Real-life Daniel Blakes need greater support | Letter | Society | The Guardian
British director Ken Loach talks during a photocall on May 13, 2016 for the film “I, Daniel Blake” at the 69th Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, southern France.
Interesting letter in The Guardian:
As psychologists in the north-east of England, we are encouraged to hear that Jobcentre Plus in Newcastle “try to treat people as individuals” and we extend an invitation to Steve McCall to discuss the impact of social policies (‘I hope people don’t think I, Daniel Blake is a documentary’: Loach fails to represent reality, says jobcentre boss, 11 February). The film unfortunately does “represent the reality” of many people we have met who struggle with an ill system.
People with mental health difficulties, for example, already feel excluded from society and struggle to connect with others and the world around them. Cuts to income through benefit sanctions do not help people to recover but rob them of dignity, power and the ability to keep themselves warm and fed. To address a growing mental health crisis, we must together challenge the system that harms so many people like Daniel Blake.
Dr Nick Hartley, Jan Bostock, Alisdair Cameron ReCoCo, Dr Sammy Man, Louise Thomson, Dr Nancy Vanderpuye, Lauren Mawn, Dr Lois Arkley, Dr Anna Luce, Professor Alison Stenning
Psychologists Against Austerity North East
I’m up for challenging the system! Anybody else?
Source: Real-life Daniel Blakes need greater support | Letter | Society | The Guardian
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For those individuals diagnosed with mental health ailments or impaired cognitive abilities, under no circumstances should it be legal for them to attend a DWP health assessment without a trained advocate present. Surely, to do otherwise, amounts to cruel and inhumane treatment. To continue with such a broken system is heartless and flies in the face of decency.