PERMISSION TO FORWARD AND RE POST EVERYWHERE FOR MAXIMUM EFFECT
As the Government announces its programme to move more people off disability benefits and encourage them into work (4 April 2011), ME Free For All.org has written to invite anyone, including journalists who believe that the Work Capability Assessment (WCA) test is a valid and reliable way of assessing ill people for work, especially those with unpredictable, randomly fluctuating and often invisible symptoms, such as M.E. (Myalgic Encephalomyelitis) sufferers, to follow the whole process, decide for themselves whether it is fair and to check that no one who is genuinely ill will suffer. They will have the opportunity to follow a claimant from the moment the letter drops on the doormat to the final outcome. We think this is the fairest way and will produce quite a difference in public awareness, than relying on press releases from and spokespeople for, the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP).
To make this project effective, we are, therefore, looking for people in every part of the UK*, who are due for a review of Incapacity Benefit (IB) or Disability Living Allowance (DLA), to volunteer to have someone such as a: local or national journalist; any independent witness; friend or relative; welfare rights lawyer, or Citizens Advice Bureau worker; maybe even their MP to follow them every step of the process and accompany them to sit in silence and observe to any medical assessment or appeal. They may make a written account or sound recording if agreed.
If you have any concerns about volunteering, anonymity of both name and photo can be guaranteed (unless, of course, you prefer to be identified) and any extra effort involved in writing to journalists, MPs and government ministers can be shouldered by our willing volunteers. We can also arrange a buddy for you, who has been through it all before (You might get me!).
Our aim is to provide evidence to every one of the 650 MPs in the House of Commons and get some really objective reporting in the press and broadcast media.
Please dont leave it to others who may be doing the same and regret it afterwards, when you are struggling on lower rates of benefits, left without any money at all pending appeal, in debt, despair and being forced into inappropriate work, which is likely to make you ill and send you round the carousel again.
Please e-mail me, drjohngreensmith@mefreeforall.org, today or as soon as possible, with Silent witness Project in the subject line. It would be helpful if you would give a date (if you already have one) for your assessment, or alert us the same day you receive your letter; the area where you live; local newspaper(s) and MP.
I can assure you that any discomfort or stress that volunteering for this Project will be far less than going it alone and you are much more likely to get a favourable outcome for yourself and others.
Since the degree of success of this Silent witness project really does depend on the collective willingness to volunteer and support volunteers and is the biggest we have ever undertaken, we welcome as much help from willing individual volunteers and the support of other local and national groups representing people with M.E. E-mail me today, with the sort of help you can offer: Claimant volunteer; buddy, administrator, publicist, area co-ordinator, willing gopher (go for this, go for that) .. or whatever you can offer to help. Please be patient for replies. We depend totally on volunteers, who are not always very well themselves.
* We are distributing details of this project worldwide for general information and as a comparison with the systems in other countries.
Best wishes
John
drjohngreensmith@mefreeforall.org
Dr John H Greensmith
ME Free For All.org
As the Government announces its programme to move more people off disability benefits and encourage them into work (4 April 2011), ME Free For All.org has written to invite anyone, including journalists who believe that the Work Capability Assessment (WCA) test is a valid and reliable way of assessing ill people for work, especially those with unpredictable, randomly fluctuating and often invisible symptoms, such as M.E. (Myalgic Encephalomyelitis) sufferers, to follow the whole process, decide for themselves whether it is fair and to check that no one who is genuinely ill will suffer. They will have the opportunity to follow a claimant from the moment the letter drops on the doormat to the final outcome. We think this is the fairest way and will produce quite a difference in public awareness, than relying on press releases from and spokespeople for, the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP).
To make this project effective, we are, therefore, looking for people in every part of the UK*, who are due for a review of Incapacity Benefit (IB) or Disability Living Allowance (DLA), to volunteer to have someone such as a: local or national journalist; any independent witness; friend or relative; welfare rights lawyer, or Citizens Advice Bureau worker; maybe even their MP to follow them every step of the process and accompany them to sit in silence and observe to any medical assessment or appeal. They may make a written account or sound recording if agreed.
If you have any concerns about volunteering, anonymity of both name and photo can be guaranteed (unless, of course, you prefer to be identified) and any extra effort involved in writing to journalists, MPs and government ministers can be shouldered by our willing volunteers. We can also arrange a buddy for you, who has been through it all before (You might get me!).
Our aim is to provide evidence to every one of the 650 MPs in the House of Commons and get some really objective reporting in the press and broadcast media.
Please dont leave it to others who may be doing the same and regret it afterwards, when you are struggling on lower rates of benefits, left without any money at all pending appeal, in debt, despair and being forced into inappropriate work, which is likely to make you ill and send you round the carousel again.
Please e-mail me, drjohngreensmith@mefreeforall.org, today or as soon as possible, with Silent witness Project in the subject line. It would be helpful if you would give a date (if you already have one) for your assessment, or alert us the same day you receive your letter; the area where you live; local newspaper(s) and MP.
I can assure you that any discomfort or stress that volunteering for this Project will be far less than going it alone and you are much more likely to get a favourable outcome for yourself and others.
Since the degree of success of this Silent witness project really does depend on the collective willingness to volunteer and support volunteers and is the biggest we have ever undertaken, we welcome as much help from willing individual volunteers and the support of other local and national groups representing people with M.E. E-mail me today, with the sort of help you can offer: Claimant volunteer; buddy, administrator, publicist, area co-ordinator, willing gopher (go for this, go for that) .. or whatever you can offer to help. Please be patient for replies. We depend totally on volunteers, who are not always very well themselves.
* We are distributing details of this project worldwide for general information and as a comparison with the systems in other countries.
Best wishes
John
drjohngreensmith@mefreeforall.org
Dr John H Greensmith
ME Free For All.org
