Saturday 6 January 2018

It's Not 'Austerity' Making Alex Sicker, Is It, Frances?

The 44-year-old – who has multiple complex disabilities and mental health problems – is in many ways living proof of beating the system. After four years of living in inaccessible social housing, Alex has a bit of dignity and safety. But I can’t help but think for a so-called civilised 21st century nation, there isn’t much to celebrate. In Alex’s words: “It feels like I’m still not living. Still trapped, made sicker by austerity.
Alex’s story starts seven months ago in a cramped top-floor flat in Islington, north London. It’s the sort of story that could be happening to your neighbour right now – and embodies the pointless cruelty meted out in recent years by politicians to citizens who dare to be disabled.
Yes, clearly, the current government is hell-bent on making lives like Alex's far worse. For no other reason than shits n' giggles, apparently.

Say, what's wrong with Alex, anyway?
A spinal and head injury, degenerative hands and feet and chronic fatigue mean Alex needs both a wheelchair and a hoist to move safely around their home. (Alex wishes to be referred to as “they”.)
*blinks* Ummm, right. Clearly, this isn't going to be fixed any time soon, even if the council do get their finger out.

The council? I thought we were railing against the heartless Tories? Well, Frances is, because that's all Frances does, ever!

But it's actually the council that's screwing up here. You know, the ones the progressives always want to throw more money at.
Even when the council found a ground-floor flat for Alex in the spring, after three months the adaptations still hadn’t been completed for them to move in.
No doubt 'austerity' will be to blame for this, not the legendary sloth and incompetence of local government.
Even when Alex moved in to the new flat, the council still hadn’t put in a video intercom, non-fluorescent lighting and anti-slip flooring – seemingly minor things that for Alex mean vomiting, debilitating migraines and losing consciousness.
Alex, I'm afraid, seems to be too sick to live in the normal world. But thanks to progressive mental health policy, fortunes must be spent to help her do so:
As the new year approaches, Alex can’t help but think of the battles still ahead. Sitting in the new flat, Alex has calculated that universal credit will see their benefits cut by up to £80 a week. At the same time, like thousands of other disabled people, Alex will have to go through an assessment for personal independence payment – something that’s simply ”terrifying”.
“I thought moving in, this fight was over,” Alex tells me. “But because of austerity, you have to fight for everything.
You have to 'fight for everything' regardless, and always will, because of your complex issues. Issues that would be better off in a controlled environment like a mental hospital.

But that was blown out of the water by progressives like Frances, who demand that people unable to live in the real world should be allowed, nay, encouraged to do so.

7 comments:

John M said...

I'm actually surprised that since Alex now identifies as multiple personalities that The Guardian hasn't railed against him for one of those not being a feminist, as that appears to be the mentality over there these days.

jack ketch said...

I'm surprised each of her personalities isn't claiming benefits...they are missing a trick there.

Joking aside, I have some sympathy for Alex &Co -having seen the insides of Mental Hospitals visiting The Bestes Frau In The World enough, I rather doubt anyone would be better off in one than independent living.

protip for Alex & Co: make sure EACH of you takes a dictaphone with you and covertly records the PIP interview because the report or the interview will be more fiction than a BrexSShiteurs dreams.

decnine said...

In a gesture of respect for their preference, I have to protest at the Guardian's lack of grammar awareness.

'Alex have calculated that universal credit will see their benefits cut...'
“We thought moving in, this fight was over,” Alex tell me. “But because of austerity, we have to fight for everything.”

How can a reputable newspaper be so unaware of their grammatical micro-aggressions?

Pcar said...

@jack ketch
"covertly records the PIP interview "

Not allowed, inadmissible. One must request in advance to record, stock reply is "request denied".

I agree with Julia, Alex and he, she, them would be happier in an asylum.

PJH said...

"But thanks to progressive mental health policy, fortunes must be spent to help her do so."

Ahem. Naughty.

PJH said...

@John M "...now identifies as multiple personalities..."

@Jack "...each of her personalities..."

You're both misunderstanding the reference to 'Alex wishes to be referred to as “they”'.

This is one of the 64 (probably more) genders now available to the 'mentally ill' #SnowflakeGeneration with BIID who don't identify as the sex they were born with - not an implication of multiple personality.

Besides the more normal pronouns such as 'he' or 'she', we have 'they', 'per', 've', 'ze', 've' (http://uwm.edu/lgbtrc/support/gender-pronouns/). There are more at (https://lgbtqia.ucdavis.edu/educated/pronouns.html) and if you really want to go down the rabbit hole google for 'gender pronouns.'

JuliaM said...

"I'm surprised each of her personalities isn't claiming benefits...they are missing a trick there."

Heh!

"...I rather doubt anyone would be better off in one than independent living."

If the money spent on 'accommodation in the community' was diverted to upgrading them, though?

"Ahem. Naughty."

The Guardian may wish to deny reality. I'm under no such obligation!