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“If I was in waged work I would have to
leave suddenly when my daughter was ill – not a lot of jobs let you do
that. I’m already working caring for my child but now they are asking me
to do paid work on top, which is devastating and exhausting. How would
my daughter feel knowing that I was no longer able to be there for her?”
SM, carer for disabled child
“Asylum seekers, some who only have
supermarket vouchers, have invisible disabilities, and are very ill and
need to go to hospital but don’t have the money to get there.”
J, All African Women’s Group
“I was a nervous wreck. You don’t know
who you are anymore …. It took me three months to find somewhere to live. No way could
I have got a job ...” Survivor
of domestic violence,
M, Women Against Rape
“Motherhood
is one of the most demanding and energy-consuming jobs there is. The
relationship between a child and a mother is the root from which all
human interaction springs.”
Sheila Kitzinger, childbirth expert
The DWP
transferred me from Income Support to JSA when my youngest became 12. I
had no choice. The Council told me my Housing Benefit and Council Tax
Benefit ‘have been suspended . . . as your circumstances have changed.’
They asked me to provide proof of income to re-assess my claim, but I
had none – only that I was not entitled to Income Support.”
Ms S, single mother
“Life is very
stressful. I live on cornmeal, biscuits, sugar, skimmed milk and a
little butter and cheap cheese. I am selling any small personal
belongings I can, and when I need money for heating I must beg from
people.” J, seeking
asylum
“They want to bring wages down by
forcing more people to chase scarce jobs and allow employers to bypass
the minimum wage. Single mothers and pregnant women are being targeted.
Christelle Pardo jumped to her death with her baby son in her arms. A
single mother, she was cut off JSA and refused Income Support. How many
more destitute mothers will be driven to desperate actions?”
Kim Sparrow, Single Mothers’
Self-Defence |
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‘If they cut our benefits you’d find
more of us working in more out-of-the-way places. That’s terrifying.’
J, English Collective of
Prostitutes
“As a mother on Income Support with an
11-month-old son, I am being forced to attend a compulsory ‘Work Focused
Group Information Session’. If I don’t go I face losing my benefits.”
JH, breastfeeding
mother
“When I found the note from the
Jobcentre under my door, I felt fear, panic and distress. If the people
I thought were there to help worked against me, there was no point in
going on.’
X, woman with mental health problems on
Employment and Support Allowance
“It’s vital that the government are
prevented from committing this social atrocity.” Oliver
James, child psychologist, author of Affluenza and Guardian
columnist.
“So much for
Minister Jim Murphy’s 2006 assurance that for disabled people on ESA,
job-seeking or training would stay voluntary. Now we are being forced
into unsuitable training, low-paid jobs or begging.”
Claire Glasman, WinVisible (women with
visible & invisible disabilities)
“Our supporters
are using their child benefit to feed their children, to pay for
childcare, to pay the ‘voluntary’ contributions to schools, and
thousands of other child-related expenses from nappies to school books.”
Treasa Dovander, PACUB
-- Protest Against Child Unfriendly Budget, Ireland
"The fraud
uncovered is scandalous and is a stark example of what happens when
profits rather than people are put at the heart of the welfare state.”
Mark Serwotka, PCS general secretary
(Jobcentre staff union)
Mothers March, 13/03/2010
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What we can do:
·
Give out this leaflet outside
your local Jobcentre.
·
Write to the local press saying
how your family & community are affected. Are there are any jobs that fit with
your caring responsibilities or other circumstances? How do Jobcentre or “back
to work” staff treat you? What are the hidden costs of going out to work? What
is the care/childcare like? How do you pay for it? How do employers treat you?
What do your loved ones think?
·
Write to your MP, Ministers and
Lords & tell them what is happening.
·
Get professionals to raise
concerns – health visitors, teachers…
·
Defend your entitlement. Single
mothers and other claimants can say no. On 13 March mothers marched down
Whitehall demanding recognition for all caring work.
·
Know your rights with all benefits
and their conditions – complain about rules which don’t take account of your
situation.
If you want to campaign against these cuts, or
are already, we want to meet you. We can help to spread your news. Contact:
Single Mothers’
Self-Defence or WinVisible
(women with visible and invisible disabilities) Tel: 020 7482 2496 or email:
winvisible@allwomencount.net
Global Women’s Strike
womenstrike8m@server101.com
Legal Action for Women
law@allwomencount.net
Websites:
www.allwomencount.net www.globalwomenstrike.net
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