To see this information in BSL, please go to: http://www.deafatw.com/updates
Do you get Access to Work?
Has your budget been capped? Or will your budget be capped in April 2018?
Then if you live in England, Scotland or Wales, this survey is for you: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/ATW_CAP
The survey is in BSL and English. If you want to answer in BSL, contact darrenth@gmail.com.
Hurry though, the survey closes this Friday, 22nd September 2017.
Why do this survey?
DeafATW is working with UKCoD to campaign about the cap to ATW. We think that it will cause many problems for Deaf people,
This survey will give us evidence about your experience, what the impact has been on you and your work, and what changes you have made.
This evidence will help us campaign better.
We have had a good response so far, but there are very few responses from people working in the creative industries, NHS, Higher Education and universities (including research) and from people who are self-employed.
Also most responses come from London, South East and East of England, not many from other parts of the UK.
So we would really like more people who work in those areas to do this survey. If you know anybody that should do this survey, please send them the survey link.
I’m not sure if I have been capped, or will be capped?
New ATW awards have been capped since 1st October 2015. The cap means that there is a maximum budget that ATW will give you, even if you need a larger budget to pay for your communication support.
The cap is worked out by using the national average salary (published by the Office for National Statistics in October each year), which usually changes every year.
The cap to ATW awards / budgets is currently one and a half times the national average salary.
What cap you have to your award will depend on what year you applied for ATW, or what year your ATW was reviewed.
| If your ATW award started or was reviewed between: | The annual cap (limit) for the ATW budget is: |
| 1st October 2015 to 31st March 2016 | £40,800 |
| 1st April 2016 to 31st March 2017 | £41,400 |
| 1st April 2017 to 31st March 2018 | £42,100 |
| If you had an ATW award before the cap started on 1st October 2015, then it will not be capped until 1st April 2018. | |
On your award letter, it is not always clear what you budget is for each year. Sometimes they only tell you the amount for the whole of your award for three years.
If you are still not sure, contact me (darrenth@gmail.com).
To see this information in BSL, please go to: http://www.deafatw.com/updates
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Tim
September 19, 2017
Let me know when UKCoD starts sticking up for unemployed deaf people or deaf people who can’t work because of illness and/or additional disability and then I might give a rat’s behind.
Morgan
September 19, 2017
UKCoD and DeafATW’s work is all about influencing Government with an aim of lifting the cap because of the harm it will cause to Deaf people’s employment prospects. That includes deaf people who are currently unemployed.
Maybe you, Tim, could think about actions YOU could take to improve the situation for unemployed deaf people, or those who can’t work for other reasons…
As someone who sees first hand how much work went into this survey, all of it unpaid, it makes me angry when I see comments such as yours dismissing other people’s efforts.
Tim
September 19, 2017
“Maybe you, Tim, could think about actions YOU could take to improve the situation for unemployed deaf people, or those who can’t work for other reasons”
I don’t “think” about what actions I could take, Morgan, that was some time ago, I actually carry out numerous actions. Let’s see:
Writing to the EHRC, AOHL, Liberty, my MP, my local newspaper, numerous forums and news websites and Twitter.
Advising deaf people on how to fill in their ESA and PIP forms. Signposting them to specialist help.
Researching and responding to the Green Paper and the Welfare Reform Bill.
Making numerous Freedom of Information requests to the DWP and government, signing petitions, joining and donating to campaigns, contacting and imploring CEOs and charities to, amongst other things, listen to the UN findings on ‘grave and systematic’ abuses against deaf and disabled people. I’ve probably forgotten a few other things.
By the way, one of the few organisations to ignore my requests for information was…..UKCoD.
Let us turn now now to the people I was actually criticising. Yes, it’s UKCoD again.
BSL.Access to Work.
…..and that’s it.
No concern or condemnation about ESA cuts, PIP cuts, JSA disability premium cuts, workfare, sanctions, poverty, human rights abuses and the rest of it.
UKCoD? What a joke.
Morgan
September 19, 2017
That’s a wide range of issues you want UKCoD to address Tim.
UKCoD is a coalition of representatives from charities in which to share information and knowledge, and to discuss strategy. This enables those involved to see if any issues are falling between organisations, and discussing how best to address them (if possible).
It has no resources of its own and therefore cannot itself fund campaigns etc. It can, and does, however, lobby government and supports the All Party Parliamentary Group on Deafness.
So, for example, BDA is already actively campaigning on PIP, AoHL are campaigning on employment issues. No gap for UKCoD to fill there.
Due to their lack of resources UKCoD must select carefully the issues it focuses on. That doesn’t mean it’s “a joke” or not worthwhile.
Keep up your individual campaigning. The more people make their voices heard the more likely it is things will change.