anonymous letter to the Lords. #spartacusreport #spartacusstories

Please note.. There is a small mention of abuse in this email.. Please do not read if you feel this will cause distress or triggers..

I have opened my heart to the Lords to fight this and wanted to share my email with you guys.

My Lords,

First of all, I would like to thank you for stopping the unjust reforms being made to the Welfare Bill last week. I never talk about my situation, but feel so strongly about those and now the DLA reforms, I feel I have to speak out..
I am 41yrs old and without going into detail, was abused by my Foster family in the 70's as a child and became someone inflicted by Dissociation Identity Disorder which if you google will show, it's the worst type of all personality disorders.

My Lords I have worked all my life, apart from 2 occasions when my disability stopped me.. The latest was Oct 2009 and have been unable to return since. I have always paid my stamps and believed I would be assisted by the State to help me, while I was ill.. I couldn't have been more wrong.
Until 2009, I was a volunteer with the RNLI and felt I was contributing to my community, putting my life at risk to help others and felt I was a good member of society.
Since then, with the propaganda stirred up by the Government to portray the Disabled as Workshy, Scroungers etc in order to gain public support while hiding the real impact of these reforms. It has only amplified my conditions as well as having to deal with trying to get better. 

I was found fit for work by Atos, even after letters of support by my mental health team looking after me and had a year on assessment phase, with no end of hardship. With a week to go before my tribunal and a lot of assistance from my support workers, MP and CAB, I did not have to attend and was placed in the support group..
I have had another re-assessment since and went straight into the support group again and await my 3rd assessment, which if found "fit for work again" will end up being kicked out my flat, lose my support. I currently have to pay £180 a month with LHA restrictions, to allow me to stay in what is my home and my support network. Without doubt, my life will be at risk, as I change alter personalties, some of which try to harm me.. I have no control of these and need a lot of supervision day and night to stop me hurting myself and others.

I understand the DLA to PIP will not, have a consideration for "Supervision" for people with mental health disability and therefore will lose the Care component which will mean I will def lose my home, my paid for carer, alongside the Severe Disability Premium which allows me to just keep my head above water for things like electricity and gas.

I please urge you my Lords to pause this process until a full investigation and an independent Impact assessment has been properly carried out.. I'd also urge an independent investigation into the Disability Minister Maria Miller into her handling of these proposals to be ascertained if she is fit for purpose in this role.

I understand Lord Freud is doing everything in his power to pass these devastating reforms and I please urge you as a human being the real day to day impact these reforms will have as they stand.

I'd also like to give my permission to use my story as an example if you would like to use a real life example.

Kindest Regards