Dear Mr Johnson
I would like you to explain to us the predicament we are in and I expect many more of us would like to know too as I am sure we are not alone.
First a bit of background as it really matters but am sure you and your Govt would disagree as the bigger picture is never taken in to consideration.
My wife no my astounding wife as I will give her the credit she is due even if you don’t worked bloody hard for a good few years not only working part time but also putting in many hours caring for her mum until she passed away, my wife had to work part time as the paltry amount carers allowance paid was not enough to live off.
I ask you Mr Johnson could you care for someone all hours of the day and night for atleast 39 hours a week to earn just £67.25 a week at todays rates and then go to work not knowing if you are coming or going due to lack of sleep ?
So she worked part-time too and thus why she and many more are astounding individuals, however due to my disabilities too having suffered an SAH Stroke at an early age at just 27 years old it meant my working life was limited and whilst I did go back to work full-time for 17 years following the SAH Stroke that work played its part in wearing out my right side faster than it normally would and the post sah stroke pain became unbearable and thus took what I saw as early retirement and claimed the disability benefits that I had never claimed in the years I was working although could have.
This enabled me to also care for mum whilst my wife was working but no carers allowance for me as it is only payable to one person, now my wife’s work was in retail and thus a degree of flexibility had to be given as she could not just finish and go home at the end of shift as someone else had to take over first especially if checkout work, there is no clock in in or out in this sector.
It meant that some days she would go over the permitted hours stated as conditionality for carers allowance by a few minutes but carers allowance doesn’t afford the same flexibility and you could lose the whole month of benefit just for what of a few minutes.
All she rightly had on her mind was getting home safely so she could carry on doing what she thought was her duty in caring for her mum who had Alzheimer’s Disease among other illnesses indeed her life bless her was very challenging without any help from you lot.
So the DWP after atleast 10 years decided to do a benefit check and instead of showing some empathy and compassion decided she was not entitled to any carers allowance and demanded the whole lot back from beginning of claim amounting to over £18000 just for going over her contracted weekly hours by a few minutes.
It sticks raw in our stomachs and we do hate Govt for what they are putting us through as a family, a family that has served Govt well as we could have allowed our mum to go into care costing Govt even more but no we took it on and gave mum the best life ever in her later years until her last day.
Indeed my wife saved Govt thousands and I saved Govt thousands too by not claiming disability benefits until I really needed too, 17 years you had of me not claiming DLA/PIP and you still seek to punish my wife to this day via attachment of earnings to recover all the carers allowance she should not have had taken away given the vast amount her caring work has saved you in care home and staff fees.
What is your answer? to punish those who have given good service whilst you hand out dodgy contracts worth millions never to be seen again or chased for repayment with the same venom and zeal you chase us no wonder you have earned the tag of #MajorCorruption as we understand it more than many.
You continue to punish my wife even now when her mum has passed away with the constant reminder, as every month when she collects her pay slip that attachment of earnings is there staring at her and it brings back all the memories’ of how you chased and harassed her for repayment of a menial sum compared to the corruption within Govt.
I am sure your debt collection practises has played its part in my wife’s now consultant diagnosed illness of fibromyalgia as it has needlessly added to the traumatic events in my wife’s life.
Do you get why many citizens are losing faith in you and your band of shysters in Govt? indeed after 11 years in governance you have a lot of work to do but I ask you one thing STOP FCUKING PUNISHING US.
BTW My wife my hero is at work now being the Covid19 hero she has been throughout this pandemic ensuring citizens get the supplies they need as a duty manager.
I, and my wife pray the next election will be your ending and the Tory Party will be consigned to the abyss for a very long time.
Diary of an SAH Stroke Survivor 