Sir Bob Russell MP supports blind man over benefit changes (From Essex County Standard)
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Sir Bob Russell MP supports blind man over benefit changes
2:15pm Monday 17th September 2012 in News
Walkabout – Sir Bob Russell with blind residents taking a walk in Colchester
A BLIND man has hit out at the way benefits changes could leave him hundreds of pounds out of pocket.
Phil Lee, of Brisbane Way, Colchester, currently receives Disability Benefit Allowance, which he says allows him to live an ordinary life.
But sweeping changes by the Government next year will see it removed and the Personal Independent Payment brought in instead.
Mr Lee, 55, said the change will lead to him losing around £285 a month in personal expenses he claims.
The change was highlighted by Colchester MP Sir Bob Russell on Friday after he took part in a blind walk around Colchester town centre.
Mr Lee said: “I will lose my independence as a disabled person.
“The allowance enables me to go out and effectively have a choice. By changing the benefit it will take away my choice.
“It helps me with equipment I need and extra costs I have for being a visually impaired person.
“Everything you take for granted in your normal life we have to think about how we are going to do that.”
Mr Lee said the payment does not recognise a wide range of additional costs blind and partially sighted people face when living independently.
Sir Bob walked around the town centre in a blindfold, with someone guiding him, to draw attention to the change.
Comments(12)
Bigh321
says...
4:15pm Mon 17 Sep 12
Bigh321
says...
4:17pm Mon 17 Sep 12
Say It As It Is OK?
says...
4:51pm Mon 17 Sep 12
GreensteadResident
says...
5:01pm Mon 17 Sep 12
Sdapeze
says...
5:15pm Mon 17 Sep 12
Bobby Walker
says...
5:40pm Mon 17 Sep 12
GreensteadResident I think you sum up how most people feel. There is sense of powerlessness at the moment.
GreensteadResident
says...
5:51pm Mon 17 Sep 12
Why should I put up with low wages, rising crime, rising living costs and falling standards of living?
I agree the previous Labour government left a mess and a bunch of illegal wars that will cost us dearly for the next 100 years.
But show me how the current Tory / LibDem coalition are any better after 2 years in power?
Small businesses don't have a chance with the amount of red tape, high taxes, banks charges, bank interest, high business rents and rates.
The unemployed and people on benefits are stuck on welfare because there's no proper support structure from welfare to employment or self-employment. Once people get on welfare like a drug they can't get off it.
Ordinary workers are barely surviving on wages that can't keep pace with rising food, gas, electricity, council tax, water, other costs and high income taxes and national insurance.
Pensioners who have worked hard and saved for their old aged are seeing their savings destroyed by taxes, old age care and low interest rates on their savings.
You asked me if I "know otherwise."
I know this much that divisive political parties such as the LiDdems, Tories, Labour and ideologies such as socialism and capitalism are no longer part of the solution, they are the cause of the problems that we face.
Ordinary people are being screwed left, right and centre and that must stop.
That's my opinion but I'm just a Greenstead Resident so what do I know.
Bigh321
says...
6:32pm Mon 17 Sep 12
GreensteadResident wrote:Well said. Couldn't agree more.
To Sdapeze
Why should I put up with low wages, rising crime, rising living costs and falling standards of living?
I agree the previous Labour government left a mess and a bunch of illegal wars that will cost us dearly for the next 100 years.
But show me how the current Tory / LibDem coalition are any better after 2 years in power?
Small businesses don't have a chance with the amount of red tape, high taxes, banks charges, bank interest, high business rents and rates.
The unemployed and people on benefits are stuck on welfare because there's no proper support structure from welfare to employment or self-employment. Once people get on welfare like a drug they can't get off it.
Ordinary workers are barely surviving on wages that can't keep pace with rising food, gas, electricity, council tax, water, other costs and high income taxes and national insurance.
Pensioners who have worked hard and saved for their old aged are seeing their savings destroyed by taxes, old age care and low interest rates on their savings.
You asked me if I "know otherwise."
I know this much that divisive political parties such as the LiDdems, Tories, Labour and ideologies such as socialism and capitalism are no longer part of the solution, they are the cause of the problems that we face.
Ordinary people are being screwed left, right and centre and that must stop.
That's my opinion but I'm just a Greenstead Resident so what do I know.
Sdapeze
says...
7:15pm Mon 17 Sep 12
GreensteadResident
says...
8:16pm Mon 17 Sep 12
I think one of the things they could do is help small businesses i.e those that employ fewer than 10 people, increase the VAT threshold to take most of these small business out of the VAT net, cut red tape, reduce taxes and business rates etc.,
Jucester
says...
4:15pm Thu 20 Sep 12
GreensteadResident says...
3:42pm Mon 17 Sep 12