Kilburn Unemployed Workers Group

ATOS kills

2011-12-16T05:43:00.000-08:00

On Saturday 3 December, friends from Winvisible, Benefit Claimants, Disabled People Against Cuts (Depac), the KUWG and others demonstrated at the Olympic Park, on the day a Paralympic test event was held.
As sponsors of the Paralympic, Atos joins Rio Tinto Zinc (RTZ) which will supply medals from copper mines whose pollution is blamed for deaths and birth disabilities; and Dow Chemical Co. which is spending $11.4m on the Olympics, but refusing proper compensation and clean-up to survivors of the Bhopal gas disaster.
Bhopal survivors and Indian athletes are calling for the London Olympics Committee to drop Dow, and for a boycott. Dow also made the chemical weapons Agent Orange and napalm used in the Vietnam war.
3 December was the 27th anniversary of the Bhopal tragedy in India, and saw a big protest there, led by women gas survivors. Shockingly, the Bhopal police, wielding long batons called lathis, beat and tear-gassed the demonstrators when they went to peacefully blockade the rail tracks in support of their demands. Many have lung damage from the 1984 gas explosion. See: http://bhopal.net/

Nottingham's 'Atos Two' Charged:

http://nottingham.indymedia.org/articles/2168

Solidarity With Nottingham’s ‘Atos Two’:
http://nottingham.indymedia.org/articles/2207

Statement of Support for the 'Atos Two':
http://nottingham.indymedia.org/articles/2195

To sign the statement of support please emailL: nottsdefence@riseup.net

Our Work Capability Reassessment Workshop

2011-11-11T04:23:00.000-08:00

The Kilburn Unemployed Workers Group held a Workshop on 20 October 2011 at the Forester Hall (part of the Tricycle). The KUWG called this gathering to oppose the Work Capability reassessment of benefits started by the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP).

Ellenor Hutson of SERTUC (South East Region of the TUC) opened the debate, explaining that there are two rates of ESA (Employment Support Allowance) that are now replacing sickness/incapacity benefits – Work-Related Activity Group, and Support Group. She said that the benefit assessment is draconian and everyone should familiarise themselves with the points system. See: https://www.newcastle.gov.uk/benefits-and-council-tax/welfare-rights-and-money-advice/limited-capability-work-physical-health-des

While people in the “Support Group” people are NOT required to get ready for a return to work, it is difficult to be placed in it. Most people who qualify for ESA are placed in the ‘work related’ group. But there are ways to challenge this arbitrariness which attacks persons with all sorts of impairments. One should always be ready to appeal any unfair decision made, as soon as it is made.

The next speaker was John Kilvington who works in the Somali Community at the Kingsgate Community Centre, and who helps with all kinds of immigration, sickness and unemployment problems. He said that when one has access to re-assessment forms, it is worth studying each question and taking time and advice before filling them. He concluded that one must not be dominated by the forms but one must dominate them. To reject the arbitrariness of the forms one can always add more detail on supplementary pages, and attach medical letters. He said that you can win cases by pointing out wrong assumptions and inaccuracies, and that people can learn to represent themselves and that once they have the information and the backing they do very well at tribunal because they know their own situation best.

Three other speakers followed: Kim Sparrow of Single Mothers’ Self-Defence, Stella Mpaka of the All African Women’s Group, and Claire Glasman of WinVisible (women with visible and invisible disabilities). These speakers came with a lot of documents available on their websites. Some of these were about the protests against Atos, the private company that assesses disability benefit claims for the government. (Note that nearly half of appeals against Atos’ refusal are successful, rising to 7 in 10 where the person has support from a rights representative. Other documents relate to the work of Legal Action for Women (LAW), and the Welfare Reform Bill being pushed through Parliament. From now on, most people on ESA are threatened that they must attend work focused interviews or do work-related activity of one kind or another. This creates cases of extraordinary anxiety and despair.

After a specific complaint by WinVisible, the DWP admitted that Jobcentre staff had wrongly threatened a woman that her benefit would be stopped if she didn’t attend a work-focussed interview. In fact she had severe mental health problems and was in the Support Group of ESA, so was excused from any stressful interviews. The Jobcentre was guilty of imposing jobseeker rules on her and had to back down.

These women’s groups have put together information on the Welfare Reform Bill and what we can do to oppose it. See: http://www.winvisible.org/BEN/Welfare_Reform_Bill_info_%20and_what_we_can_do.htm

The Workshop continued with a debate – we were 18 in all – to explain our problems, fears and hopes. Each person in the room, immigrant or born in Britain, is facing problems that call for solidarity between all sufferers, between all genders, between all races, and between all ages. Most people who are unemployed or on benefits see their social services being cut, the increasing cost of childcare and terrible threats to housing benefits, whilst all the prices go up and there are less and less jobs. People were encouraged by the information and support provided, and keen to stay in touch and work together.

Join the Kilburn Unemployed Workers Group. It meets every Thursday at 3pm at the Kingsgate Community Centre, NW6. It is also worth looking up the “crossroadswomen.net” site and seek out the dynamic Crossroads Women Centre in Kentish Town, NW5.

Kilburn Unemployed Workers Group – 27.10.11

Our upcoming workshop on the Work Capability Reassessment

2011-10-02T02:45:00.000-07:00

Are you or anyone you know having issues with ESA and/or WORK CAPABILITY REASSESSMENT?

You are not alone.

Find out what it is all about.

• Learn how many others are affected.

• Meet other people in similar situation.

• Gain support and feel
empowered.

Struggling with health issues and being forced back into work prematurely by the
Work Capability Reassessment???

Unfair decisions and lack of support???

WE CAN HELP

Come along and hear others’ experiences and share yours.

Have some solidarity.

Lets prepare for action.

The Kilburn unemployed workers group (KUWG) says:

Oppose the work Capability Reassessment

Come to our workshop:

Thursday 20/10/11
7-9 PM
Forester Hall (part of the Tricycle Cinema)
269 Kilburn High Rd
London
NW6 7JH

Free Entry

Ellenor Hutson of SERTUC (south eastern region of the trades union congress)
to lead everyone to have a chance to have their say.

Con-Dems have condemned all of us

2011-09-12T03:43:00.000-07:00

A few articles on the real effects of cuts:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2011/sep/10/benefits-cap-make-children-homeless

http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/patrick-butler-cuts-blog/2011/sep/09/child-protection-council-spending-cuts

http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2011/sep/09/gp-referrals-fall-stretched-nhs

An Open Letter to ATOS

2011-09-12T03:39:00.000-07:00

An Open Letter to Atos Healthcare

Lisa Coleman
General Manager for the DWP Contracts
Atos Healthcare
4 Triton Square
Regent's Place
London, NW1 3HG

Dear Ms Coleman,

We the undersigned are seriously concerned by the fact that Atos Healthcare, the provider of the Work Capability Assessment for sickness benefits, has threatened legal action against the Internet hosting companies of three websites which circulated letters from sickness benefit claimants - 'Carerwatch', 'After Atos' and 'Atos Register of Shame' (now relaunched as 'A### the Truth').

These websites have given members of society who are often isolated and have traditionally found it difficult to take joint action, the chance to come together and share their experiences. We find it unacceptable that a large IT company, which receives £100m per year for their assessment of claimants, has deployed their legal department against individuals or small organisations who dared to circulate people’s comments and concerns about their treatment at Atos’ hands.

As acknowledged by both the recent Harrington Report and the Work and Pensions Select Committee, the Work Capability Assessment implemented by Atos Healthcare was found to be mechanistic and Atos’ ‘medical reports’ far too often did not reflect circumstances and discussions that had taken place during the assessments (Harrington Report, pp. 40-41). In addition, ESA claimants have now been told that twelve doctors working for Atos face being struck off for improper conduct, and other members of Atos’ staff are under investigation over allegations of obscene criticism of benefit claimants.

Atos Healthcare has given assurances that the shortcomings identified by the Harrington Report are being addressed. Yet many claimants are still experiencing the distress of poor and rushed medical assessments based on Atos Healthcare’s computer programme.

Amid growing concern that Atos Healthcare is failing to raise its methods and professionalism to acceptable standards, the company is now attempting to silence those claimants and their small organisations who have had the courage to speak up. At a time when we see that major corporations such as News International are able to use the threat of legal action to hide their wrongdoings, it is important that Atos’ actions are brought to account.

It is also the case that government bodies are unable to sue for libel. Atos' argument is that they are taking legal action to protect their business reputation, but in this case they are performing the work of the DWP, and receiving public money for doing it.

For these reasons, we ask that Atos withdraw all threats of libel action, that they publicly guarantee that they will not in future use the libel laws to close down criticism of their practices, and that they make a public apology to those individuals and websites which they have tried to silence.

Yours truly

Brighton Benefits Campaign
Tony Greenstein Brighton & Hove TUC Unemployed Centre
Caroline Lucas MP
Amanda Sebestyen Writer
Paul Smith Atos Victims Group
Holly Smith (President) Brighton and Hove Trades Union Council
Brighton Keep Our NHS Public
Brighton Stop the Cuts Coalition
Brighton Disabled People Against Cuts
Ipswich Unemployed Action
Disabled People Against Cuts
False Economy
Southampton United for Pensions and Public Services
National Coalition for Independent Action
Redhill Coalition Against Cuts
Lewes Stop the Cuts
Art Uncut
DLA Help Group
The Broken of Britain
Winvisible
Suffolk Coalition for Public Services
Queer Resistance
Newport Trades Union Council
Cornwall Anti Cuts Alliance
Cornwall Disabled People Against Cuts
Oxford Save Our Services
Kilburn Unemployed Workers

More obstacles for the jobseekers

2011-09-09T05:00:00.000-07:00

Could it get any harder to find a job in London???

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-14831013

Putting the wealthy first

2011-09-03T04:30:00.000-07:00

This government putting the wealthy first??? What else is new???

http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2011/sep/01/nhs-http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifplans-put-wealthy-first

GIVE OUR KIDS A FUTURE

2011-08-19T04:56:00.001-07:00

A few pics from "GIVE OUR KIDS A FUTURE" march.

Forget about the social fund!!!

2011-07-23T06:28:00.000-07:00

We all have been in a position to have applied for a grant from JCP’s social fund. In the past the social fund covered urgent expenses such as buying furniture when moving into a new place, interview clothes and educational fees for adults. We have been told by our local JCP’s manager that this fund at least in our locality has been tapped out. I wouldn’t be surprised if the current government completely cancelled this fund across the nation in the near future. Even if they don’t do that we have been proven from our past experiences that they usually decline most clients’ claims for grants and instead issue a loan lower than the requested amount. Then the poor unfortunate benefit claimant has their benefits garnished to cover the loan and in most cases the deduction is a substantial chunk of their weekly income which makes it much harder to cope with the oceans of life expenses in this already economically miserable times. It is not a bad idea to utterly forget about the social fund. No worries there are other sources of funds in urgent situations. There are virtually hundreds of charitable trusts who provide grants for pretty much any cause. The process is very meticulous and might take close to 2 months but at least there are no strings attached and you won’t have to pay back a penny. All you need to do is do a search on the following websites or give them a call to find out what charities would provide funds for your specific need. Good luck folks!!!
http://www.turn2us.org.uk/grants_search.aspx
http://www.family-action.org.uk/section.aspx?id=77

Tolpuddle

2011-07-22T00:09:00.000-07:00

A few pictures from our participation in Tolpuddle on Sunday 17/7/11, Enjoy!

Housing Workshop

2011-07-11T07:36:00.000-07:00

We have a public workshop
About the current housing issues

Free entry for all
Thursday 21/7/11
7-9 PM
Foresters Hall
269 Kilburn High Rd
London
NW6 7JR

Speakers from the Brent Law Society and the Hackney Housing Group (part of LCAP) will attend

KILBURN UNEMPLOYED WORKERS GROUP
07709932267

Kilburn Festival

2011-07-11T07:18:00.000-07:00

Thanks everyone for your support and attendance at the wonderful Kilburn Festival. We all had a great time and were able to raise awareness and receive some donations. Enjoy these pictures, it was purely Rock'N'Roll.
Thanks again and rock on everyone!!!

Foodbank

2011-06-23T02:56:00.000-07:00

Don't be embarrassed if these hard days have you down and you struggle for your meals sometimes. Foodbanks are here to help. Follow the link below to find out where your nearest foodbank is and how you can receive donations, and yes, it is all free of charge:

http://www.trusselltrust.org/foodbank-projects

Don't get ripped off by your mobile phone network, calling non-geographical phone numbers

2011-06-14T06:47:00.000-07:00

Many people don't realise that there are many phone providers offering cheaper calls to standard telephone numbers (those beginning with 01, 02 or 03), which don't apply to 0844, 0845, 0870 or 0871 telephone numbers. - Please see the links page and click on Cheapest Call Provider for price details. This shows that by using multiple providers, you can reduce your call cost on standard telephone numbers to as little as 4p fixed cost (regardless of duration), whereas the cheapest provider to 0870 numbers during the day that I am aware of charges 6p/min (+ 9.3p connection fee [with BT]) to call.

http://www.saynoto0870.com/

Who will gain from Workfare???

2011-06-14T06:44:00.000-07:00

Workfare - compulsory work for benefits - is being rolled-out across the country. We call on public sector bodies, voluntary organisations and businesses being offered these placements as well as union branches to join others in signing a pledge to boycott the scheme.

http://www.boycottworkfare.org/?page_id=16

The mystery of shrinking food items!!!

2011-06-14T06:39:00.000-07:00

A host of familiar grocery products are getting smaller while their price stays the same. Why?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-13725050

Help the ATOS victims

2011-06-07T13:43:00.000-07:00

Please help the ATOS victims by visiting the website below, filling the forms about your experiences and raising awareness about the atrocities that ATOS commits.

http://afteratos.org/about/

Use of false names by the JC staff

2011-06-07T13:37:00.000-07:00

JCP advisors using made up names? Could one reason to do so be that they are ashamed of victimising, brutalising, crucifying and sanctioning the poor and unfortunate job seekers?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-13681253

2011-04-30T03:45:00.001-07:00

We have a public workshop
About the transference of ESA claimants to JSA

Oppose the coalition’s work capability reassessment
Free entry for all
Thursday 19/5/11
7-9 PM
Foresters Hall
269 Kilburn High Rd
London
NW6 7JR

Speakers:
Andy Greene from Disability Action Islington
David Milner from Islington Poverty Action Group (part of LCAP)

KILBURN UNEMPLOYED WORKERS GROUP
07709932267

Pictures from our demo outside Kilburn JCP on Tuesday 26/4/11

2011-04-26T08:05:00.000-07:00

Pictures from our recent ATOS demo

2011-04-26T08:03:00.000-07:00

A picture from our TUC demo in March

2011-04-26T08:02:00.000-07:00

Demo outside Kilburn JCP

2011-04-18T04:51:00.000-07:00

We have a public demonstration outside Kilburn JobCentrePlus on Cambridge Avenue, NW6 on:

Tuesday 26 Ap, 11 am-12.15pm

Our goal is to have our voices heard about the recent oceans of sanctions against the job seekers.

Join us if you are interested in the cause.

Kilburn Unemployed Workers Group

Have you voice heard on the Guardian

2011-04-12T05:22:00.000-07:00

The Guardian newspaper is interested in hearing your stories of recent sanctions on the job seekers in order to raise and broaden awareness on the issue:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2011/apr/11/jobcentres-benefit-sanctions

Welcome to the Matrix!!!

2011-04-12T05:19:00.000-07:00

The decisions of continuation of disability and sickness benefits are left to a computer:

http://www.kilburntimes.co.uk/news/the_computer_says_no_1_710362

A must see

2011-04-11T05:34:00.000-07:00

A video about the new waves of hideous sanctions against the job seekers and how they are TRICKED out of their lawful benefits:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/video/2011/apr/01/jobcentre-whistleblower-target-culture-welfare?intcmp=239

A silent coup

2011-02-28T05:13:00.000-08:00

We are all victims of a very sneaky coup:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/feb/27/coalition-coup-sleeping-public

Bye bye to the housing ladder

2011-02-28T05:11:00.000-08:00

No hope of ever owning a home for millions:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2011/feb/26/cost-of-living-crisis-housing

A lesson from Iceland

2011-02-09T04:56:00.000-08:00

Our draconian government needs to learn a lesson in financial management from Iceland:

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-02-01/iceland-proves-ireland-did-wrong-things-saving-banks-instead-of-taxpayer.html

Fight to save our public services

2011-01-28T05:49:00.000-08:00

Join the fight to save our public services such as:

Caversham children's centre
Play centres
EMA
NHS
Education
Housing benefit
District housing offices
Elderly services

This public meeting will be held at the Kentish Town Area
Tue 8th Feb 7PM
Peckwater Estate Tenants Hall, Islip St, NW5

camdenunitedagainstcuts@gmail.com

Employment Advice Day

2011-01-28T05:38:00.000-08:00

Free event and open to all

Friday 25th Feb, 10AM-5PM at Kingsgate Community Centre, 107 Kingsgate Road, NW6 2JH

Workshops will cover the following areas:

Online job hunting, How to get your desired job, How to become self employed, Advice on volunteering, Advice on using the services at the JCP and psychometric tests to identify each individual's career path.

Places for the workshops are limited so please hurry and register before they are all booked. To do so please call the centre on 02073289480 or email Magdalena on mdabrowska3@gmail.com

Good luck

Support grows for Tenants

2011-01-24T05:43:00.000-08:00

Angry tenants are building a big national protest on 15th Feb at Government attacks on secure tenancies, rents and housing benefit.
Fifty tenants from Leeds, others from Manchester, Sheffield, Scarborough, Cambridge, Harlow, Welwyn Hatfield, and all parts of London are already signed up for a day of protest with a mass lobby and rally at Westminster.
Anger at Government's attacks on tenants intensified when the Localism Bill had its second reading last week, before consultation on its controversial proposals had closed. DCH response to proposals for fixed term tenancies and means testing for future council tenants, condemns the sham Consultation and exposes the false promise of protection for existing council tenants, which the Bill does not deliver.
See a round up of other responses and send us your organisation's response. What you can do
Pass a resolution to support 15th Feb lobby
Contact tenants, trade unions, and councillors for a joint delegation to Parliament on 15th Feb
Contact your MP and arrange to meet them at the rally or at Parliament
Organise a local meeting and call on local Councils to oppose fixed term tenancies and 80% market rents and any evictions due to housing benefit cuts.

A press release issued by our local MP

2011-01-24T05:42:00.000-08:00

Please see below a press release issued by Hampstead & Kilburn MP Glenda Jackson.

COUNCIL CUTS “AN ATTACK ON OUR COMMUNITY”

Glenda Jackson, Labour Member of Parliament for Hampstead & Kilburn, today slammed local government cuts as an attempt to destroy the welfare state through the back door.

Glenda said:

“ Councils provide many of the frontline services we all rely on, and protect some of the most vulnerable in our community. The latest cuts to their budgets are of such a scale, they have no choice but to stop providing some services altogether.

Up and down the country, Councils of all political colours are having to make cuts and increase charges to balance the books, and as usual it will be the most vulnerable – children and the elderly; the disabled and mentally ill – who will suffer most. These cuts are an attack on our community.”

Claims by government ministers that local government cuts are designed to reduce waste have also been rejected as a smokescreen by Ms Jackson.

“Ministers are playing a blame game, trying to argue these cuts are about executive pay or backroom efficiency, but the sums don’t add up.

The Borough of Brent which forms part of my constituency faces cuts of £37million next year alone. They could fire every senior manager in the Council and only save a fraction of that amount. It’s obvious these cuts are about dismantling the welfare state.

Ministers should stop trying to mislead the public, and come clean about their right-wing agenda.”

Cuts 'make a mockery' of Cameron's sympathy for disabled

2011-01-24T05:40:00.000-08:00

Cuts 'make a mockery' of Cameron's sympathy for disabled

http://www.channel4.com/news/cuts-make-a-mockery-of-camerons-sympathy-for-disabled

Defend Council Housing

2011-01-24T05:37:00.000-08:00

Mass lobby to Stop attacks on tenants

Join the mass lobby of Parliament 15 Feb 12-4pm Central Hall Westminster - circulate leaflet and organise a local delegation to tell MPs 'Hands off our homes and our rights'.
A new DCH briefing publicises the 15 Feb lobby and outlines latest Government financial reforms, and attacks on secure tenancies. Use the new Briefing to make sure your organisation responds to Government proposals by 17 January.
Councils should be consulting on a 6.8% rent rise - which is well above inflation, and will increase Government robbery from rents to around £2 billion a year. Argue for tenants and councillors to oppose attacks on secure tenancies and means testing: demand your Council supports a joint campaign and rejects fixed term tenancies and housing benefit evictions.

A phony revolution within the NHS

2011-01-24T05:35:00.000-08:00

Lansley reforms are a 'phony revolution'

http://www.channel4.com/news/nhs-surgeon-lansley-reforms-are-a-phony-revolution

What is next?

2011-01-24T05:33:00.000-08:00

This government is even selling our forests, what is next? The air that we breathe?

http://www.channel4.com/news/forest-campaigners-fear-government-sale

NHS shakeup could set patients against their GPs

2011-01-20T05:52:00.000-08:00

The new NHS "overhaul" is just a smokescreen to hide its weakening and possibly eventual dismantle:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2011/jan/19/nhs-shakeup-patients-gps-report

Press attention for our demo

2011-01-10T08:34:00.000-08:00

Our pre christmas demonstartion against Jobseekers Allowance "Sanctions" made the Kilburn Times. Thanks to Glenn McMahon for an excellent and accurate write up:

Kilburn unemployed fightback
Glenn McMahon, Reporter
Sunday, 26 December, 2010
12:31 PM

English Karate champion kicked off JSA despite looking for work

A GROUP of unemployed workers braved freezing conditions to demonstrate outside a job centre they accuse of unfairly stopping their benefits.

Members of the Kilburn Unemployed Workers Group say the sanctions have left members unable to pay for food or bills and at risk of losing their home.

John Tymon, chair of KUWG, said claimants are being treated worse than criminals who are assured hot food and a roof over their head while in jail.

Mr Tymon said: “I have been shocked to here jobseekers saying they would be better off in jail, even in this weather. But in jail people get three hot meals a day, a warm room and bed, hot water to bathe, television and other activities.”

He also warned that people could be forced into crime just to eat, something magistrates look sympathetically upon, he said.

Hatem Aly, from Kilburn, a karate instructor who represented England in the world Karate championships, had his benefits stopped without reason by an advisor at Kilburn Jobcentreplus, in Cambridge Avenue, Kiburn, despite applying for dozens of jobs, taking courses and being a finalist in an entrepreneurs’ competition.

He said: “I was sanctioned for no reason. They never even contacted me, I found out when I saw I had no money in the bank.

“I am looking for jobs every day, go to interviews and do voluntary work so I was shocked and surprised when they sanctioned me.

“They are supposed to help people get work but they don’t. I’m looking for teaching jobs now. I’m just waiting for a CRB check to work at Brent Homeless Users Group.

“I just couldn’t believe the way they treated me; if they only knew.”

Mr Aly, who is a black belt fifth dan Karate expert, said he had to wait two weeks for a hardship loan.

Benefit advisors subsequently told him to apply for a crisis loan which he learned is not available to sanctioned claimants.

After appealing the decision, Mr Aly was told the reason for his sanction he had not been actively looking for work.

Mr Tymon said he suspects job centre advisors are being put under pressure to sanction claimants as the government looks to cut its welfare bill.

A Department and Pensions spokeswoman denied there were any targets however she refused to say what the government’s guidelines were on how people should survive if they are unexpectedly kicked off benefits.

2011 Will be horrible say TUC

2011-01-04T06:13:00.000-08:00

This recent TUC press release more or less sums up the dire situation:

“2011 is going to be a horrible year.

Unemployment will increase as thousands of public servants get made redundant. Just as many – if not more – private sector jobs will go, both as a direct result of the cuts and through the knock-on effects of reduced economic activity.

Benefit cuts will kick in, and thousands of some of the poorest and most vulnerable people will see real cuts in their living standards.

It's hard to pick out the unkindest cut of all, but a top contender must be the ten per cent cut in housing benefit that kicks in after someone has been unemployed for more than a year.

With long term unemployment already rising sharply, the government cannot get away with labelling the long-term unemployed as scroungers when there are more than five jobless chasing every vacancy"

Great Poster from UKUncut

2011-01-04T05:38:00.000-08:00

Thanks to Kings Lynn Trades Council for forwarding this great poster from UKUncut.

Pics from recent demos

2011-01-04T03:29:00.000-08:00

Here's some recent pics from demos outside Neasden and Kilburn Jobcentre to protest unfair Employment and Support Allowance decisions, which deny sick people the money they are entitled to and "sanctions" of Jobseekers Allowance, where claimants have their money stopped or reduced for allegedly not doing enough to look for work.

These issues make up the vast majority of our personal cases and cause no end of heart ache to our members.

Although both issues might look like personal problems: the number of times they occur points to systematic problems in the administartion of these benefits.

This is why we at Kilburn Unemployed Workers believe in fighting them as a collective problem, with public demonstrations and publicity!

Kilburn Unemployed Workers in Kilburn Times!

2010-11-05T04:13:00.000-07:00

http://www.kilburntimes.co.uk/news/the_computer_says_no_1_710362

God Help Us All

2010-10-29T05:55:00.000-07:00

As more and more details of this so-called comprehensive spending review are emerging, it is looking more like what it actually is not what it claims to be. It isn’t anything even remotely close to a nation’s budget. This monstrous document is a fiercely aggressive and monumentally mind-blowing draconian supernova.
The financial meltdown of 2008-9 and Labour’s mismanagement of the treasury gave the Tories once in a century chance of finishing what Thatcherites started in the 80’s:
• Replacing Keynesian policies with neo-liberalist ones.
• Stripping the society of all that is good, just and charitable.
• Turning this country into a barren post apocalyptic land of capitalism, where social justice is stuff of science fiction.
• Truly, actually and factually turning Britain into the junior partner of America; where everything is run by money hungry corporations, where mentioning free health care and welfare state is synonymous with being a billion times worth than Stalin and Mao put together.
If I didn’t know anything about Cameron and Osborne’s politics, and someone asked me to draw an honest mental picture of them just based on the spending review, I would say they most definitely grew up dreaming of playing Frisbee with Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher while being tutored by them, learning how to pin all the problems that exist in every single society on the poor, the unfortunate and the working class.
If anyone just looks at the housing benefits section of the spending review, it will be as clear as day that how brutal and devastating the effects are going to be. Cuts to the housing benefits will result in a mass exile of at least 2 million people from inner London, likes of which are unheard of in contemporary peace times. They will have to move closer to M25 or even outside of it in order to be able to afford a place to live; they won’t be able to commute to central London to their jobs and very likely will have to find employment elsewhere. There will be a vacuum of employment in inner London. Even some Tory politicians such as Boris Johnson are opposed to this social cleansing. Somebody needs to tell Mr Osborne that a cosmopolitan city such as London could not survive without working class people. Somebody needs to shout and scream at Mr Cameron and Mr Osborne and tell them:
“if you have what it takes, if you have a single shred of courage blame the budget deficit on people who caused it, crucify the sleazy corporate fat cats of Wall Street who caused the financial meltdown that brought our planet to the brink of bankruptcy, the working class people, the poor and impoverished haven’t done anything wrong, leave us alone and let us be…”.
But the chancellor would never do such a thing, he would never go after the bankers and financial feudalists, he is a trust fund child himself, he would never harm his own kind.
We all need to seriously dig deep and do a thorough cultural shake up; we need to rid ourselves of this culture of political masochism and apologism. We are all living in very dangerous times and a very important period of our domestic modern times. If the government goes ahead and implements all these policies, the negative and sinister effects of them could not be reversed, full stop. If I was a man of faith I would say may God help us all.

Summery of Benefit Cuts

2010-10-28T04:45:00.001-07:00

This is a summery, as accurate as i can get it, of all the benefit changes and cuts on the horizon, based on the Spending Review, government announcements and existing legislation. Please, please write in with anything else you know as knowledge really is power in these dark times!

Some initial thoughts:

1. Theres lots we don't know: Benefit changes can only happen after acts of parliament are passed and regulations drawn up. Until this happens, we really don't know exactly how the changes will work out in practice. However, we can see that they're not good!

2. Everything can change: In the process of getting these cuts from policy idea and plans to actual real life changes in the benefit system, everything can change, especially the more complex things.

3. Benefit changes, in themselves, cause difficulties: Look at the mess that is Employment and Support Allowance or better still, tax credits to see the human misery caused by so called "teething problems." Now add into the mix, massive job cuts across the welfare system and you can imagine the chaos that will ensue!

4. Theres everything to fight For: None of this is set in stone, everything can change. We need to get together and fight for the benefits system we deserve!

Now, the bad news......

Sickness and Disability
1.Sickness benefits cut and sick people forced to look for work. New claimants already have to claim Employment and Support Allowance instead of Incapacity Benefit or Income Support, more people will be moved onto Employment and Support Allowance in the future.

2.Employment and Support Allowance stops completely after one year from April 2011
Disability Living Allowance taken away from disabled people in residential care from April 2012

3. Disability Living Allowance claimants subjected to medical testing from April 2012

Pensioners
4. Pension Credit for pensioners with savings, frozen for four years between April 2011 to April 2015

5.Cold weather Payment to be frozen at £25 for ever from November 2010

Housing Benefit
6. Single people under 35 can only rent a single room from April 2012

7.Housing Benefit for people renting privately will be cut first to 70% of the average rent, then again to only 30% of the average rent from April 2011

8.Housing Benefit cut by 10% to anyone out of work for more than one year from 2011

Children
9. Child Benefit taken away from better off families from January 2013

10.Single mothers expected to look for work. This is happening right now!

Working People
11. Working Tax Credit rates frozen April 2011 to 2014

12. Money for childcare for people claiming Working Tax Credit cut to 70% of the actual cost of the childcare from April 2011

13. Working Tax Credit taken away completely from two parent families working less than 24 hours per week from April 2011

Everyone
14. Total benefits anyone can receive capped at £500 per week from 2011

15. All the different benefits to be merged into one single benefit. This is planned at some point in the future.

16. Longer waiting times, more mix ups, worse decisions and less help to sort things out. This is happening right now but will get much worse! Massive job cuts amongst workers who process claims and appeals will mean that the remaining staff will struggle to keep the system running and on top of that, learn to administrate the changes.

17. More useless schemes run by A4E, Reed in partnership etc..... In the long term the Tory’s want more and more of the benefits system privatised, so expect to have a lot more to do with these companies!

Kilburn Unemployed Workers Protest Unfair Employment and Support Allowance decisions

2010-09-22T09:38:00.000-07:00

Kilburn Unemployed Workers demonstrated outside Neasden Jobcentre yesterday to highlight the scandal of Employment and Support Allowance, a benefit for the sick and disabled.

Entitlement to this benefit is decided by a medical examination outsourced to ATOS Medical who use a computer system, the Logic Integrated Medical Assessment (or LiMA) to produce medical reports with a minimum of human discretion or judgement.
Many, many people, who are clearly too sick to work are turned down for benefits under this system and face grueling appeal procedures to get the benefits they are entitled to.

Jodie Hart, who attended the demonstration explained the effect on her of being turned down for this benefit:

People like me, with memory problems, who are ill, we can’t cope with this, having our benefits stopping and starting. They push and push people and make us more ill. What they are doing is dangerous. People have breakdowns over things like this.

Kilburn Unemployed Workers will continue to fight Jodie's case and campaign against unfairness in the benefits system.
If you have any stories about Employment and Support Allowance, or any other benefit please do get in touch

Victory!

2010-09-22T09:31:00.000-07:00

Kilburn Unemployed Workers won over £300 in backdated benefits for one hacked off claimant after extracting a sick note from a reluctant doctor.
Much kudos goes to our plucky member for his unflappable and persistant negotiations.
If you think Kilburn Unemployed Workers can help you: get in touch by email, phone or come to our weekly meetings

Private Companies Make Long Term Sick Well Within Half and Hour!

2010-09-03T03:58:00.000-07:00

Still on the subject of Medical Examinations:

Despite GP's accepting their patients are too sick to work, the government overrides their professional judgement now by getting private medical company "Assessments" to say they are well enough to work. The present government now wants to transfer NHS decision making and £80 billion of our monies to GP's despite not trusting them to know if a patient is well or not. Seems very contradictory! Seems like money saving exercises with excuses to hit the sick financially and reward private enterprise "scroungers" with lucrative contracts.

In the 1800's the workhouse was used to stick poor families in to save ratepayers money and attempt to discourage the poor from begging off the community. Life in the workhouse was actually designed to be as awful as possible so people would avoid going into them in the same way that people avoid going to prisons. What they found out though was that a lot of people were too genuinely sick or old and inform to work either outside or inside the workhouse and an infirmary would need to be set up attached to the workhouse. this is how infirmaries and hospitals originated and how eventually pensions had to be set up, as the so called "workshy" were plainly just too ill or too old.

Now it seems the main political parties want to blame welfare claimants for the financial crisis that millionaire bankers caused. Getting someone off Incapacity Benefit or Employment and Support Allowance, may save some money by forcing them to claim Jobseekers Allowance instead (although these benefits are the same as Jobseekers Allowance in the first year anyway!). The premise that these people will then go and get jobs (especially when massive job cuts are planned) is flawed. What will most probably happen is that unfit people will not go for jobs they cannot physically or mentally do and then the DWP will stop their Jobseekers Allowance and they will become destitute.

Ian Duncan Smith may be proposing incentives to get back to work but there is a clamoring to cut benefits and make claiming so onerous people will slip through the safty net that previous generations secured.

We believe that we should be pressurising the government to have progressive methods of dealing with the sick and unemployed not regressive ones. Do employers, or does the economy, really wnat to be hiring people who are too ill to sustain proper jobs (but who are officially "well") who will not last the course and theerefore waste everybody's time?

We say return to accepting that GP's know thier patient best and their sick notes should be respected and don't engage private medical services who will inevitably become incentivised and entrenched in knocking people off the sick for financial rather than medical reasons.

No return to the workhouse mentality! It didn't work in the 19th century and its not a reinvention the 21st century needs!

Clarence Jackman: KUWG Member

Medical Assesments for Employment and Support Allowance.

2010-09-03T03:39:00.001-07:00

Figures from the Department of Work and Pensions show that only 18% of people claiming Employment and Support Allowance, the benefit for people our of work due to sickness, are found to be entitled to it!

The rest are either turned down or the cliam is closed!

The full report can be seen here:

www.parliament.uk/deposits/depositedpapers/2010/DEP2010-1361.pdf

Kilburn Unemployed Workers are not surprised by this! Our own experience tells us that many sick and disabled people are turned down for the benefits. This is largely due to flawed and unfair medical examinations.

If you have any personal experience with medical examinations: let us know: we want to hear from you!

In the meantime you can find some useful information on how to handle medical examinations on the Edinburgh Coalition Against Poverty Website:

http://edinburghagainstpoverty.org.uk/node/5

Take Our Survey: Tell us what you think!

2010-08-20T08:49:00.001-07:00

Create your free online surveys with SurveyMonkey, the world's leading questionnaire tool.

Update

2010-08-20T07:30:00.000-07:00

It is essential for any group aiming to organise or represent people to build up familiarity and the trust of a community. Doing this takes hard work and persistence and consistency.

Luckily Kilburn Unemployed Workers Group, even at this early stage in our development has attracted some really dedicated activists who can now be seen outside Kilburn Jobcentre on most days, giving out flyer's and talking to people about their experiences.

The reception so far has been very good. After all, Unemployed people know all to well the frustrations and petty humiliation that are part of the experience of claiming benefits. When we explain ourselves, we've found most people can see the point of having an organisation to represent their interests and views and to stand up for the rights of the unemployed!

As a result, attendance at our weekly meetings is also beginning to pick up with at least one or two new faces each week.

We try to make the meetings as welcoming and friendly as possible with no jargon or bureaucracy: just an opportunity to tell your story, let off steam and see if we can reach solutions together.

If you can't make the meetings, however, we still want to hear from you.

Just click on the link on the right hand side of the page to get a copy of our questionaire, complete it and email it to us.

In order to give you a flavour of what we do: we'll also be posting some pieces about the most common benefit problems and their solutions so watch out for that in the coming weeks!

Brent Against Cuts

2010-08-20T07:21:00.000-07:00

Following a very successful and well attended public meeting on the 28th July 2010,

trade unionsists in Brent are due to get down to work in earnest on fighting the cuts to benefits and public services in Brent and beyond.

There will be a public planning meeting on the 25th August at 7.30pm at the Willesden Trades and Labour Hall, 375 High Road, Willesden, London NW10 2JR, hosted by Brent Trades Council.

This meeting will be a serious attempt to plan concrete actions against the cuts and is a must for anyone who is serious about fighting back!

We'll see you down there!

Thank You Freedom Bookshop

2010-08-09T04:49:00.000-07:00

For the £62 raised by your Benefit BBQ.
And for sticking it out through the rain!

Training Day: Know your Rights

2010-08-04T08:21:00.000-07:00

Kilburn Unemployed Workers, in association with Hackney Unemployed Workers, Haringay Claimants Action, Islington Unemployed Workers and South East Region TUC (Phew!) is very proud to present.........

Signing On: Know Your Rights.

A day of free training covering:

The law on jobsearching a benefits sanctions

When they can cut your payments and (most important!) when they can't

Individual and collective negotiation

Standing up for our Rights

Running an Unemployed Workers Group

Plus free tea, coffee and sandwiches

Monday 4th October at Congress House, Great Russell Street, London

Places are limited. Email now to register.

2010-07-29T04:45:00.000-07:00

Benefit BBQ Sataday 7th August

Benefit BBQ

2010-07-27T10:05:00.000-07:00

Those lovely, lovely people from Freedom Books in Whitechapel are throwing us a benefit BBQ on the 7th August from 3pm onwards.

Entry is free and there is cheap beer, burgers plus DJ's till late.

Volunteers are needed to help make food and run things on the night so please contact us if you can help. Otherwise see you there.

Venue is

Freedom Bookshop
Angel Alley
84b Whitechapel High St
London

Public Meeting Against Cuts

2010-07-27T09:51:00.000-07:00

Our parent body, Brent Trades Council is holding a public meeting against cuts on 28th July, 7.30pm at Willesden Library.

http://www.brenttuc.org.uk/?p=197

Kilburn Unemployed Workers will be attending to give some feedback on what we've been up to and to get some inspiration for the struggles ahead.

Welcome to Kilburn Unemployed Workers!

2010-07-19T04:26:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Kilburn Unemployed Workers.

We are a group for and by Unemployed People and Benefits Claimants in Kilburn.

We believe that everyone deserves to have our claims decided quickly and fairly, to be treated with respect and to have enough money to live on.

Everyone deserves satisfying work, dignity and a future for their children.

Often it can feel like we are on our own, battling a huge and faceless machine. It doesn't have to be like this. We believe that together we are strong. We can defend each other and assert our rights.

Kilburn Unemployed Workers Group is only as strong as our members. We need everyones help to write letters, to support each other at Jobcentre interviews, to challenge unfair decisions and to win victories.

Kilburn Unemployed Workers is only young but we have big plans. We are currently leafletting Kilburn Jobcentre to make our presence known. We are also arranging training to arm ourselves with the skills we will need in the battles to come.

If you have some time to spare and would like to learn new skils and help other people or if you are having problems and need the support of others then we want to hear from you.

We meet every Thursday at the Kingsgate Community Centre, 107 Kingsgate Road, Kilburn and everyone is welcome. Or you can telephone, email or join us on facebook.