Blame, who will accept resonsibility?

Who is to Blame?

A Guide to Cuts in the UK

The problem here is that all the powers that be, are treating the current situation as a game. No one in Government, Local Authorities or the NHS is prepared to take responsibility for their own actions and those of their predecessors. The PM and his Ministers are saying we are all in it together, but are we or more so, are they.

With their large salaries and even larger pensions to look forward to, if the have to tighten their belts a little, they will still have plenty to live off. But what about all the people who are just sustaining a living, if they tighten their belts, then they are below sustainance level. Here I am not talking about people who can work but do not. I am referring to a large percentage of pensioners, who due to age, infirmity etc are reliant on their pension, which is just providing a reasonable living. Also many disabled persons, who have physical disabilities meaning they can not work and then there are learning disabilities, whose understanding is limited in that they have little or no understanding of events happening around them and are solely reliant on others for their existence.

There are many disabled persons in this situation, who are unseen by the public at large. They are not claiming benefits because they want to, but out of necessity. We all see a minority of people with disabilities, like the intelectuals, such as Stephen Hawking or the Para-Olympians, who all go through extreme situations to attain these levels and I applaud them. But there is a large majority of people with disabilities, who will never, through no fault of their own, be able to get anywhere near to attaining these levels. Or, in most cases will not be able to start. Some are existing on state benefits and others are cared for by family members 24/7. These family members do it for the love of their relation, without any financial reward and in most cases, without any recognition from the population surrounding them and from any of the state bodies.

But we are all in it together. If you believe in this, then I feel sorry for you, as you have fallen for the propaganda, from the government bodies and the media.

NHS; Is it fit for Purpose?

NHS Scandal

Why has the caring stopped?

Over the last few months many problems with the NHS have become known, so therefore, are we now saying the NHS is not fit for purpose?  I believe there are some of us are saying YES, while others are saying NO and even others who are not sure. So lets try to find some answers. The NHS was created in 1948 and since that time has undergone many changes, some because the NHS wished to, some due to advances in technology and medical science and some inflicted upon it by successive governments.  But during all this time the fundamental principles of the NHS have not been changed. When created it was to be ‘free at point of delivery for all citizens of the UK’. This in most cases is still correct. So why are all these problems occurring? Lets start at its beginning.

1. Every UK citizen was entitled to signup with a local general doctor, known as a General Practitioner (GP), it may have been the same doctor to whom that went when ill in the past, but then they would have had to pay the doctor directly for this service.
2. The NHS was born out of a long-held ideal that good healthcare should be available to all, regardless of wealth. At its launch by the then minister of health, Aneurin Bevan, on 5 July 1948, it had at its heart three core principles:
   • That it meet the needs of everyone
   • That it be free at the point of delivery
   • That it be based on clinical need, not ability to pay
3. These three principles have guided the development of the NHS over more than half a century and remain. However, in July 2000, a full-scale modernisation programme was launched and new principles added.

   The main aims of the additional principles are that the NHS will:

   • Provide a comprehensive range of services
   • Shape its services around the needs and preferences of individual patients, their families and their carers
   • Respond to the different needs of different populations
   • Work continuously to improve the quality of services and to minimize errors
   • Support and value its staff
   • Use public funds for healthcare devoted solely to NHS patients
   • Work with others to ensure a seamless service for patients
   • Help to keep people healthy and work to reduce health inequalities
   • Respect the confidentiality of individual patients and provide open access to information about services, treatment and performance

Since then there have been the setting of targets by successive governments.

I do believe in having targets, but wish to call them standards. We have always had standards to maintain in the NHS, but these days in trying to run the hospitals as a business, finance as become the main factor instead of care. Before all else, care has to be the first priority.When the NHS was created in 1948, it was not envisaged that the population would increase in great numbers and that medical science would advance so quickly in both technology and treatments. To cater for this, our hospitals have had to increase in size to cope and this as left management abilities to flounder. We need to maintain standards, but not by tick boxes, use the technology in administration practices that have been created. All records are computerised, so all relevant information should be to hand from the computers, no additional staff in put required. Proper supervision of all staff needs to be reintroduced and all work as one team and that is to the betterment of care to the patient.

When the NHS is working well it can not be bettered and unfortunately, this is not deemed news worthy by the media. But many aspects of hospital care are wanting and an investigation should not just look at the present, but look to the past to see when this change for the worse occurred. Was it Government targets being introduced, withdrawal of Matrons, Sisters or charge nurses becoming more hands on, instead of managing the ward, the replacement of cottage hospitals with the large hospitals of today, aging population, emphasis on academic  nursing qualifications instead of the ability to care, influx of staff where English is not first language and understanding it is limited, changing from larger open wards to smaller units within the ward, increasing in technology and medical conditions, hospitals run as a business instead of a caring facility. The list is endless, just what is the answer, this has to be known before steps can be taken to improve them.

Alarm bells should be ringing, the NHS is provided with money from Government, from money raised from UK taxpayers, to be used to provided care for patients. Why is some of this money being used to gag people from letting the UK public know the truth.For one thing no one should be gagged for telling the truth, if the NHS is not fit for purpose then the public need to know.

What all employees in the NHS should realise is that by the source of the money for their salaries in coming from the public, it is the public who are effectively their employers, it is just that it has been sub-contracted to the Government and the NHS.

Image or Care, What is of most concern to the NHS?

It should be care, but who knows when you follow the current articles in the UK press.

How many More?

It makes you wonder how many other gagging orders are in operation and what is still left to be uncovered.

So it is not only Sir David Nicholson who is a fraud, but also his right hand , Dame Barbara Hakin. You will see both these persons have received Royal Honours, but for what, in these two it would appear to be for incompetence and lack of professionalism. If the people at the top of the NHS are not fit for purpose, what hope is there for the NHS. A clean sweep needs to be undertaken and this should start at the top and go as far down as possible until we find those who are fit for purpose. Hopefully there will be some.

It is time that every aspect of the NHS is given a full audit and every detail investigated. If staff are not up to the job, then they must go, but the facilities have to remain open. If the staff are not up to the job, then get staff who are, there would appear to be plenty qualified staff ready and waiting to be employed.

As I have said when the NHS is working well, it is excellent, as I have seen myself, by the care afforded to my own family from all aspects of the health service in Sheffield.

The creation of the National Health Service 1948 was a magnificent achievement, unfortunately, without the aid of a crystal ball, the founders could not have envisaged so much would be happening in the UK in so short a time. As stated successive previous governments have created target to be achieved and certainly at Stafford Hospital this is one reason for its failings. As it was concentrating to much on attaining these targets than maintaining its primary function of providing good quality care for its patients. Unfortunately, I believe more hospitals will have been found to fail for similar reasons as time goes on. Then as to gagging orders and payments made to gag NHS officials to stop then advising what is happening, how can this have been allowed to happen.  Not only is this diverting money needed for providing the care function, it is also being dishonest with the public, who are all contributing to the cost provided by them by paying their taxes.

Anyone responsible for misleading in this way should not be employed, certainly not within the NHS, more likely should be doing time in prison for, hopefully, what should be a criminal act.

The NHS should be fit for purpose and where this is not currently so, every effort needs to be made to make sure that it is. The NHS can not be left to fail, as it is an integral part of the UK and one that we should be proud of. All within the NHS need to work as a team, as no one individual can work without the support of the others.

Hopefully, in the very near future, we can all say that it is.

Nicholson still holding on to office

Nicholson should go and go now and so should any others of the same ilk. His right hand woman, Dame Barbara Hakin for a start.

To remove Sir David Nicholson sign the E-petition

The Other Care Crisis – 1000′s struggling to eat, wash or leave their own homes

The Other Care Crisis

The report The Other Care Crisis is published by Scope, Mencap, The National Autistic Society, Sense and Leonard Cheshire Disability. The leading disability charities are concerned that the debate about social care reform has focused on the needs of an ageing population and sidelined the thousands of disabled people under the age of 65 who rely on care in everyday life.

All persons should be able to expect a reasonable standard of living and a social life, while for most of us, this will be reliant on ourselves to fund all of this by gaining employment and then organising our spending budget accordingly.

But there are persons within all communities for whom this is impossible or extremely difficult. Here I am referring to persons with a disability for whom the prospects of employment are not possible, or can only be gained by some considerable effort.  For many persons, their only or main knowledge or involvement with people with a disability, will be academics who are disabled like Stephen Hawkins or the athletes who are disabled like in the Para-Olympics.

But, I am afraid these people are in the minority, there are many disabled persons for whom, none of the above is possible, even some basic employment may not be possible.  The only income these people with disabilities will have, come from State Benefits, provided they are lucky to live in a country which provides these benefits. I say lucky and perhaps, this is not the correct word, because no matter how it is reported in local and national media regarding benefit fraud, State Disability Benefits are not easy to obtain, especially in the current financial climate. Please also bear in mind that these benefits are only to provide a reasonable standard of living, what ever reasonable means. Is reasonable another way of saying standard or average?

The report mentioned above ‘The Other Care Crisis’ is focused on the situation in the UK, where the provision of these benefits are from Central Government agencies, mainly connected to the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP).

The current benefits are:

Carers and disability benefits

• Disability Living Allowance (DLA)

  Disability Living Allowance (DLA) is a tax-free benefit for disabled children and adults – what you’ll get, eligibility, applying, Personal Independence Payment

• Disability Living Allowance (DLA) rates

  Disability Living Allowance (DLA) is paid at different rates depending on how your disability affects you

• Carer’s Allowance

  Carer’s Allowance is money to help you look after someone who needs to be cared for – eligibility, apply, claim for DS700

• Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)

  Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) money if you can’t work because of illness or disability – rates, eligibility, apply, assessment

• Access to Work

  Access to Work is money to help you do your job if you have a disability or health condition – eligibility, how to apply

• Attendance Allowance

  Attendance Allowance helps pay for your personal care if you’re older or disabled – rates, eligibility, apply, claim form AA1A

• Become an appointee for someone claiming benefits

  Apply to become an appointee for someone claiming benefits – how to apply, stop being an appointee

But DLA is for 16-64 years olds, to be replaced by Personal Independence Payment (PIP) from April 2013 for new claimants, with existing DLA claimants being contacted over the next 2-3 years.

To some extent, PIP is being introduced to ensure only genuine claimants will be entitled to it, but at the same time the eligibility criteria is being made more restrictive. So this will mean some genuine claimants receiving DLA, will not get PIP or their rate will be reduced.

But as stated above, if your only income is State Benefits and these are cut, this is bound to affect your standard of living. If, this was only reasonable to start with, then what will it be called. If reasonable is standard or average, then is this bringing the funding down to provide a sub-standard of living or below average?

If you feel this is unreasonable you can contact your MP by following the link

PIP Emergency – Act Now!.

In addition to the State Benefits, a person with a disability may be entitled or may be in receipt of a care package from their Local Authority from funding provided by Central Government. This will be in the form of Direct Payments from a Personal Individualised Budget. An individual will be expected to make a contribution from their own income towards their budget. These Direct Payments are not additional general income, but are there to pay for the costs of care, which have been shown to be required from the Assessment of Need and the resulting Support Plan. The Assessment of Need will be undertaken by an assigned  Social Worker and the Support Plan from information in the Assessment will be prepared by either the assigned Social Worker or an assigned Support Planner. The Support Planner could be either employed by the Local Authority or from an independent organisation.

But due to the current financial crisis in the World and especially the UK, all Local Authorities have been directed by Central Government to make savings from their spending. This is not only for this year, but from the last few years and also for some years to come. All persons in receipt of a service from a Local Authority are effected, not only those receiving benefits. So, not only could your sole income of State Benefits be cut, but Local Authorities will also be tightening their own eligibility criteria for entitlement to Direct Payments. This will further affect your standard of living.

Should this essential spending, even be subject to cuts?

Immigration, can our towns cope?

Coping with immigration

Come 2014 the current immigration restrictions applying to the people from Bulgaria and Romania who wish to emigrate to other EU countries, will be removed. It is assumed many of these people will be requiring work in farming and agriculture and may decide to come to the UK, due to our extensive range of benefits. This ranges from free health and education to benefit subsidies for housing and every day living. With their assumed background of farming and agriculture, they will most likely move to areas were this type of work is to be found, which will be mainly small towns and villages. Due to the small populations of these areas, a sudden influx of non-UK people would have serious effects on the services of these areas.

This will be in addition to the numbers of people from similar EU countries, where large numbers have already come to the UK. One such area is Boston, which has already felt the strain the number of persons coming to the UK through EU immigration have placed on the services in Boston. But certain academics, politicians and some business leaders think otherwise and feel the various services can still cope.

All these people who say large scale immigration is good for the UK and that our services are coping, should have the immigrants housed nearby to them. Also, if they have spare capacity in their own accommodation, they should be told to house some immigrants in their spare rooms. You would be surprised, how their attitudes would change. This is not racial, just a matter of economics. If services are not coping now, a further influx is bound to increase the degree of coping, making the situation worse for all concerned.

Due to the current financial situation in the UK, virtually all areas,which are financed by public monies are being told to find savings, which in many cases is leading to front line services being reduced or in some cases withdrawn. To place a further burden on these services in 2014, will be creating an impossible situation to manage for the benefit of the whole community.

Why do people of supposed intellect, feel they are more qualified to discuss matters than anyone else. They have obtained qualifications in their field of study and therefore feel they are more qualified than other people.

But people confuse obtaining qualifications with the ability to understand life and have intelligent thought. Qualifications are only a tool to obtain reasonable employment, they do not provide for the skills of life and applying intelligence to everyday living.

To some obtaining qualifications, only increases their degree of arrogance to their fellow beings. Whether this is intentional or not, only they themselves can comment.

Tony Blair; When will he be held Accountable?

Tony Blair, The Money Lord

Tony Blair, what will he do next? Well I can bet, that whatever it is, he will make even more money.

I have never trusted him and I can remember at the time he was first elected making the comment, ‘How can anyone vote for someone, with a smile like his’ I just looked at his face and all I could think was ‘phony’.

What I can not understand, is how he is not held accountable for his actions. He puts me in mind of someone acting a part and you keep waiting to see the real person. He appears to be disliked by many, but liked by a few. The problem is the few, all appear to be in positions of power and wealth.

You just keep waiting to see it all disintegrate, but then it never happens, but hopefully it will be good fun when it does.

There is always talk that Tony Blair may come back to UK politics, but hopefully that is just a rumour.

Excuse Culture; Demise of Society

Certainly in the UK and possibly elsewhere in the World, when ever something does not go according to plan or someone or something does something, deemed wrong, there are always plenty of people and or establishments eager to invent an excuse for why it happened. in other words an ‘Excuse Culture‘.

Say it is a person or persons who have committed a crime, where ever possible it will be  attributed to their background, in that they came from a broken home, single parent family, their culture, lack of money, etc.

Or if it is an organisation, where faults occur, it is funding problems, staff moral, insufficient staff, too much work, etc.

But is it not just down to the attitude of the persons and organisations concerned. When a person is employed they should when they have started the job been given, at least, sufficient training to do the job and any resources they need.  Other than that, it is there ability to do the job.  This should be their commitment to do the job to the best of their ability, to strive to do it right first time and to be effective and efficient in their performance. Rates of pay, working conditions, unless not in accordance with Health and Safety Regulations and attitudes of others, should have little or no relation as to how they perform.  Pay would have been known when applying, work colleagues, you are working with them, not trying to make lasting friendships and working conditions have to be right for the job.  Why site pay as a reason for not doing a job properly, it can not be that for more money, you will put in more effort. Or you do not get on with your colleagues, as I have said you are at work to work, not make friends.

Where a crime as been committed, why should background, language, culture, finance, etc be an excuse.  When resident in a country it should be each persons duty to obtain and understand the knowledge of what is expected from them, by reason of that countries culture and the Rules of Law and Order of that country. Ignorance is also no excuse. Humans are supposed to be an intelligent life form, where they also have the ability to reason.  Laws are there to be complied with and not matter of any excuse can be made for non-compliance.  If you feel they are wrong, then become involved in a legitimate way to influence their change, by lobbying those who can change them or become one of those people you can change them.

Non-compliance with Society and Law and Order only leads to the breakdown of rules and rights.

I believe in ‘Treat others in a way you would expect them to treat you’.

But today there is much said of Human Rights.  Some rights are good, like ‘the right to life’, everyone should be able to live their life, without fear from any other person. But no one person should have rights, which in turn mean the rights of others are denied. The possible exception being where a criminal act has occurred. By the act of committing a criminal act, a person or persons are acting against Society and the Rules of Law and Order and some form of punishment is a requirement.  Where this punished is the restriction of their Freedom, this should in turn  mean also a restriction in some of their Human Rights.  While still retaining the right to life, any others should be curtailed until such time as the punishment as been served.

As you will see, from above, I believe the right to life is sacrosanct. I do not believe in any form of Corporal Punishment, why is it right to cause another person physical harm, as a way to punish them for causing physical harm to others.  Many say this is one of the reasons why the youth of today have any little or no respect for others.  This may be so, but say in the upbringing of children, how can you be showing them how to behave in a good manner, if, when they do a wrong doing, you cause them physical harm as a punishment.  You say you are showing them how to behave, but this is just showing them, if something happens which you feel is not right, then it is in order to harm the person responsible.  If it is right for the adult, the child will assume it is right for them.

I believe the change in many of today’s youths behaviour did stem from the late 60′s, but while the removal of Corporal Punishment as  a means of a deterrent may have been the cause, more likely it was that it was not replaced by an equivalent measure. Others say it is a lack of respect and while this may be so, to say there was respect in the 60′s is wrong. For here you are mistaking what you believe was respect, but in many cases it was fear.

Also in the 60′s came liberalisation, the freedom to indulge in life in ways not readily available in previous generations. With contraception, in the form of The Pill, there was more sexual freedom and with it this freedom was more openly expressed. When this generation advanced into parent hood, they also gave their own children more freedom to express themselves and this was then multiplied through successive generations.

Technology was also advancing at a more increasing pace. Previously when a so called luxury item was purchased, such as a TV set, black and white only picture in the 50′s and early 60′s, they were expensive and the could not be afforded by the general public. It was not until mid to late 60′s that colour television broadcasts started, this then led to an expansion of the TV market and TV set prices started to come down, leading to a surge in the buying of colour TVs by the general population and many household could have their own colour TV.

Now it is common for most households to have more than one TV. But it was not only confined to TV’s. With the rapid growth in Outer Space exploration, use of telephones and computers and many more, the range of technology equipment available to the mass population would not have been dreamed possible in the 50′s and 60′s, except in the publications showing projections into the future. Not even the publishers of these publications could have envisaged how soon most of these fictional forecasts would become available in reality.

These days the technological advancements could never have been envisaged, as it would appear, that as soon as some modern equipment has been manufactured, marketed and then purchased by the consumer, than it is then vitually immediately out of date and the updated item is due to be released for purchase. Previously when you purchased items you expected to be using them for many years to come, but as many people wish to always have the latest version of any technological equipment, that when they have purchased the latest one, they are already planning on when to purchase the updated version.

This unfortunately is creating a’ throw away culture’ and while many can be and are recycled, many people feel if something breaks, it does not matter, as then they can just purchase the newer model.

This is, to some extent acceptable, providing you can afford to continue purchasing these updated items. But not everyone can, but some of these people who can not afford to do it, still wish to have them. This leads, in some instances of people resorting to crime to obtain the items. Then, when caught come the excuses, usually from their legal team defending them. Usually stating 2 they have had a deprived background, lacking parental guidance, from poor areas, from a large family, only one parent, etc.  These are excusing that while they may be correct, are not relevant as the cause of that person or persons actions.

Most people today know the difference between right and wrong and as intelligent being,s should be able to apply this to what is allowed, when taking into account the culture of the Society and the Laws of the country in which they reside.

They should have no excuses, except that they do not care about anyone or anything other than themselves and they should be punished accordingly.

Unfortunately, even in the Legal Profession there are people who have become accustomed into believing these utterances of excuses and this may lead to a lesser sentence being given. This in turn provides signals that it is acceptable to use these excuses and that the ability to use intelligent thought is not considered.

Eventually, if allowed to go unchecked, this could extend to the demise of certain parts of Society.

The UK is not alone in this, as it is evident in other countries in one way or another. In these countries, it may be the excuse culture or the culture of the country itself. If any area is allowed to go unchecked for a number of years, it in it’s self will be allowed to become the norm. The current situation in India, could be a case in question. Where it would appear that no respect for the rights of females have been considered in the progression of culture. This has led to certain of the Indian male population to feel they have the right to do what they wish to females that are not part of their own family. They, of course, have come to a wrong conclusion, as I am sure that this is not what the culture of India intended.

I know an extreme example, but who knows what will happen if our own excuse culture is allowed to continue, unchecked. Time needs to be taken NOW, so no longer is the excuse of a persons background to be a justifiable defense in the Law of the UK.

Tesco; Every Little Helps- Now Coffee Shops

Harris + Hoole

When you shop at an establishment, do you ask who the owners are or who the shareholders are? No you do not, you shop there as you may like the shop, it has what you want and hopefully at a price you are prepared to pay.

Many of our High Street and some non- High Street shops are owned by multinational organisations and I assume many, if not all, are doing as much as they can to manage and reduce, where possible, their liability to tax. Do not we all, or am I assuming all these people complaining of tax avoidance have not got at least one ISA.

Tax avoidance will always be with us, it is one of the actions of the Governments of the day to minimise the opportunities for all, companies and individuals, to be able to avoid paying tax.

In an ideal world tax avoidance would not occur, but where is this ideal world? I am not saying it is right to avoid paying tax, as this deprives the country of income needed to fund the running of the country and its services. All Governments should do all they can to minimise this practice. However, close one loophole and the tax avoidance experts, Chartered Accountants, employed by these companies will do all they can to find another. You could say it is providing employment, if only for the Chartered Accountants.

You have to give it to Tesco, they appear to know about marketing, as they say’ Every Little Helps‘ even money from coffee shops.  What will they try next, or is there something to try?

They appear to be very successful in what they do, what about ‘Tesco Government’, could they be any worse. They could start by sponsoring their own MP’s, at least you would know what they stand for, just look at their shops.

Rescue, Time saves lives?

Nuts

Oh my, how many more poor creatures are at risk. I am told there are 100s, if not 1000s, may be many more, of poor creatures in our sewers who may be in danger and will need to be rescued. I am not sure what these creatures are, as I have not been down the sewers to see them.

But someone has told me they may be called RATS. Anyway, they do deserve to be helped.

Anyone willing to volunteer, please ring their local Health Authority and ask for their medication to be increased.

I do believe that my Christmas and New Year celebrations to have been very excessive, as I feel I have been in a coma for going on 3 months, as it must be 1st April today.

Family carers; How they are not recognised

Family carers in the UK are saving this country millions.

Carers Allowance

An immediate family carer can receive £58.45 to care for a family member, provided :
You look after someone who gets a qualifying disability benefit.
You look after that person for at least 35 hours a week.
You are aged 16 or over.
You are not in full-time education.
You earn £100 a week or less (after deductions).
You satisfy UK presence and residence conditions.

The minimum wage is :
2012 (current rate)

Year 21 and over £6.19
18 to 20 £4.98
Under 18 £3.68
Apprentice* £2.65

So to compare for a 35 hour week

Carers allowance for over 16 years £58.45
Minimum wage for under 18 years £128.80
Minimum wage is 21 or over £216.65

The Carers Allowance is not a payment for looking after your disabled relation, but a benefit for giving at least 35 hours per week to look after the relative. Mostly the carers will give up their normal employment to do this, but are allowed to earn £100.00 a week less deductions..

Both the Carers Allowance and Minimum Wage are taxable.

Whether you are taxed is dependent on your total income with regards to your tax free allowance currently for someone under 65

Personal Allowance 
2012-13 tax year
Basic £8,105
Income limit £100,000

As the Carers Allowance is technically a payment for giving up your paid employment, when you reach retirement age and you receive your pension from the State, the Carers Allowance is no longer paid to you, but you still retain the right to receive it. So if a younger member of the family wishes to take on the responsibility of Carer, the permission of the original carer needs to be obtained before the benefit can be passed on.

So in effect for at least providing 35 hours per week care, a carer is not receiving the minimum wage. When you take into account there are 168 hours per week and normally the working week is no more than 36 hours or at least 48 hours, according to the Working Time Directive, there are 120 hours per week provided by a carer, assuming the disabled person requires 24/7 care, which on an over 21 years minimum wage is £742.80, a discrepancy of £684.35 owed to a 24/7 carer.

While it is not Slavery, as this was abolish in 1833, from which no payment was given, it is something.

What it is, is the LOVE that a carer holds for their disabled relative, which is not being considered by this Government or for any previous Governments. The Personal Family Carer is providing a commitment to a responsibility, that is unfortunately lacking in some who are in paid employment.  many people in employment do it just for the money and that is their commitment, how many of these people would do their job for the hourly rate of a Personal Family Carer, which for the minimum of 35 hours is £1.67 per hour and that is the minimum hours for the benefit. When normally this is for up to anything from 35 hours to 168 hours, what a commitment this is for £58.45 per week.

I do realise that it will never be possible to pay a family carer the correct amount, but at least they should be recognised for the service and the cost savings they are bringing to the country.

Family Breakdown is Feminism to Blame?

Blame Feminism

Feminism is not to blame for the breakdown of the family, except that it has encouraged females to think for themselves and be more independent and introduced moves towards equality between males and females.

Previously, especially in those so called good ‘Victorian Times‘, it was the males as head of the household who made the rules and all persons in the household had to follow without question, even his wife.

Even if she was not happy with the situation, there was little she could do, as the male was in total control.

So couples kept together even though at least 1 may not have been happy, but in hindsight was this good for the family.

It is Liberalism stemming from the 60′s that has been instrumental, as this created a culture of withdrawal of discipline, leading to lack of respect for other individuals and Society as a whole. In today’s throw away culture, people do not care for each other and there is the attitude of ‘I want it, it is my right’.

This follows throughout life.

Respect for fellow human kind is on the decline, not only for fellow human beings, but for other peoples possessions. Also being effected is the pride in fulfilling a role in employment and endeavouring to achieve pursuance of quality in that role, To many, employment is just to attend to obtain a salary, irrespective of the quality of output that they give. The maintenance of standards are in decline.