Have other people noticed the propaganda that the government and right wing media have been producing against the poorest and benefit claimants in the UK? Has this kind of thing been happening on such a scale in the US?

They are blaming the country's economic woes on the welfare bill, but the majority of it is for pensions but they won't tackle that because that's where they get a large percentage of their vote from - so they have been targeting people with ill health or out of work. Whilst this has been happening politicians themselves have been awarded high pay increases, and they have tax breaks and schemes for the better off including help with buying homes.

News stories have focused on people who have claimed fraudulently who no one would defend or else the 'workshy', and because they have highlighted the fact that some people on benefits are marginally better off on them (a minority) because wages have become so low, rather than legislate for private companies to introduce a living wage they have used this an argument to freeze the benefit rate.

Now if you're unemployed, sick or disabled, you face potential scrutiny and prejudice from the general public or private companies that have been exposed to biased media stories.

Over 1000 people on sickness benefits have committed suicide and there have been cases of sick people dying suddenly and prematurely due to the stress of having their benefit cut.

I personally have been on sickness benefit, and have been hoping to increase my voluntary hours to return to paid part-time work - which is what I could manage for health reasons. However, the government form for sickness entitlement invalidates so many symptoms with a biased and crude tick box scheme that if you are able to manage a few hours work, then you can be deemed fit to work full-time.

This all started with an argument that there was a benefits dependency culture and there was some evidence of that amongst some people, but things have swung so far the other way now and this argument and the country's budget deficit have been used to justify cutting support from those genuinely in need whilst those at the top end of society continue to benefit from high wages and tax cuts. Added to this the fact that there are spiralling living costs and it seems as if a new underclass is being created.

There are also more companies now using zero hours contracts where employees can find out at the last minute that they are only going to get 5 hours work, or are sent home after a half day without any pay and without the opportunity to find work elsewhere because they have been kept on tenterhooks in the hope that they would employed. They have no right to sickness or holiday pay.