Tag: disability

2 Comments

Scotland completes disability benefit assessments in half the time and with dignity so as to avoid the DWP’s record of 590 suicides – ‘How a society treats its most vulnerable is always the measure of its humanity’

johnrobertson834

In June 2015: How a society treats its most vulnerable is always the measure of its humanity1 Statement by Ambassador Matthew Rycroft of the UK Mission to the UN at the Security Council Open Debate on Children and Armed Conflict in June 2015. In the same year, Ryland’s government’s treatment of the disabled in the UK, featured in the research report: ‘First, do no harm’: are disability assessments associated with adverse trends in mental health? A longitudinal ecological study, with these shocking results: Each additional 10 000 people reassessed in each area was associated with an additional 6 suicides (95% … Continue reading Scotland completes disability benefit assessments in half the time and with dignity so as to avoid the DWP’s record of 590 suicides – ‘How a society treats its most vulnerable is always the measure of its humanity’

3 Comments

The UK DWP is 20 times bigger and costs 20 times more than Social Security Scotland as well as having a reputation for driving the disabled to suicide

johnrobertson834

The Scottish elections loom and universally the media are coalescing around a drive to try to stem support for the SNP with reports of supposed evidence of incompetence by that party in government. This, they and the opposition will repeat daily along the lines of – ‘If they can manage….how could they expect to run a country?’ We’re going to be busy here these next 5 months. As with the Sunday Mail today (previous post), there’s no way I’m paying whatever the SOS costs to find out what dodgy sums they’re using to compare the DWP and the SSS. They … Continue reading The UK DWP is 20 times bigger and costs 20 times more than Social Security Scotland as well as having a reputation for driving the disabled to suicide

3 Comments

BBC Scotland conceals disability charity chief’s comment in letter rejecting MBE that ‘Scotland is doing better than UK’ – Here’s why it matters so much -suicide prevention – and why it CAN be afforded

johnrobertson834

Professor John Robertson OBA The Guardian today has: Campaigner turned down MBE over ‘scapegoating’ of people with disabilities – Exclusive: In letter declining proposed award, Tressa Burke, CEO of Glasgow Disability Alliance, accused government of ‘fuelling hatred’ and While she argues that “Scotland is doing better than the UK for sure”, Burke says her members will be watching carefully for the practical implementation of the Scottish government’s new disability equality plan, as well as what manifesto commitments are made before May’s Holyrood elections. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/dec/30/campaigner-turned-down-mbe-over-scapegoating-of-people-with-disabilities BBC Scotland’s report is careful to avoid her comments on Scotland: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c4gvdz4y6dgo What did she mean? … Continue reading BBC Scotland conceals disability charity chief’s comment in letter rejecting MBE that ‘Scotland is doing better than UK’ – Here’s why it matters so much -suicide prevention – and why it CAN be afforded

3 Comments

Labour-run Wales has by far the highest rate of the economically inactive due to long-term illness or disability in the UK

johnrobertson834

By stewartb The number of people economically inactive due to long term sickness or disability is a UK-wide ‘problem’ . From the Bevan Foundation on the situation in Wales where the Daily Record’s favoured political party, the British Labour Party has been in power for c.26 years (see https://www.bevanfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/SoW-Get-Wales-Working-Feb-25.pdf ): The Foundation’s report adds: ‘Across the UK, around a quarter of people aged 16 to 64 have a long-term health condition that limits their day-to-day activities (which means that they are classed as disabled). In Wales the proportion of people who have a long-term health condition is higher, at 28% in September … Continue reading Labour-run Wales has by far the highest rate of the economically inactive due to long-term illness or disability in the UK

2 Comments

As UK Labour plan big cuts and more face-to-face assessments of the kind which increased suicide rates, SNP introduces new humanely-assessed benefit for elderly and disabled to media silence

johnrobertson834

Professor John Robertson OBA Getting little media coverage today – the National, the Record, the Mirror, some locals, but not BBC Scotland or STV: ‘Milestone’ as SNP launch new disability benefit across Scotland That’s the Ardrossan Herald, above, recognising the headline-worthy, you’d think, nature of this announcement. From Econostratum today: A new benefit has been introduced for older people in Scotland, offering monthly payments of up to £441 for individuals with disabilities or long-term health conditions. The Pension Age Disability Payment (PADP) is designed to replace Attendance Allowance for new claimants, starting on April 22, 2025. This measure aims to enhance financial … Continue reading As UK Labour plan big cuts and more face-to-face assessments of the kind which increased suicide rates, SNP introduces new humanely-assessed benefit for elderly and disabled to media silence

9 Comments

Sickening hypocrisy – Will the Browns now condemn Starmer as their research project proves that poverty risks the development of babies as much as premature birth?

johnrobertson834

Professor John Robertson OBA Only 18 paragraphs down in this headlining story, after much detail on the loss of a baby to former PM Gordon Brown and his wife, do we see this key finding mentioned: Prof James Boardman, from the University of Edinburgh, is the cohort’s chief investigator. His team uses a series of brain scans and psychological studies at various ages. He says one of the key findings so far is that poverty has an impact on brain development. “It would be fair to say that a baby born at full term to a more deprived couple has … Continue reading Sickening hypocrisy – Will the Browns now condemn Starmer as their research project proves that poverty risks the development of babies as much as premature birth?

5 Comments

Labour to push 250,000 people into poverty but Gordon Brown campaigns against it apparently untroubled by the contradictions

johnrobertson834

stewartb While we’re on the subject of egregious omissions in the wake of Labour’s ‘Spring Statement’ … From Birmingham Live on March 12, 2025 this headline: ‘Former PM Gordon Brown in Birmingham backs child poverty urgent action call’. We’re told the sage of British Labour in Scotland and saviour of solidarity in the precious Union attended an event at which: ‘He took the opportunity to press fellow guest, Government employment minister Alison McGovern, to do more to fix child poverty. She is one of three ministers leading the Child Poverty Taskforce set up by Sir Keir Starmer and due to report its … Continue reading Labour to push 250,000 people into poverty but Gordon Brown campaigns against it apparently untroubled by the contradictions