Wirral woman leads online campaign against benefit reforms (From Wirral Globe)

Wirral woman leads online campaign against benefit reforms

9:37am Wednesday 6th April 2011 in News By Stephanie Cureton

Kaliya Franklin

A WIRRAL woman is leading an online campaign against Government disability benefit reforms.

Kaliya Franklin believes genuinely disabled people will be the hardest hit in the major shake-up.

Kaliya, who is leading the 'Left Out in the Cold' protest, is asking other disabled people to get in touch via Twitter to show how the cuts will affect them.

The campaign began on Monday - the same day that the coalition’s crackdown on sickness benefits begins with the first letters being sent out asking people to have their ‘fitness for work’ assessed.

The letter will be asking some of the 1.6m incapacity benefit claimants to submit to reassessments.

Kaliya, from Hoylake, wants genuine claimants to post how their individual condition would hinder them from carrying out an average day’s work.

So far, people have sent tweets such as “My MS makes me unreliable. Also gives me cognitive problems. Will you employ me?” and “Surely no employer will mind if my airways collapse in the workplace, right?”

Kaliya, who suffers from Ehler Danlos Syndrome, says today’s campaign is about more that telling people about their disabilities – it’s about giving a ‘human element’ to the reforms.

She said: "As a whole, the Left Out in the Cold project is going from strength to strength as more people realise how many these reforms will affect.

"The Twitter campaign is to get the message out there about how it is just not feasible for the genuinely sick and disabled to work a normal day. It is not that we do not want to work, I would love nothing more than to be able to get up and go out every morning to work, but I can't.

The new assessments are part of Government plans to reduce the number of long-term incapacity benefit claimants in a programme through to 2014.

Those deemed fit for work will be put on to Job Seekers’ Allowance and encouraged to look for work, while those judged as unable to work will be paid Employment Support Allowance and will not be expected to look for a job.

However, Kaliya believes the initiative will do little to deter fraudulent claims being made.

She said: "Of course, something needs to be done to tackle fraud within the system. But if people want to take advantage of it, they will find a way to carry on receiving money fraudulently.

"It is the genuinely disabled people who will be hit hardest because they might not be able to show fully to assessors why they cannot work.

"At the moment, it's the fear of not knowing what is going to happen. It is a very scary time."

To get involved with Kaliya's online campaign, send your tweet on www.twitter.com with hashtag #fitforwork.