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I, Daniel Blake


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Seems to be upsetting a few people.  I haven't seen it, nor do I really intend too.  Its a Ken Loach film, so I know it will be dour, a mixture of pathos and sadness and be likely to be just grim.

 

However it does seem to of upset a few commentators (Camila Long and Toby Young to name two).  They write that various parts of the film seem unbelievable.  Yet reading their complaints regarding people being found fit to work etc, those bits ring true in my mind!

 

I’m no expert on the welfare system, but several aspects of I, Daniel Blake don’t ring true.

 

The two protagonists are a far cry from the scroungers on Channel 4’s Benefits Street, who I accept aren’t representative of all welfare recipients. 

 

 

 

Actually there are so many quotable lines from Toby.

 

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-3869182/Why-Lefties-misty-eyed-movie-romanticises-Benefits-Britain-says-TOBY-YOUNG.html

 

With the best, thats a good bit of PR, though I would say the Bedford team, theres, like, you know, 13 blokes who can get together at the weekend to have a game together, which doesnt point to expansion of the game. Point, yeah go on!

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Because he has made so many errors. First he is wrong about the appeal process. People cannot appeal until they have a what is called a reconsideration. This is usually done by a colleague of the Decision Maker and unlikely to be successful.

Also, people who have heart attacks and other serious conditions are judged fit to work.

The Doctors may or may not be American but some are only physiotherapists and not proper Doctors at all.

There are many others but I won't list them. I am not saying the film is accurate but any criticism needs to be better researched than this.

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Because he has made so many errors. First he is wrong about the appeal process. People cannot appeal until they have a what is called a reconsideration. This is usually done by a colleague of the Decision Maker and unlikely to be successful.

Also, people who have heart attacks and other serious conditions are judged fit to work.

The Doctors may or may not be American but some are only physiotherapists and not proper Doctors at all.

There are many others but I won't list them. I am not saying the film is accurate but any criticism needs to be better researched than this.

 

 

The film might be terrible (acting, stay, etc) but the stuff Young Toby was ranting about seemed to resinate as accurate.  Maybe Young and Long need to visit a few places.

With the best, thats a good bit of PR, though I would say the Bedford team, theres, like, you know, 13 blokes who can get together at the weekend to have a game together, which doesnt point to expansion of the game. Point, yeah go on!

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Yes that is exactly the point I was making. I haven't seen the film so I can't comment on it, but the article in the Mail was very flawed. I have read some of the reviews and I agree that the film's social commentary about ESA and JSA does resonate very accurately.

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I support applications increasingly regularly.

Some of the scenarios are frighteningly ridiculous.

A profoundly learning and physically disabled individual with serious communication impairment has to attend a fitness to work interview.....

Another profoundly learning disabled individual impacted by autism and behaviour problems requiring a restrictive environment the same.

These are this months examples only on my teams caseload. There are so many more.

"I love our club, absolutely love it". (Overton, M 2007)

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I saw the film. There were moments of humour but it was pretty grim. The acting was terrific.

 

When you present something like this, it's important that it's broadly accurate. When Toby Young starts with "I'm no expert on the welfare system" he should just leave it there. So I read up a fair bit and have seen responses from people working with poverty charities and they concur that the film does depict situations that happen. I'm sure there are other cases where people sail through, especially if they are computer savvy and happen to fit the right profile and gain the appropriate number of points.

 

I obviously knew of food banks but little about how they actually work and what they do other than dole out tins of baked beans. I've spent some time on that too and intend to do something to help.

"I am the avenging angel; I come with wings unfurled, I come with claws extended from halfway round the world. I am the God Almighty, I am the howling wind. I care not for your family; I care not for your kin. I come in search of terror, though terror is my own; I come in search of vengeance for crimes and crimes unknown. I care not for your children, I care not for your wives, I care not for your country, I care not for your lives." - (c) Jim Boyes - "The Avenging Angel"

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