Monday Media Round Up

Over the weekend there has been a flurry of articles, both on blogs and in main stream media about the true cost of the cuts.

We shall try to share articles with you once a week, so if you see anything you think should be included, do let us know.

It seems that the shouting from campaigners is finally bearing fruit, as the mainstream media are beginning to report on the cuts, particularly the cuts to ESA/DLA.

 Sue Marsh, disability campaigner who suffers from severe Crohn's disease, and has has other serious health issues was informed that her application for Disability Living Allowance has been denied. This brings us to the question - if someone as ill as Sue is not awarded DLA, who will be? Is this the current strategy - first turn the applicant down and see if they give up. Appeals can take months, leaving the person with little or no income for that time.

Debbie Jolly writes on the London School of Economics Blog about the way in which the tabloid media portray the disabled as fraudsters.

The Guardian's Patrick Butler picked up the story, reporting about Sue and other claimants being seen as "scroungers", even though the Government and the press know that disability benefit fraud is extremely rare.

Owen Jones in the Independent goes back in time to explain the shift in public perception of benefits.

And if you missed Zoe Williams in the Guardian  last Saturday, she wrote about the changes to child maintenance, as highlighted here on Frothers, and kindly linked to our blog.

The story of Remploy has come to our attention. State subsidised business that employ people with disabilities are to have their funding withdrawn in 2013. These companies employ those who would find it difficult to get work in the normal job market. When Remploy companies close, the only option for the employees is to rely on benefits (which they may not get if the Government does not change their plans).