Met with Alan aka Sweathie

Just met with Alan from KUWG at his home, did a little filming of him. It occurred to me how the group which he helps in turn, helps him. I never realised that he had had suicidal thoughts and feels that KUWG has stopped him from taking his life. Also through his disability, Which is dyspraxia & slow cognitive speech and processes, he has created banners and blogs, these allow Alan, as blogger & banner maker to really have a voice.

Alan lives in one room in Parliament Hill, opposite the Heath. He was recently accused by Camden Housing of having someone he had never heard of living with him in his one room. He had to prove his case that was taken up by journalist Kate Belgrave. The threatening language in the correspondence from Camden caused much anxiety and depression in him. The support he received off KUWG and his own knowledge of housing within the borough meant he was able to cope fortunately.

I find that lots of people are embarrassed to be on benefits. There are some that abuse the system but on the whole, I find that many don't as they are coping with a disability, illness or unemployment due to contracts ending, cutbacks etc etc. It seems to me that isolating people and bullying is a tactic used by government agencies such as DWP, Atos, Job centres and the like. Little understanding of mental health issues & other illnesses are fully realised by the agencies.

Not everything is black & white & certainly not everything can be defined or understood by reading or completing a generic form issued to people claiming benefits.

The way many are isolated & feel is another reason why the groups up and down the country similar to KUWG, are vital to the existence of some claimants. Myself included.

Nygel Firminger from Kilburn being one such victim & many others.

Pauline Peters from Dpac spoke about this at one of our meetings.. the disabled protestors on Oxford Street stopping traffic using their wheelchairs & the direct action they took inside the lobby at Westminster, was a direct result of people like Alan being targeted by government sanctions.

More to follow

Alan's one room home below