problem isn't in our attitude towards working. It lies in employers'
reluctance to offer us jobs".
DAN asked:
"'Where are these jobs going to come from? Why would employers make the
reasonable adjustments they need to make to recruit and retain disabled
people when there is no useful anti-discrimination legislation forcing them
to do so?"
DAN demanded to know whether:
"The Government will put the necessary money into the Access To Work Scheme
to ensure adjustments are made and vigorously pursue discriminatory
employers?"
DAN activist Stewart Macloud presented a leaflet summarising the campaign to
MP Hodge at the end of her surgery and raised concerns with the proposed
reforms. He told the Minister that not enough emphasis is placed upon
employers to make changes and questioned the quality of disability
employment support services citing examples of Hounslow Disability Network
who next week will have to lay off a deaf employee because the Access to
Work scheme has refused to pay for the full cost of communicators. He also
cited how a person with a learning difficulty working part time is currently
being threatened with court action by a local authority because of rent
arrears caused by a six-month delay in payment from the working tax credit
office.
MP Hodge said she was surprised by DAN's response to the reform as the
disability groups she had spoken to had welcomed the changes. DAN pointed
out that these groups are not accountable to our community and that many of
them have their snouts stuck in the honey jar as they benefit directly from
their participation in slave labour schemes such as Pathways to Work. She
agreed that there was an issue with the quality of disability employment
support and said that she would consider meeting with DAN if DAN writes to
her requesting such a meeting. She then smiled politely and left.
Sadly, as MP Hodge left she was delayed and inconvenienced by a DAN activist
whose electric wheelchair battery had completely discharged at the exit of
the surgery's car park. Whilst six officers of the Metropolitan Police were
called by Hodge's staff to "assist" the activist out of the way others
chanted:
"Margaret Hodge-Podge, Margaret Hodge-Podge, Shame on you, shame on you,
Give us real employment, give us real employment, Just like you, just like
you!"
Eventually she was driven briskly out of the car park.
DAN made it clear that this is just the first of our forthcoming series of
actions to highlight poverty amongst our community and emphasise the truth
concerning the cruel and discriminatory benefits system which punishes
people with impairments, far from rewarding laziness or the undeserving, as
the Government would have people believe.
*Please disseminate freely to all your politicians, groups, forums and
individuals etc...
FREEOURPEOPLE
Kind-Regards
Colin Revell, Hull and E. Riding of Yorkshire DAN representative and
co-ordinator
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