As fears of a new benefits crackdown under Liz Kendall grow, campaigning group Black Triangle have launched a crowdfunder to provide every Labour MP with a copy of a forthcoming book by renowned journalist John Pring, which details how the DWP have been responsible for the deaths of countless claimants.
Benefits and Work hopes readers will be able to support this initiative, either with a donation if you can afford it or by sharing a link to the crowdfunding page wherever you can:
https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/help-us-tell-labour-mps-the-human-cost-of-cuts
Many readers will be very familiar with disabled journalist John Pring’s tireless campaigning on behalf of claimants via the Disability News Service website.
Pring is about to publish a new book, “The Department: How a Violent Government Bureaucracy Killed Hundreds and Hid the Evidence”.
For the last decade, Pring has meticulously pieced together how the DWP ignored pleas to correct fatal flaws in the social security system and covered up its role in the deaths of hundreds, if not thousands, of disabled people.
Having spent years researching the heartbreaking stories of twelve individuals who died, he describes how their bereaved families have fought for justice and accountability.
Paul Lewis, financial expert and presenter of Money Box on Radio 4 says of the book:
“John Pring’s indefatigable research has revealed how successive Conservative, Labour, and Coalition governments have not only failed to provide the money, help, resources, and understanding that disabled people need, they have gone to great lengths to hide the truth about what they have done. It would be a strong person who could read this disturbing book in a sitting. But it must be read.”
Frances Ryan, Guardian journalist calls the book “A must read expose of one of Britain’s biggest hidden scandals. Every politician, civil servant and journalist in the country should have this on their bookshelf.”
Black triangle are now seeking to raise £3,500 to pay for a copy of the book to be delivered en masse to every Labour MP. If they exceed their target they will supply copies to MPs from other parties as well.
Pring said: “I don’t blame Labour MPs for not being aware of the shocking history of this government department, but it is vital that as many of them as possible now know what happened over the last 35 years.
“They need to know how DWP has spent decades denying the harm of its policies and hiding the evidence of that harm.
“Successive waves of social security reforms eventually led to countless deaths of claimants in the post-2010 austerity years.
“All of this is evidenced in my book.”
He added: “The new Labour-led DWP is about to embark on a series of major reforms around employment and disability benefits, which will have a significant and life-altering impact on hundreds of thousands of disabled people.
“The actions and comments of Liz Kendall, Labour’s new work and pensions secretary, and her repeated failure to address concerns about deaths linked to universal credit and other safeguarding issues, suggest that she could be about to take some reckless and negligent steps that risk repeating the terrible harm of the Conservative years.
“It is absolutely vital that her MPs know DWP’s history, so they are equipped to challenge her plans if needed.”
The books will not just be dumped in MPs post boxes. Instead, as John McArdle of Black Triangle Campaign explained:
"If we can raise the funds needed, Deaf and Disabled campaigners, trade unionists, our organisations and the families of benefit death victims will turn up at Parliament on 2 September to deliver the copies to Labour MPs so they have no excuse for not reading it.”
Please do support this campaign if you can. We’ll keep readers informed about how it’s going.
