Thursday, 17 November 2011

DPAC - Christmas Festivities




Posted: 16 Nov 2011 01:46 PM PST

Join us (DPAC, Benefit Claimants Fightback, and many others) in 
December for a month of protests, actions and demonstrations 
against poverty pimps Atos and the Condem government’s Welfare 
Reform Bill.


With thousands to face homelessness in the New Year due to 
housing benefit cuts, the harassment and further impoverishment 
of hundreds of thousands of disabled people due to punitive 
‘assessments’, the continued persecution of people on sickness 
benefits, soaring unemployment and forced labour in the name 
of Workfare, a truly Victorian Christmas is on the cards for 
millions of us.


Whilst Atos CEO and disability denier Keith Wilman tucks into his 
organic Christmas turkey or multi-millionaire poverty pimp Emma 
Harrison of A4e hangs tinsel in her tax payer funded stately home, 
millions of disabled, low paid, unemployed or sick people are facing 
a future of poverty, worsening health and homelessness.
Parents will be spending Christmas terrified that the new demands 
of conditionally for benefits, such as forcing single mothers into 
workfare schemes, will leave them unable to properly care for 
their children. People will life threatening conditions or mental health 
problems will be terrified that their upcoming Atos assessment, 
notoriously flawed as it is, will further strip them of vital and life 
saving benefits. Tens of thousands of low waged families are about 
to be socially cleansed from city centres due to housing benefit cuts 
whilst unemployed people face the prospect of being forced to work 
full time and still survive on just a few pounds a day.


The Welfare Reform Bill will see millions of disabled people forced into 
a similar, if not identical, testing regime for the new Personal 
Independence Payment that has tragically led to suicides amongst 
people already forced to undertake Atos’ Work Capability Assessments.


For the last year disabled people, claimant activists and supporters 
have been protesting against the inhumane treatment being inflicted 
on already vulnerable people. Scores of protests have been held 
outside (and sometimes inside) the offices of Atos ‘Healthcare’, the 
largest ever march of disabled people and supporters has taken place, 
protests have been held outside the Daily Mail, A4e offices and other 
workfare providers and online activity about benefit issues has exploded.


Still the Tory Government pushes ahead, with their Lib Dem lap dogs 
never far ahead. We need more than ever to increase the pressure 
and fight these attacks on our most basic needs and very survival. 
Organise and help spread the word now, please list all local actions, 
protests at comments on:
http://benefitclaimantsfightback.wordpress.com/
and we will do our best to help promote and support all events as 
well as list them here.


Alternatively why not gather up your friends and turn up to spread 
seasonal cheer at your local Atos unannounced and then tell us 
about it afterwards. Everyone loves a surprise guest at Christmas!


We will not stop until they kill us.


A list of Atos corporate offices can be found at:
 http://uk.atos.net/en-uk/about_us/locations/

A PDF of all Atos Assessment Centres is available at: http://www.atoshealthcare.com/UserFiles/File/factsheets/
2011/Assessment%20Centre%20Location%20List_July%202011.pdf
http://benefitclaimantsfightback.wordpress.com/
Posted: 16 Nov 2011 01:31 PM PST
DHM logo
UKDHM  22nd November to 22nd December 2011
You are invited to  LAUNCH EVENT  UKDHM 2011
TUESDAY 22nd November  2011,
Mander Hall, NUT, 1, Mabledon Place, London WC1H 9BD
5.00 refreshments for 5.30 to 7.30 followed by Reception till 8.30 pm
Celebrating Our Struggle for Equality

Chair Nina Franklin, President NUT
Speakers :-
Ruth Bashell Stay Safe – Tackling Hate Crime
Tony Crosby Heritage Lottery Fund -Disability Heritage
Jaspal Dhani CEO UKDPC-Black disabled peoples’ experience
Ellen Goodey – Living an inclusive life
Barbara Lisicki – The history of the Direct Action Network in 1990’s
Maresa Mackeith-Author Taking the Time
Lucy Mason – HEYA The history of disabled young voices
Richard Rieser Coordinator UKDHM  Disability Equality in Schools and colleges.
Rounded up by Laurence Clarke- a comic view of disability equality today.
To book a place RSVP to 0207 359 2855 or email rlrieser@gmail.com


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