I had a battle last year.

A long term friends son had a psychosis. I’ve known the lad since he was a baby, he grew up with my son. The lad became dangerous at home. His mother was also diagnosed with MS whilst this happened…

He ended up at a hostel and was then with in a few days of being on the streets.

After what seemed like a miracle and his whole family helping, we got him a place.

After all that I had a “sit in” at the local underfunded mental health care unit until they gave him his fist anti psychotic injection.

We had been waiting for 2 weeks for a particular doctor to send an authorising email.

Upon my (very polite) sit in the email arrived within 3 hours.

He’s ok for the moment but needs help with finances etc out he is out on the streets.

He will NEVER be normal.

His mother and myself won’t always be around for him either.

That’s what worries his mum as society/government don’t care anymore.

The above went on over 6 months and was a real eye opener to just how cut to the bone social care/mental health budgets are.

I DO NOT blame the NHS or social care.

They are trying hard but the system is on its knees.

I couldn’t vote Tory and sleep well at night.

If you don’t fill in the form correctly then you’re back to square one anyway.
Do not pass ‘go’ do not collect any money to feed yourself.

You might want to do some more research CM

PIP seems to fit

Mrs Binners used to work for a disabled charity

She has some proper horror stories

People with severe learning difficulties told to turn up for assessments in a town 30 miles away, who then have their benefits stopped if they don’t turn up,?is just par for the course.

All the changes to the benefits system – universal credit (and associated 6 week wait)!, the bedroom tax – have only one aim…. to get as many as people as possible ‘off the books’

And if those people end up on the streets…..

Whatever….

Walk round any city centre and it’s patently obvious that the number of homeless has gone through the roof (no pun intended)

This hasn’t happened by chance, but by design

CharlieMungus – Member

PIP seems to fit

Fit what?

In relation to the pension question rather than the homelessness one wouldn’t it be more pertinent to ask why, if you work and pay tax and NI for over forty years the most state pension you can receive is £159.55.If you never work or pay any tax or NI (for whatever reason)you can still get £159.35 Pension credit. Quick maths.

Fit what?

a benefit one waits 8 weeks for

Fit what?

Fit to work. 😈

Not a benefit that leaves someone without money though.

In relation to the pension question rather than the homelessness one wouldn’t it be more pertinent to ask why, if you work and pay tax and NI for over forty years the most state pension you can receive is £159.55.If you never work or pay any tax or NI (for whatever reason)you can still get £159.35 Pension credit. Quick maths.

It’s a question of ethics and logic, not maths.

Back in your box.

It’s a question of ethics and logic, not maths.

Quite. One that is sadly missing in this froth-a-thon.

The explanation is very simple, a deliberate policy by the Tories to reduce the welfare state as much as they think they can get away with under the smoke screen of austerity. They’d quite happily see tens of thousands starve on the streets if they thought it politically acceptable

Thought it ?? The policy you describe was laid out almost word for word on page 46 of their last manifesto. As Binns notes it’s all by design not accident.

Not a benefit that leaves someone without money though.

No, you’re right. Everyone has enough to live on and it’s always there when they need it.

Everything is fine

CharlieMungus – Member

No, you’re right. Everyone has enough to live on and it’s always there when they need it.

Everything is fine

I’m just clarifying the inaccuracy of some of the comments being quoted.

Footflaps – it’s far from simple as you state ^^^.

As for the rise in homelessness being a deliberate policy – that is risible; in fact, it’s complete bollocks.

It’s a question of ethics and logic, not maths.

Back in your box.
You are clearly well versed with the Beveridge report.

Frank – it’s not like they sat down at the cabinet table and said ‘right!…. lets increase homelessness!”

But there is an ambivalence to that being a side-effect of other (ideologically driven) policies. To quote their god it’s … ‘a price worth paying’

Even the most cursory look over benefits policy brings this same thing up time and time again. It will inevitably bring about a rise in homelessness as sure as day follows night. But they just don’t care.

And now their solution to the rocketing homeless population is to First demonise, then criminalise them

All part of the same agenda

As for the rise in homelessness being a deliberate policy – that is risible; in fact, it’s complete bollocks.

Well what else would the consequences of their policies be? Are you suggesting they wouldn’t have been aware of the impact because that is risible; in fact, it’s complete bollocks.

I’m saying that there is no government policy under this administration or any previous whose underlying objective was to increase homelessness.
Is that clear enough for you?

A bloke I knew ended up ‘intentionally homeless’, simply because he was claiming housing benefits but not putting any of it towards his rent. Spending it instead on fags, booze, a Dogue de Bordeux & keeping/breeding budgies.

Still, I suppose he was allowed a life of some sort.

Nobody is saying there is/was

What we’re saying is that government ministers would have been fully aware that that’s what their policies would lead to. But they just went ahead anyway

Is that clear enough for you?

We have a friend, single mum of a disabled daughter, who moved from her provincial Midlands town to London 5 years ago to help people, and the stories she tells are incredible, heart-breaking. She works full-time now supporting young offenders on their journey back into society and works as a volunteer for outreach programmes in her spare time.

I don’t know of a more genuinely altruistic person – I feel ashamed to think how much time and effort she and countless others freely give to help the poor sods shivering outside our windows tonight for no other reason than it’s the right thing to do, while we sit in the warm and give it all that on the internet.

I live in Birmingham, and I like living here – but it’s absolutely criminal how many people there are on her streets, and whilst it’s lovely to see the city centre being rebuilt, and the Commonwealth Games on their way, for ****’s sake you have to ask yourself whether we have our priorities right.

I’m saying that there is no government policy under this administration or any previous whose underlying objective was to increase homelessness.
Is that clear enough for you?

What if we change “underlying objective” to “inescapable consequence”?

You are clearly well versed with the Beveridge report.

I do appreciate a good ale. 😉

I’m just clarifying the inaccuracy of some of the comments being quoted

I didn’t see that, it seems no clearer

I’m saying that there is no government policy under this administration or any previous whose underlying objective was to increase homelessness.
Is that clear enough for you?

So its reckless disregard rather malicious intent, the outcome remains the same.

2 people died of hypothermia in the high street of our town last Winter.

Turns out the guy in the Tory council to do with such things hadn’t put a request in for a financial grant to help pay for shelter/help over the winter!

Was all in the local rag.

Head of the Tory council issued his “full support” for the guy and it was just forgotten about…

To my mind there are a lot of people, mainly in national government, that have blood on their hands.

They knew the policies they came up with and still support are killing people. In the streets and in hospitals.

It’s a conscious decision. If I had it within my powers they would stand trial for the death and misery they have caused and go onto cause.

Instead the masses were taught that the EU is the cause of all our problems. It’s tragic as it’s our own government responsible, not a foreign one.

When was it that most of the mental homes we phased out and the “Care in the Community” program came in?

During another Tory government I believe.

During another Tory government I believe.

Correct (I believe). Our prisons have a population of around 90K (+-) & last time I checked with a mental health nurse (she was head of mental health there) around 80% of prisoners have some type of MH problem, obviously varying in severity by a massive amount. Prison staff simply don’t have the training or resources to cope or help those people & basically can offer little or no help in either stopping re-offending or helping them get back on their feet & into accommodation of their own.
So lots of the poor buggers come in off the streets & go back out on the streets, It’s never ending.
The tories are just a bunch of winkers but I can’t remember any labour governments doing much to reverse the trend either.

Please correct me if I’m wrong on that.

Actually IIRC Labour made a promise to reduce or in fact get rid of homelessness completely when they came to power early in the Blair years.Not by penalising them or moving them on but by providing financial support to local authorities and various charities/organisations that helped the homeless sort their problems out.They were pretty successful.