Isa Muazu Hunger Strike

Sorry for the late notice but our friends in Unity, Glasgow asked us to distribute an appeal for people to come to Isa Muazu's court hearing tomorrow at:

 

10.30 am at the Administrative Court, Royal Courts of Justice, Strand, London.

 

Unity’s message says:

“This is the third hearing regarding Isa's hunger strike. The judge has said that Isa is using the hunger strike to manipulate his release despite evidence that without hospitalisation at this point Isa's condition is likely fatal. Medical Justice are heavily involved and managed to find Isa legal representation.

 

Isa's hunger strike began because he could not eat any of the food available in the detention centre (Harmondsworth) because of two conditions he suffers from Haemorrhoids and a kidney condition, He went to a screening interview voluntarily after a number of refused leave to remain applications as the situation with Boko Haram worsened and he has been targetted by this group in Nigeria.

 

Isa took food with him including liver, kidney beans and vegetables because his diet is strict and he calls it his medicine for his kidney problems. He was not permitted to take this food into detention and he was also told at the start of the interview he would not be detained when he told them about his health.

 

During detention he was taken to hospital for surgery for the haemorrhoids but the doctor could not perform the surgery because he was too ill, weak and had lost a lot of weight. This was because he was only eating cornflakes.

 

Harmondsworth were informed by Unity on numerous occasions of his dietary needs and we said we would send the food he requested but they said 'we do not have children in here' on the phone and did not respond to faxes.

 

Isa decided to stop eating cornflakes because of the complete lack of recognition for his health. He started collapsing and was taken to the health care wing permanently.

 

Once Medical Justice found him a lawyer, staff at Harmondsworth advised him that he could now resume eating and take fluids because he had a hearing coming up and everything was going to be ok after that so he was taken to hospital and was put on a drip and ate half a sandwhich and I think some yogurt. When the hearing commenced this was used against him as it was stated he was accepting treatment offered by the detention centre and he was no longer at risk.

 

Because of this Isa feels he was tricked and refuses to accept any healthcare or food, hence, his critical condition. Besides the food taken at the hospital he has been on hunger strike for two months now and is very weak. 

 

Isa wants as many people to attend his hearing as possible as he does not want his treatment and the treatment of others to go unnoticed.

 

Thanks so much and talk more soon.”

 

Unity

From the Morning Star:

Bedroom tax provokes stormy scenes in Parliament

---

Wednesday 13 2013

posted by Roger Bagley in Britain

Bedroom tax victims swoop on Parliament against evictions

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Seething anger at evictions and suicides caused by the Tories' "class-war" bedroom tax provoked stormy scenes in Parliament yesterday.

Labour MPs launched a blistering attack in the Commons, but they themselves faced anger from lobbyists protesting that Labour had failed to fight evictions and attacks on benefits.

Cries of "action not words" greeted Labour shadow ministers when they addressed protesters who had swooped on Parliament from across Britain.

More at http://www.morningstaronline.co.uk/a-7614-bedroom-tax-provokes-stormy-scenes-in-Parliament#.UoM1DeIquF8

Kilburn Unemployed Workers Group members oppose evictions

Members of Kilburn Unemployed Workers Group recently helped at least defer an eviction and give invaluable breathing space to one of our members who was faced with the threat of eviction. But as is the case with bullying landlords, the landlord involved is continuing to add to the mental health problems of the tenant involved and so anti-eviction work is a process that needs to continue in the case involved from last Wednesday.

And as activists should be venerated rather than witch-hunted, here is a stained glass effect touch up by Swheatie of a photo that was taken on Wednesday 6 November — a touch-up that led one kuwga [Kilburn Unemployed Workers Group activist] to exclaim:

"Oh that's nice Swheatie. Kuwg have glasstic surgery"

Kuwgas against eviction!

Universal Credit: Notes — with Web links — from our most recent guest speaker at a Kilburn Unemployed Workers Group business meeting.*

Universal Credit Information Notes

Introduction

 Proposals  for  the Universal Credit scheme  (UC) first emerged in September  2009  from the Centre  for Social Justice; Iain Duncan Smith,  the current Secretary  of State for Work and Pensions who is tasked with setting up the project in the current government was  the  then chairman  of the Centre.

The supposed purpose of UC is to simplify and consolidate  the existing benefits  system,  and so reduce welfare  dependency  by making work more appealing  to claimants,  encouraging financial rectitude and  reducing  the current welfare budget.  It will also make wage savings in the public sector  as it is intended  to be part of the "Digital by Default" programme.  The October 2013 edition of "Labour Research"  states that the government is claiming  that while UC will cost  £2.2 billion  in in development  and delivery costs,  it will save an estimated £38 billion by reducing administrative,  fraud and error costs by 2023. This figure  includes  an estimated  annual saving of £100 million  by  transferring claimants onto the new system.

Last July DWP whistleblowers began  to tweet claims  that "at least £300  million had been
written off  from  the UC budget  due  to continued IT failures; when this  information  reached the national media the government initially stated  that  £34 million would be written  off, but as of the 11th of September The Guardian was quoting  the DWP's finance director as stating that "up to £161 million would be written off, with  the governmenfs  oversight body,  the Major Projects Authority claiming "at leasf  £140 million was  lost."

Despite  this, and the resulting delays  in rolling out  the project  - which was  initially due  to
begin nationally  this October - the project  is set  to continue. As  the  flagship policy of the
Welfare Reform Act it is considered  too big to fail. On 8th October 2013 Esther McVey  said
an estimated 1 million households will be claiming UC by  the  time it is fully implemented  in
2017. This will include  anyone who claims  any of the six benefits that will be rationalised
under the system,  including  those in low-paid or part-time  employment who  top-up  their
earnings with benefits:  by 2017 this group will also be subject to the requirements  of the
DWP  claimant regime,  including  the possibility  of sanctions  - the removal  of -benefits  - for a period of up to three years.

The comptexities  of introducing the UC system  are mirrored  by the difficulties  in producing coherent and specific  criticisms of the policy. As difficulties with the proposed  system emerge  they are adjusted  by "on  the fly" decisions:  for example, when  the "pathflnder" tests for UC had been introduced  in Ashton-under-Lyne  it was noted  that there was a massive increase  in rent arrears, so now there  is a two month  "switchback"  for the Housing Benefit element of the policy whereby that poftion  of the UC payment can be paid directly'to  the landlord. Similarly  there are aspects of UC that have  received  little media  focus,  such as  the role of UC in providing an  individual "electronic  ID card" as part of the Digital by Default proposals.

For  this reason the factsheet cannot cover all the ramifications  of the policy, or the
mechanisms by which it will mesh with other parts of the austerity-induced [or austerity-excused] welfare reforms. While some of this will be covered in today's session, the factsheet  is timited  to a series of notable  items, with accompanying  web  links where possible,  and some handy websites  to watch  as the policy progresses into the public  realm. These  are:



Benefits and Payments: The six "working-age"  benefits  to be consolidated  into a single
UC payment are:

1. Jobseekers' Allowance;  
2. Employment  and Support Allowance;  
3. Income Support; 
4. Child Tax Credit; 
5. Working Tax Credit and 
6. Housing Benefit.  

The Benefits Cap maximums  of £350 per week  for a single person  and  £500 per week  for a family will still apply. They will now however be paid  into a nominated  "householder' bank  account as a single monthly payment.  You will be expected  to apply  for and manage  your UC account online. There are a few case studies of current UC claimants,  together with  some  financial advice on how to cope with the introduction  of UC at this government  funded  site:

http://www.payyourway.org.uk/?s=universal+credit&submit=Search

The existing Pathfinder regions, and a description of the online claimant journey:

http://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/fle/232323/universal-credit-your-claim-journey-toolkit.pdf

(Page not found)

Overviews of UC: http://www.gov.uk/universal-credit

or http://england.shelter.org.uk/get_advice/help_with_housing_costs/universal_credit

Critical Government reports on UC:

http://www.nao.org.uk/report/universal-credit-early-progress/

and

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/government-major-projects-portfolio-data-for-dwp-2013

UC and IT issues:

http://www.computerweekly.com/blogs/public-sector/2013/09/univesal-credit-failures-put-4.html#

UC and electronic ID:

http://www.zdnet.com/uk-drawing-blueprint-for-massive-scal-identity-infrastructures-7000005281/

Websites following the progress of UC:

http://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-work-pensions/series/universal-credit-toolkit-for-partner-organisations

http://www.benefitstraining.co.uk – run by a trainer for Shelter and other voluntary organisations

http://www.insidehousing.co.uk – frequently runs critical updates on UC (view comments!)

http://johnnyvoid.wordpress.com/ - hugely informative, influential and highly critical blog

Other aspects of the welfare reforms are discussed at:

http://www.boycottworkfare.org

http://www.haringey.org.uk/content/ - Haringey Solidarity Group

http://brenthousingaction.wordpress.com/

http://antibedroomtax.org.uk/

* Copy here is scanned, proofread and link tested by Swheatie from printed handout. 

TO MPS AND PEERS

FROM; TAXPAYERS AGAINST POVERTY

Rev Paul Nicolson - lead organiser

0208 3765455

0796 1177889

To MPs and Peers

THE CUMULATIVE IMPACT OF ALL CAPS, CUTS AND COUNCIL TAX UNFAIR AND UNECONOMIC. 

Mental and physical illness inevitably follow debt, eviction, hunger and cold homes; they costs taxpayer billions in the NHS, the schools and the wider economy.

INTRODUCTION

It is the cumulative impact of caps, cuts and council tax on benefit incomes, already below the poverty line, which is causing debt, eviction, debt, hunger and cold homes. Large families are very badly hit by the overall benefit cap when all annual increases are frozen at 1%, the council tax has to be paid sometimes with court and bailiffs' enforcement costs of well over £200 added to arrears, while the costs of food, fuel, clothes transport and other necessities escalate. This leads to eviction overcrowded temporary accommodation, and uprooting from extended families.

The caps, cuts and council tax made me very angry when I met a single mother with seven children who is now expected to pay £282 rent out of her £500 benefit cap leaving £218 to cover council tax and everything else. According to research at the University of York for the Joseph Rowntree Foundation/Centre for Research in Social Policy food alone should cost that family £211 a week to maintain a healthy diet.

No one told that mother, say 14 years ago, that if she had a large family she and her children would be made destitute by the State in 2013. Hitting them hard now is deeply unfair. Each child is a precious bundle of life whose income from the State should provide food, warmth, clothes other necessities and a decent affordable home with their mother when all else fails, so providing a secure base for the children's education and for the parents to look for work; that's what Taxpayers Against Poverty stands for.

CASE HISTORIES POSTED ON TAXPAYERS AGAINST POVERTY FACEBOOK BLOG. 

CUMULATIVE IMPACT OF BEDROOM TAX, COUNCIL TAX AND 1% FREEZE ON INCREASES OF ALL BENEFITS IS PARTICULARLY DISASTROUS FOR NEWLY UNEMPLOYED WITH MANY YEARS EMPLOYMENT AND TAXPAYING BEHIND THEM.

A HARD WORKING 60 YEAR OLD TAXPAYER UNEMPLOYED FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 43 YEARS. 

CASE A.
. "am 60 now lost my job due to ill health, first time on benefits(so ******** horrible, treated like a scrounger) and I've paid into the system for 43 years and I get treated as a sponger..being.  single and having an extra bedroom I have benefit reductions on my £71.70p leaving me with about £57 to pay all my bills, gas, electric, water, food. I have now not paid my extra rent and council tax for 1 week now. Thank you Tories and liberals for demoralising me......my next move is the streets to beg?...and then maybe prison for stealing food to live (and this is great Britain. I think not)

CASE B

I lived on £27.40 after coming out of prison as a teenager for a driving offence with no fixed abode and no one to turn to, I squatted on the Stonebridge estate in properties not fit for habitation and still lived better than some people who have to live on benefits because of mental or physical disabilities today. The government are screwing the people of this country into the ground and were letting them; Time to take a stand is now how many more people have to die this winter because they can’t afford heat ...

CASE C

@TAP my revised benefit for two adults is £7.50 per week until trumped-up sanctions from the Work Program are ratified when it will be reduced by £7.50 per week. My crime was printing off a copy of a truly foul piece of abuse about myself and other victims, there was no rudeness, bad language or agitated behaviour on my side but such is the way of the state's bullies. I've redacted this for decency’s sake. This was posted in my presence and forwarded to me by anonymous

CASE D

I am going through this I am a single disabled person who last year failed the Atos capability assessment my appeal will not be heard till this December just over a year since my assessment out of my £71 a week I have to pay room tax council tax + liability order hospital travel + some medication and travel to see government work focused group this leaves very little for food or heating I cannot see a change and very much doubt I will win my case as Atos seems beyond reproach my doctor was also instructed not to issue myself with any unfit to work certificates by DHSS thankfully he has ignored it is infuriating that my well established GP's judgement can be in question yet Atos send a nurse for my assessment and her judgement cannot be questioned

Rev Paul Nicolson

Taxpayers Against Poverty

93 Campbell Road, 

Tottenham, 

London N17 0BF

0208 3765455

07961 177889

also at www.z2k.org 

also at www.prohousingalliance.com

www.taxpayersagainstpoverty.org.uk

www.facebook.com/pages/Taxpayers-Against-Poverty/299911526728884

Benefits Adviser: sanctions

Swheatie thanks Tracey Dunn for this referral that is likely to become more useful as time unfolds and the current scandal of Department for Work and Pensions overspend on the Universal Credit IT system overspend gives way to more smear stories about benefit fraud. 'Bentefit fraud' smear stories make jobcentre staff on short-term contracts more insensitive to the benefit war crimes they are ordered to commit and the general public more inclined to leave the Government to it.

The referred article advises what benefit claimants can and should do to protect themselves against being taken on a ride to destitution, and also emphasises that Universal Credit implementation with its 'Claimant Commitment' may eventually apply to ESA claimants and people ripped off by penny-pinching, state-subsidised employers and their shareholders. (Housing Benefit subsidises greedy shareholders and offshore landlords alike, and Universal Credit legislation is designed to criminalise those who suffer under rip-off merchants rather than the real rip-off merchants themselves.) It emphasises that you should appeal against sanctions, but also be aware what you are committing yourself to in a 'Claimant Commitment' or a 'Jobseekers Agreement'.

Swheatie adds that along the lines of 'prevention is better than cure', perhaps one of the worst things a claimant can do to start with is follow the jobcentre worker's instructions: "Just fill in your name, etc on this blank form and sign it and I'll fill in the details later." Kilburn Unemployed Workers Group says in response to this sort of entrapment ploy: "Never sign what you ain't read yet!"

'Benefits Adviser' blogger Carol Laidlaw on sanctions.

Some new KUWG placard design responses to 'Universal Jobmatch' and 'Claimant Commitment' rubbish

Punitive jobmatch is state terrorism

Punitive jobmatch will make a fag out of you

Universal Jobmatch? For jobs on Pluto?

'Claimant Commitment' will make a fag out of you

Punitive jobmatch is not the same as working