Journalist Caroline Molloy of openDemocracy would like to interview disabled people/people with long term conditions (and carers) who’re in increased financial hardship due to covid19 & gaps in government’s response so far. She writes:
“No-one should be worried about money on top of everything else right now. Whilst current government support for some groups is helpful, too many others are still falling through the gaps in the net.
openDemocracy, a campaigning news site, is working with a number of other groups and pushing for the government to fix the holes in the safety net – and to raise its levels considerably,, to a real liveable income – and to do so in a way that improves things both in the immediate term and the long term. Society has for too long tolerated a safety net that has been punched full of holes, that too often seems designed to punish and not protect, as many disabled people already know all too well. It’s not good enough for government just to fill in the gaps for the most vocal groups and leave others behind.
I am looking to talk to people over zoom/FB/skype/phone, interviews can be fully anonymised if needed, and interviewees will get final approval before publication if we write up their interview.
Email caroline.molloy@opendemocracy.net if you’re happy to be interviewed, using ‘covid testimony’ in subject line if you can, telling me a little bit about your situation and when you’d be available to be contacted.
Some of the financial issues people might be facing are as follows, but there may be others I haven’t thought of too. If covid 19 is making you worse off, or less secure in your job or home and the government support so far hasn’t helped enough, get in touch!
- Lost, or are worried about losing, income from their current work/benefits mix, due to coronavirus impact on jobs.
- Have work, but need to self-isolate/self-shield for health reasons (or because someone in the household has to do so), and are worried about loss of income as result.
- Have not seen benefits and/or disability and carers premiums uprated enough or at all, and have increased needs (physical/mental health, caring needs) right now.
- Are unable to get adequate support under existing benefits / new schemes, due to particular circumstances – low pay, household income, existing deductions for benefit sanctions/caps/rent level/bedroom tax) and the situation is worsened in some way by covid19 situation.
- Was forced to move due to bedroom tax and now that’s causing a problem in terms of self-isolation from family members.
- Are still worried about / being asked to jump through inappropriate assessment hoops for benefits (this shouldn’t be happening, I think, but people may not have been given clear information about this).
- Any extra costs (unmet by the government/local authorities), due to lack of PPE, for people using care, employing personal assistants etc.
Yes I would be interested