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Call To Perform An Urgent Review of Disability Welfare Reform MeasuresI am the wife and carer for a gentleman with complex, permanent and debilitating physical disabilities and life-long mental health problems. Just before Christmas 2012, my husband was stripped of his Disability Living Allowance (DLA) following a Work Capability Assessment. He had received this vital benefit since suffering two unfortunate industrial accidents, which meant he could no longer continue to work. His DLA enabled him to access a Motability car, which he lost through the process. This meant he could no longer maintain the same independence in life. Now, this summer, another Work Capability Assessment this time for Employment and Support Allowance (ESA), the DWP has found my husband to be "fit for work". However, he's not elligible for Job Seeker's Allowance - because the Jobcentre acknowledge he's too sick and disabled to work - so he has fallen into a welfare gap. He now has almost no income and is entirely dependent on me (I work full time as well as care for him), for all his care needs, his mobility and his home. This makes him feel about an inch tall. We now have the prospect of a stressful appeal process through an Employment Tribunal. From speaking with many other people in the same position as us, we realise that there is a serious problem with the Disability Welfare Reform process, that many able-bodied people in society are not aware of. There are a lot of very vulnerable people in our country who are suffering terribly - not only because of their disabilities but also from extreme financial hardship - from The Austerity Choice that our government has made. There are people dying because they have suffered shock, trauma, lost income and people actually can't survive without the care they once received. My husband is lucky - I earn a wage. Many people are alone, alone and uncared for. I think this is an issue that needs to be heard - in 21st Century Britain, the systematic disadvantage of the most vulnerable in our society shouldn't be ignored. Everyone has a valuable contribution to make to society, not just those who pay tax. I'd be nothing without my husband by my side. Surely we all have a piece of our heart we can find to care for people who are less fortunate than ourselves?394 of 400 SignaturesCreated by Natalie Lemon
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Stop NHS trusts from not issuing hearing aidsBecause I am one of many people who is hard of hearing and hearing aids can cost as much as £1000 such as the ones l was issued recently, fortunately for me our trust hasn't stopped issuing hearing aids yet.555 of 600 SignaturesCreated by Louis Bush
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Allow councils to take over empty housesBecause there are too many empty properties and too many homeless people5 of 100 SignaturesCreated by Olivia Chalmers
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Don't allow the Met to use spit hoodsA spit hood is a material bag that goes over someone’s head with a drawstring to tighten it - and the Metropolitan Police want to start using these restraints on people across London. Spit hoods are degrading and inhuman, and can be used on anyone. In Suffolk, a spit hood was placed on an 11 year old girl with severe learning difficulties. Having a bag put over your head while being held down would be traumatic for anyone, let alone a vulnerable child. The police already have handcuffs, batons, leg restraints and are allowed to use force... Do they really need to use spit hoods too? There appears to be little solid proof they are actually necessary, but what is certain is that they can be dangerous, and cause significant panic for a detainee, whilst officers could protect themselves with masks and eye protection instead. The image of their use has been described as reminiscent of torture and horror films. They can prevent recognition of urgent health issues involving breathing and swallowing, and with inequality a hot topic currently for the UK society at large (including the Police), there are questions around whether or not their use could deepen social divides and exacerbate inequality issues, particularly bearing in mind their recent use against those with mental health issues. Major police forces around the UK don't allow the use of spit hoods - and they shouldn't be allowed to be used in London.1,165 of 2,000 SignaturesCreated by Clare Farrell
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Trees for Britain. Project Tree.This is important because the UK is one of the least wooded countries within the whole of Europe. The country was completly covered in trees when the first people arrived. Now only 13% of our land area is wooded. Woodland is the naturally occuring habitat for this country. Fields, wildflowers, breakland and heathland although great for wildlife are habitats that arose in the abscense of our woodlands. Without woodlands on our east coast the land is being lost to the sea due to erosion. Without woodlands in our uplands the soil and wildlife are suffering amd floods downstream in our urban areas are rife. Most of the UK' indigenous biodiversity resides in our wooded areas because that is the natural habitat they would have had in this country before the great clearances of the forests. Surely for a country which is naturally of woodland habitat it is the duty of the Government to make sure there is plenty of this rich habitat left and that it expands. -Woodlands hold our greatest biodiversity. -Woodlands act as a windbreak (when enough of them) so should reduce effects of wind on urban areas. -They are brilliant places for people to escape to. -Trees help give us clean air and beautify the landscape. -They slow down and in some cases prevent soil erosion. -Trees help to prevent flooding by slowing down the process of water falling as rain getting to the sea. I believe if this cannot be done then the east coast of the country should at least be focused on. We loose meters of land a year to the North sea on the Holderness coast due to soil erosion. Houses cant be built on the cliffs, its a danger for people to be there. With the addition of trees the soil wound be bound together, it would be less saturated and as a result erosion would be a fraction of the rate it is now.23 of 100 SignaturesCreated by Daniel Thomas
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CETA is TTIP in other clothesTTIP may be dead but worse still is the upcoming Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (Ceta). Not only the NHS but every service will be totally controlled by corporations that can simply sue governments for any supposed future profits that it claims to lose if action is taken to protect the public. We elect governments and hold them to account - we do not elect corporations to decide what is best for us.56 of 100 SignaturesCreated by Ray Kohn
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Outlaw spit hoods in the UKThey are already using enough equipment to apprehend and pacify offenders.It is very worrying that the met police are going to use this in custody suites where there are no independent witnesses. Police officers are not in a position to establish whether an individual is in a satisfactory medical condition to carry out this forceful and highly stressful action.112 of 200 SignaturesCreated by John Cockburn
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Save Gluten Free PrescriptionsCoeliac disease is a long term health condition, which if left untreated, can lead to serious health complications, such as osteoporosis, fertility problems and in some cases, small bowel cancer. So, while small savings may be made now by cutting services for patients, there are likely to be long term financial implications resulting from this decision by the CCG. It is effectively a false economy. Coeliac Disease is often diagnosed alongside Type I Diabetes, both auto immune diseases. The effective control of Coeliac disease has a direct affect on the control of diabetes in patients. TRUE: Coeliac disease patients often have Type I Diabetes TRUE: Controlling Coeliac Disease helps in the control of Type I Diabetes FALSE: Type I Diabetes is a lifestyle disease - No. That is Type II. Type I is an auto immune disease. TRUE: Coeliac Disease is a diet controlled disease. FALSE: Coeliacs can eat without using gluten free foods. Unless you're a fruitarian or a health addict, this is a false assumption. How often do YOU eat wheat? TRUE: Many foods have hidden Gluten. TRUE: Gluten Free Foods are prohibitively expensive and often a lot smaller FALSE: Coeliacs order cakes, jellies and biscuits (They are not available to us) TRUE: The government should renegotiate with suppliers who charge excessive handling charges. NOT penalise the patient. TRUE: If some local health care authorities or doctors authorise the purchase of sweet items (mine doesn't) on prescription this should stop. The list should be revised to only include breads, flours, cereal, pastas and pizza. TRUE: Coeliacs often dislike wheat free substitutes. However the items on prescription are generally of a higher quality than supermarket items. TRUE: A large standard gluten loaf costs .80p - £1. A SMALL Gluten free loaf costs £3 TRUE: It's not fun being Coeliac. However having a son who is both Diabetic and Coeliac is a huge worry. One has the potential to cause cancer, the other loss of limbs or death. If the Coeliac Disease is not controlled, it affects the control of Diabetes? To say it keeps me awake at night is an understatement. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE sign this petition. Ask the government to reform the list of items available to non sugar items only. Do NOT let them take away this vital service. A large percentage of low income families will not be able to afford the gluten free alternatives. People on high incomes probably don't use this service anyway. My son was diagnosed with Type I Diabetes age 17. After two years and many changes in medication the hospital couldn't stabilise my son's Diabetes. They decided to test him for Coeliac Disease which tested positive. The government is opening the door to a huge amount of health issues with this move. Coeliac disease can cause cancer. Gluten free food is prohibitively expensive. In addition the quality of the food available on prescription is of a higher quality than that available in store.737 of 800 SignaturesCreated by Julie Baker
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Improve scrutiny of Government-private sector job mobilityACOBA (Advisory Committee On Business Appointments) seems essentially ineffective in scrutinising the appointment of ex ministers and civil servants into positions within big corporations. It is "advisory" only, therefore can be ignored. It rarely advises against any such appointment, and it is time limited in scope. These business appointments leave open the strong possibility that the appointees can use their knowledge of, and contacts within government to the corporations' advantage. Given the often very senior positions they have held within government, we can not be sure that the possibility of a future job does not affect their departmental decision-making, in favour of these corporations. This affects significant areas such as defence, health, social security and justice. It risks blurring the boundaries between private and public benefit. It reduces trust in government.12 of 100 SignaturesCreated by Peter Moore
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Save Women's Refuges from Housing Benefit CutsThese refuges save the lives of women and children escaping from abusive, violent and dangerous relationships. They are essential.68 of 100 SignaturesCreated by Jean Harris
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Scrap School Bus ChargesIt costs £380 per year per child to travel to school by bus. The council thinks the children that live within a 3 mile radius of the secondary schools could walk. By the time they got to school in wet weather they would be soaked. In low temperatures they could fall on untreated paths and roads. It's a long walk especially after a long day in school. But since the council sees it as a walkable journey each day they allow local bus companies to provide a service at the cost of £10 per week per child. This service should be free of charge. As it is in some other Welsh local authority areas. This school year without any consultation with parents the price of travel increased by a massive 21% per year. The council says it has nothing to do with them. I believe it has everything to do with them when they decide to allow the bus company to charge in the first place. The council should be paying the bus company and providing a free service to the children.296 of 300 SignaturesCreated by Paul Price
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Apprenticeship wage should be scrappedWhy should an apprentice be paid less money, by a considerable amount for working full time This is important as people on apprenticeships should be entitled in making the correct amount of the money that they are working for. Why should an apprentice have to work 9-5 5 days a week maybe even longer hours and more days to be paid less than a part time worker at the place or even the full time worker? Its the same job role? both working the same amount of hours if not more? for then to get a monthly payment of what seems to be nothing.4 of 100 SignaturesCreated by Meg Rose
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