E's Contribution #spartacusstories #spartacusreport

I always felt that we were Lucky in this country, that since I can no longer work I had the luxury of having my rent paid and enough to live off. Not enough to do anything exciting or flash just enough to pay my bills, put the heating on and not have to worry about the basics.

I noticed before the election all the promises about cutting down on benefit fraud about how big the deficit was and how many times 'back to work and making work pay' were being used. 

Yes I was nervous, but listening to Mr Cameron on the steps of number 10 announcing that the most vulnerable and frail of society would be looked after I did genuinely feel reassured, being one of those that is to ill to work.

However it didn't take long before the onslaught started, we seemed to become the bad guys and cut after cut were announced. Its still sinking in, hearing everyone else's story has been both uplifting and depressing. The experiences of those failing medicals now proves this isnt some distance nightmare but a reality.


I do not kid myself that I will escape that I'm going get ECA or DLA again, and like many others it's just not possible to leave the house enough to even get JSA and there seems the very real risk in the future that I may be made homeless if I cannot claim sick benefits and cannot claim JSA either. 

Like I said at the start I used to feel Lucky that as a disabled person I wasn't living on the streets in some far away country begging for my existence and already it seems like just surviving is going to be more difficult for so many people.

Life is difficult every day, the thought of having any more to deal with is extremely difficult. The thought of having to worry about money and paying the bills when there is nothing you can do about it is just awful. I won't be marching on the streets I'm to ill to go out very often; I'm terrified that we will be going back to a society were my quality of life can be much worse.

 I cannot do anything to improve how difficult it is everyday, but others in government have the power to make it much worse.

My disability, my story doesn't matter much, there are thousands of stories all different yet each being asked to bear the cost for the sake of the rest of society. Ironically the very society we feel most excluded and set apart from.


 Originally posted as part of the One Month Before Heartbreak Campaign Jan, 2011