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The Welfare Reform Bill is now the Welfare Reform Act and came into effect on 1st November 2007. There are helpful summaries of the act and the replacement to Incapacity Benefits, the Employment Support Allowance, on the Disability Alliance website. SWAN is encouraging people to speak up about their experiences of the new Employment Support Allowance and the Personal Capability Assessment. If you want to share your experiences; SWAN has occasional meetings to discuss developments. Also for those based in Sheffield and South Yorkshire, Sheffield Forum has an excellent online Disability & Carers Group.
Campaigning against the Act
SWAN Documents
More links...
- Jonathan Rutherford on the link between UnumProvident and UK welfare reform: link
- 'Welfare to Work' Didn't Work - report from Canada on a failed initiative: link
- David Cameron speech - the "Wisconsin model": link
- Employment and earnings in Wisconsin - working below the poverty line: link (836k pdf)
- ‘Qualitative research exploring the pathways to work sanctions regime’ - questioning the effectiveness of sanctions Link to summary Link to full report.
Further information
See the national Campaign Against Welfare Reform Bill site.
Also see the responses to the Act and the original green paper from other organisations:
Write to your MP
To put further pressure on the government you can also write, fax or email your MP. Letters to MP's really do make a difference, it is their responsibility to raise the issues of their constituents. You may find writing a letter difficult but it is worth the effort. For guidance there is an example letter at the bottom of the page.
If you don't know who your MP is use Locata.co.uk.
Tips
- Remember to include your full name and address. You need to make it clear that you are a constituent, and the MP needs to be able to send a reply.
- Write in your own words, make it personal to you. Show the politician that you are a real person.
- Keep it short. One side of A4 should be enough.
- If you write your letter by hand, make sure it is legible!
- Stick to the issue.
- Use bullet points to highlight your arguments.
- Include supporting facts to back up your case.
- Make it clear what you are asking the MP to do in response, e.g. support us, oppose or amend the reforms.
- If you print your letter, remember to sign it personally.
For facts and figures, there are many articles linked on the front page, and facts and responses to the green paper above, including SWAN's own response to the green paper. However, remember that your story is the most important thing because that is something the MP can never get from newspapers or organisations.
Letters/emails to newspapers and other media are also a good way of getting your point accross. DON'T STAY SILENT!
Example Letter to MP's
Your name and contact details
Dear.....
RE: Welfare Reform
Talk here about your experiences of the Employment Support Allowance and the new Personal Capability Assessment. If you want any facts about the impact of the act to back up your own experiences, look at our news section, or on the sites linked from ours.
Please contact me if you require any further information,
Yours sincerely
Sign the letter
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