Now… I don’t normally get all political on my blog, but having seen various policies and manifestos I’ve got to speak up.
I have a story to share… It’s not new, not unique but it is important. It’s a story shared by thousands, tens of thousands of people in the UK alone.
A divide, a civil unrest, incited by the wealthy but almost entirely felt among the working and middle classes.
Ever since shows like Benefit Street and the ones catching cheats and scroungers (which yes! They should be prosecuted!) have become televised safaris a among the poorest areas of our society, displaying those at their lowest and with careful editing making a a parody of their lives, situation a and homes… showing only the worst aspects of such areas… it has skewed sympathy for the disabled to suspicion and hate.
The media drives this wedge in, setting neighbours against one another, hell even families! People are all too eager to believe news stories that everyone* on benefits are money grubbing layabouts who are both too dumb/lazy to work yet conniving/cunning b***ards conning the system – Schrödinger’s cheat if you will
*Apart from occasional feel good stories to “prove” they aren’t biased. (blind mute astonishes millions with piano performance type thing).
All the while the people controlling the media, the people writing this legislation, those telling us that the disabled people (that people like us!) are stealing the taxes of the every day working man? They are embezzling millions! They are using morally dubious but sort of legal loopholes to avoid billions in tax!
I’m sick of staying quiet while being painted as lazy.
I’d give anything for my health back.
Apparently I’m a scrounger, a deadbeat, benefit wastrel scum
A faker, a loser, a beggar… Living off their hard earned wage
According to Murdoch’s press and the Tory manifesto I need to get off my butt and get a job… Or die I guess…
Well, here is my story
I left school at 16, had pretty good grades at GCSE… Two Bs, eight C’s and a D… 11 GCSEs is pretty decent.
I walked straight into a factory job for the summer, packing pickled beetroot and toffee apples of all things, pretty physical work a and I stank of vinegar but was a decent wage and let me save for college etc.
Then I went to college, actually ended up moving out at 17/18 to attend a college over an hour away to study graphic design. While there I got a job in the evenings working as a barmaid to pay for my living costs away from home.
Finished college with a decent grade despite working 20 hours a week plus studying (BTech National Certificate, with Distinction, Distinction, Merit if I remember right)
Back to factory work for the summer. This time packing WD40 and Shampoo. Had a laugh, good pay on the crappy shifts. Actually saved for uni which made a massive difference.
Went to Bradford for Uni, studied Animation there.
One year I stayed there for the summer as I had a summer job in a water testing lab with a friend, was fun and a decent wage so let us save and have fun, life was still going to plan.
For my second year I cleaned offices from 6am-8:30am before heading to class. I was determined to not graduate with a mountain of debt.
Third year I had a summer job before but spent academic year on my studies and social groups… Graduated with BSc Hons in Computer Animation and Special Effects (2:1)
Two weeks after leaving uni started work in a call centre to earn money for travel expenses to interviews.
From there I was luckily given plenty of time off to go to interviews all over country and America (and graduation ceremony)
Was successful and won an internship in the US, in San Diego… Was still working in the call center and saving for the move (waiting on paperwork/green card etc) when I fell sick, suddenly collapsing mid shift at work
Unfortunately since then I’ve been too sick to work. I’ve tried. Have applied for work. Even studied another college course to retrain as my illness has robbed me of years of memories and my animation skills.
Over the last eight years my health has declined, a couple of hospital stays here n there…
Years of tests, medications, diagnosis
I’m now mostly house bound, I can only leave if accompanied by my mum or a friend in case I fall or have a flare up.
I’m 32 and have multiple ‘invisible’ illnesses… And apparently I have no ‘work ethic’, I’m sick because I want to be, I’m ‘lazy’.
They ignore that I worked every second I could for six years, paid my stamp, paid my taxes.
But apparently according to the DWP I don’t score enough “points” for help via PIP.
Employers don’t want me due to my health causing too many “issues”
For anyone that wants to know, I’m perfectly open…
I have:
Permanent Migraine (all the symptoms of migraines apart from pain *all the time*, pain part multiple times a week)
PTSD
Urticaria and Oedema
Fibromyalgia
CFS/ME
For these I take a fistful of medication daily and walk with a stick at 32 years old – it’s not a hobby!
And the government and media thinks that people like me are trying to scam the system.
They do everything that they can to convince the world that I, and people like me, are robbing you.
All the while they are claiming massive expenses for second houses they live in 2 weeks a year and three times the national average wage on top of their own very high wage for “necessities” like private health care, posh travel, eating out and super special flights for bunny rabbits!
Voting that they deserve an 11% pay rise (which comes out of taxes etc) when the NHS is crumbling and millions are living in poverty… Who deserves a pay rise when performing poorly?!
Sure maybe individual MPs are doing great but as a group they are squabbling toddlers causing arguments and breaking their toys rather than sharing them and making things better for the group.
A Cat among the Chickens 