Budget Blues

I listened to the budget yesterday on the radio. My heart sank as I heard the proposal to tighten up on Disability Living Allowance. It isn't an easy benefit to get as it is, without making it harder. As for the forms! I've already said enough about them over the last few weeks.

The idea of a simple medical is great, but I don't trust the doctors sometimes. My DLA benefit has been refused twice, to be granted at tribunal. On the second occasion I even had to appeal to the Lord Chancellor as the hearing had been so unfair, before being a given another tribunal & being granted my benefit.

And the cause of all these difficulties? My then GP had happily filled in a form, without seeing me, saying that I was able to cook, was not suffering depression, could walk for miles, indeed had no care or mobility needs. And this at a time when I was already using a wheelchair most of the time & certainly wouldn't walk anywhere without a stick that could convert into a stool so I could sit down. As for the cooking, how do you cook without walking to the kitchen, moving from fridge to work surface to sink to cooker, or carry heavy hot pans with one hand supporting you with a stick? Throughout the period that same GP continued to prescribe me with anti-depressants without any hesitation despite indicating to the authorities that I did not need them. Nuts! Needless to say I changed GP the moment I got hold of these facts. But you can see why I'm having the blues now, especially when that form is still so fresh on my mind.

My horror is not just for myself. For many years we lived on a very low income. This makes me only too aware of the effect of the increase in VAT, reduction in housing benefits, freezing of child benefits etc can have when you only just have your head above water as it is. For that matter I can see the reduction in council services is likely to result in making some poor services even worse. I'm thinking particularly of services for home care for the elderly & disabled, & child protection. The wealthy can afford to pay more, those near the breadline can not. And the fact you are poor is not necessarily a reflection of idleness. Indeed some of the hardest working people are the poorest paid. The need to apply for benefits is often the result of circumstances beyond your control such as ill-health, redundancy, old age etc.

The only cheering things that are keeping me going are the continued warmth & sunshine. And a small incident that happened this morning. I was having a look over the bog garden. I noticed a ligularia leaf had become half buried under the bark topping, so I gently lifted it out. Below I found a pair of beady terrified eyes Yet another frog, just a baby from the size of him. I duly apologised for disturbing him, and hastily covered him with the leaf.

At least the government hasn't found a way of taxing such pleasures. I'm sure they would if they could.