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Austerity's Victims: Adults with a Learning Disability
There are approximately 1,000,000 adults with a learning disability in the UK who have suffered because of government measures since 2010.Austerity’s Victims exposes the reality, describing in detail the lives of five men living in Cornwall. Their income, below the relative poverty threshold, is compared with national/county medians and the Minimum Income Standard of the Joseph Rowntree Foundation. Their quality of life, as support and benefits are cut away, is also examined and shown to fall a long way short of the wellbeing defined in the 2014 Care Act. Austerity’s Victims provides invaluable evidence for the fight against this injustice.
- GenresNonfictionPolitics
72 pages, Paperback
Published May 16, 2018
About the author
Neil Carpenter
3 books1 followerNeil Carpenter was born in 1950 in Cornwall. After reading English at Cambridge, he had a variety of lecturing jobs in England and abroad before returning to Cornwall to teach English in schools.
Since retiring, he has worked as a volunteer advocate for adults with a learning disability. ‘Austerity’s Victims’ and 'Benefits on Trial' are based on that experience.
Since retiring, he has worked as a volunteer advocate for adults with a learning disability. ‘Austerity’s Victims’ and 'Benefits on Trial' are based on that experience.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
July 24, 2018
This should be required reading for every journalist, MP and councillor in the land. And, in fact, for anyone who buys into either the rhetoric of a "hostile environment" for claimants, or the cruel hoax that "meritocracy" is a form of justice.
Neil Carpenter seems to work on an individual basis, rather than for one of the charities or other agencies who help with people with learning disabilities. His role? Judging from the book, he is befriender, fixer and advocate rolled into one. His human voice emerges in his prose - generally unemotional, clear and direct. the main characters in the book are Frank, Les, Thomas, Danny and Mark - the four people with very different learning disabilities, who speak eloquently - it is a tribute to Carpenter's respect for these people, and for his skill as a listener, that their stories unfold largely in their own words. At the same time, the analytical sections of the book widen the scope - and I was left subdued by the scale of the problem (there are about a million more like them, out there in the UK, in a town near you) and ashamed that I had never really known, or even suspected, the kinds of lives they have to live; the choices they have to make; the privations they have to endure.
Not that this is a miserable read. The characters are not self-pitying. They get on with their lives, and there is plenty of stoical humour. They have learnt to cope with difficulties which would plunge most of us into misery - isolation, lack of spare cash for holidays, the long search for meaningful work - and in many cases overcome them with patience, ingenuity and a helping hand. But what is defeating these four men - and the rest of the million people with learning difficulties who have had their benefits cut in recent years - is the impenetrable wall of officialdom; the "hostile environment" in practice. And complicated forms to be filled in, with deleterious consequences if the wrong answers are given, and no help available. Face-to-face interviews with strangers, where the same condition apply.
Don't be put off by the tables of statistics. They are simple to understand, integral to the stories, and bear witness to the author's meticulous approach. Do read this book. And then buy another copy, to pass on to someone else who needs to know.
Neil Carpenter seems to work on an individual basis, rather than for one of the charities or other agencies who help with people with learning disabilities. His role? Judging from the book, he is befriender, fixer and advocate rolled into one. His human voice emerges in his prose - generally unemotional, clear and direct. the main characters in the book are Frank, Les, Thomas, Danny and Mark - the four people with very different learning disabilities, who speak eloquently - it is a tribute to Carpenter's respect for these people, and for his skill as a listener, that their stories unfold largely in their own words. At the same time, the analytical sections of the book widen the scope - and I was left subdued by the scale of the problem (there are about a million more like them, out there in the UK, in a town near you) and ashamed that I had never really known, or even suspected, the kinds of lives they have to live; the choices they have to make; the privations they have to endure.
Not that this is a miserable read. The characters are not self-pitying. They get on with their lives, and there is plenty of stoical humour. They have learnt to cope with difficulties which would plunge most of us into misery - isolation, lack of spare cash for holidays, the long search for meaningful work - and in many cases overcome them with patience, ingenuity and a helping hand. But what is defeating these four men - and the rest of the million people with learning difficulties who have had their benefits cut in recent years - is the impenetrable wall of officialdom; the "hostile environment" in practice. And complicated forms to be filled in, with deleterious consequences if the wrong answers are given, and no help available. Face-to-face interviews with strangers, where the same condition apply.
Don't be put off by the tables of statistics. They are simple to understand, integral to the stories, and bear witness to the author's meticulous approach. Do read this book. And then buy another copy, to pass on to someone else who needs to know.
October 31, 2025
This book is well worth a read. Not because it is particularly well written but because it reveals the utterly pointless and cruel outcomes of the failed dogma that is austerity. Some of the most vulnerable people in our society are having their meagre lives cruelly reduced by austerity. It’s sad to think that this has continued under our current government and but for a few rebels would have become worse. I wish the book had left me with some hope, but unfortunately the outlook remains somewhat bleak.
August 2, 2018
This book details the very real and very severe impacts that austerity is having on people living with a learning disability.
From the outset meticulous detail is given about the lives of the case studies. You can tell that the author has committed to fully understanding their stories as individuals to then be able to portray the absolute reality of their day to day lives. This, along side humanising anecdotes help the reader to understand and empathise with the subjects and appreciate the effects that decisions being made hundreds of miles away are having on people living with a learning disability in Cornwall.
The use of statistics help to evidence the impact in real terms, giving little room to argue against the books conclusions (even if you do skim over them!) but it is still a very accessible read.
This is just a fraction of the stories that deserve to be told. But at least someone is telling some of them.
From the outset meticulous detail is given about the lives of the case studies. You can tell that the author has committed to fully understanding their stories as individuals to then be able to portray the absolute reality of their day to day lives. This, along side humanising anecdotes help the reader to understand and empathise with the subjects and appreciate the effects that decisions being made hundreds of miles away are having on people living with a learning disability in Cornwall.
The use of statistics help to evidence the impact in real terms, giving little room to argue against the books conclusions (even if you do skim over them!) but it is still a very accessible read.
This is just a fraction of the stories that deserve to be told. But at least someone is telling some of them.
July 7, 2019
This is a must read book for anyone questioning how unbalanced our society is.
It is written sensitivity and gives a factual picture of just how terribly people with learning disabilities are treat in the uk.
Reading this has given me a good insight as to how difficult life is being made for people who are already putting more effort into life than most of us are and are constantly having unnecessary barriers put in their way.
It shows a complete lack of empathy and common sense in our services and benefits system and I hope that everyone who reads it takes away a drive and an ambition to go away and make a difference.
It is written sensitivity and gives a factual picture of just how terribly people with learning disabilities are treat in the uk.
Reading this has given me a good insight as to how difficult life is being made for people who are already putting more effort into life than most of us are and are constantly having unnecessary barriers put in their way.
It shows a complete lack of empathy and common sense in our services and benefits system and I hope that everyone who reads it takes away a drive and an ambition to go away and make a difference.
April 22, 2019
By introducing the reader to four real people, all struggling with the devastating impact of government cuts to social services, the Author gives a real insight into the effects of austerity. The book is enjoyable, very readable, and involves us with the four characters, so that we care about their plight. I thoroughly recommend this book to anyone with a general interest in the impact of cuts to social care, and to those with an interest in adults with learning disabilities.
May 14, 2019
I could not bring myself to put this book down until I finished it. The life histories of these five extremely vulnerable men made it incomprehensible that they should be treated with such a callous disregard for their wellbeing instead of with the respect and support they deserved, needed and were entitled to by law. The treatment meted out to ‘Danny’ by a DWP assessor was breathtakingly cruel. This book is a beautifully written, quietly powerful indictment of the policy of austerity which has effectively, and some would argue by design, dismantled our Welfare State. For if there is no longer a safety net for the most vulnerable among us, there is none for any of us.
September 8, 2021
Social care, social welfare and “benefits” have become a very contentious issue, among economists, politicians and across the wider population. There is a wide range of informed opinion on how much and in what way a state should assist its vulnerable and disadvantaged people - and sadly also a lot of media-driven, uninformed prejudice labelling al welfare recipients as idle scrounges or dishonest fraudsters.
In this slim but well-written and informative book, Neil Carpenter avoids the temptation of getting on a soapbox and preaching, even though this issue is one he cares deeply about. Instead he succeeds in bringing social care - and the impact of cost-cutting measures - down to the human level. What does this mean in practice for 5 real people? And in view of that, can we really claim our system is fit for purpose?
His subjects are the invisibly disabled who are the least understood and sadly also most reviled: male, adult, physically not obviously handicapped but with serious learning difficulties. He paints an almost clinically factual picture of each man’s situation, social, financial and health-wise and then equally factually demonstrates how the system is now failing these men and their families due to bureaucrats and politicians who focus on cutting costs and little else. As a result his account is both fascinating and powerful.
It is not until the end that he allows himself to question the motivations of the people controlling the system. Even then it is hard to argue with his findings that local and National government is intentionally, even maliciously, looking at these people only as burdens to be shed or hidden.
This isn’t a treatise on how to mend the system and make it productive and supportive for all, both the disabled and the taxpayers. It is however a valuable reminder that there are people in society who genuinely can not manage independently and yet can function if we make an investment to support them.
In this slim but well-written and informative book, Neil Carpenter avoids the temptation of getting on a soapbox and preaching, even though this issue is one he cares deeply about. Instead he succeeds in bringing social care - and the impact of cost-cutting measures - down to the human level. What does this mean in practice for 5 real people? And in view of that, can we really claim our system is fit for purpose?
His subjects are the invisibly disabled who are the least understood and sadly also most reviled: male, adult, physically not obviously handicapped but with serious learning difficulties. He paints an almost clinically factual picture of each man’s situation, social, financial and health-wise and then equally factually demonstrates how the system is now failing these men and their families due to bureaucrats and politicians who focus on cutting costs and little else. As a result his account is both fascinating and powerful.
It is not until the end that he allows himself to question the motivations of the people controlling the system. Even then it is hard to argue with his findings that local and National government is intentionally, even maliciously, looking at these people only as burdens to be shed or hidden.
This isn’t a treatise on how to mend the system and make it productive and supportive for all, both the disabled and the taxpayers. It is however a valuable reminder that there are people in society who genuinely can not manage independently and yet can function if we make an investment to support them.
November 6, 2023
Neil Carpenter shines a light of shame on the damning state of support for adults with learning disabilities. As he did with his sequel 'Benefits on Trial' (which I read before this one), he takes time to delve the reader in to the personalities, background and needs of the unfortunate individuals on the wrong end of austerity, making it all the more heartbreaking of a read.
The author goes in to great detail about the callous and heartless nature of austerity and the brutal axing of funds because adults with LD's are a seemingly easy target for costcutting. The early incarnation of the post 2010 Tory era made big sweeping statements about benefits which garnered bad feeling towards benefit claimants - genuine or otherwise - and this was the start of many people falling victim to the catastrophic austerity.
When reading the book, you'll get up close and personal to all the victims in the case studies. Why is this important? Because damn it, these are human beings and not just bits of data and easy targets for saving government coffers. And this is only a select few people in the author's local area who he works (diligently and empathetically I might add, from what I've read), so these real human beings, experiencing real human things, not scroungers, skivers or whatever government culture war wanted to call them - were and are national victims of austerity because they don't have the support or wherewithal to appeal the heartless cutting of their benefit, which was a pittance in the first place.
The one thing that comes across loud and clear in the book is 'out of sight, out of mind'. While these people are seen as data and just a name on a form, the authorities (and shamefully, society) turns its back on them.
The author goes in to great detail about the callous and heartless nature of austerity and the brutal axing of funds because adults with LD's are a seemingly easy target for costcutting. The early incarnation of the post 2010 Tory era made big sweeping statements about benefits which garnered bad feeling towards benefit claimants - genuine or otherwise - and this was the start of many people falling victim to the catastrophic austerity.
When reading the book, you'll get up close and personal to all the victims in the case studies. Why is this important? Because damn it, these are human beings and not just bits of data and easy targets for saving government coffers. And this is only a select few people in the author's local area who he works (diligently and empathetically I might add, from what I've read), so these real human beings, experiencing real human things, not scroungers, skivers or whatever government culture war wanted to call them - were and are national victims of austerity because they don't have the support or wherewithal to appeal the heartless cutting of their benefit, which was a pittance in the first place.
The one thing that comes across loud and clear in the book is 'out of sight, out of mind'. While these people are seen as data and just a name on a form, the authorities (and shamefully, society) turns its back on them.
June 16, 2020
I have to admit, before I started reading this book, I suspected that I would struggle. You see, I'm "not very good" with statistics, numbers, call them what you will, and I feared that I would switch off the minute some factual information was introduced. How wrong I was! This book is clear, concise and written with compassion, and gives the reader a stark insight into the lives of adults with a learning disability, particularly during austerity. The individual case studies force the reader to see the real human suffering behind the facts, figures and political spin, and the book certainly made me question why we, as a society, allow these kinds of injustices to continue. As Gandhi once said, "The true measure of any society can be found in how it treats its most vulnerable members." I fear that he would find us lacking, especially in the current political climate.
This is a must-read for anyone who believes that a society should protect and care for their most vulnerable, and also for those who believe that we should all be striving for a better world, especially in these times of crisis and uncertainty. Within these pages is the evidence we need to fight back and make a difference!
This is a must-read for anyone who believes that a society should protect and care for their most vulnerable, and also for those who believe that we should all be striving for a better world, especially in these times of crisis and uncertainty. Within these pages is the evidence we need to fight back and make a difference!
September 12, 2020
An Indictment of the Welfare System
This is not an easy read at an emotional level, though the author has done a magnificent job of setting out the challenges faced by those with the ‘invisible’ handicaps such as brain damage, autism, ADHD, Downs Syndrome and other mental health conditions. The cuts to support funding is having a terrible impact on those like his case studies, and the changes to the benefits they receive are compounded by ‘blind bureaucracy’ which sends complex forms demanding these be completed by the sufferer — some of whom are illiterate — resulting in their being left without any form of support or income. The DWP claims that these cuts are ‘encouraging people back into work’ could only be made by someone completely detached from the reality faced by people in this category of disability.
Not an easy read, but an informative one. It highlights just how inhuman the system has become, and just how callous our politicians and bureaucrats are.
This is not an easy read at an emotional level, though the author has done a magnificent job of setting out the challenges faced by those with the ‘invisible’ handicaps such as brain damage, autism, ADHD, Downs Syndrome and other mental health conditions. The cuts to support funding is having a terrible impact on those like his case studies, and the changes to the benefits they receive are compounded by ‘blind bureaucracy’ which sends complex forms demanding these be completed by the sufferer — some of whom are illiterate — resulting in their being left without any form of support or income. The DWP claims that these cuts are ‘encouraging people back into work’ could only be made by someone completely detached from the reality faced by people in this category of disability.
Not an easy read, but an informative one. It highlights just how inhuman the system has become, and just how callous our politicians and bureaucrats are.
May 7, 2021
This is a must-read book: not for its towering narrative, nor its quality prose, but quite the opposite. It is a must-read for the simple tales of the most vulnerable being the disregarded of society. Literally the fall-guys for the Government’s policy of austerity. This is a description, woven with simple stories, of how the safety net for our most vulnerable has become so threadbare that it is like gossamer – or isn’t there at all.
On the UK Government’s own website is a quote from Ambassador Matthew Rycroft of the UK Mission to the UN:
How a society treats its most vulnerable is always the measure of its humanity. https://www.gov.uk/government/speeche...
On this basis, our society has lost its humanity. The stories here show what happens to austerity’s victims.
On the UK Government’s own website is a quote from Ambassador Matthew Rycroft of the UK Mission to the UN:
How a society treats its most vulnerable is always the measure of its humanity. https://www.gov.uk/government/speeche...
On this basis, our society has lost its humanity. The stories here show what happens to austerity’s victims.
September 11, 2021
Tales that reflect the realities of austerity rarely include accounts of those with learning disabilities. This is a short but poignant story written by Neil Carpenter who regularly interacted with them. It is humbling to read and raises questions about our society and how we treat each other that we all need to consider. Allowing a government, any government, to mandate in a way that is harmful to the most vulnerable in a society while at the same time selectively shielding a privileged minority is a sign of a society failing. The damage caused by the harshest austerity measures in Europe after the 2008 financial crisis. Inflicted on the British public by what history should describe as a soulless government will undoubtedly become an infamous milestone in British history.
August 25, 2019
This book is a must for everyone which includes councillors, MPs, journalists and budget holders. As a PhD student studying the abuse of people with learning disabilities I have found Neil Carpenter's work informative, refreshing and courageous. Wish there were more people like him out there. All to often people grumble about a wrong that is read in the newspaper but do nothing. If it doesn't affect them they don't care. Perhaps we ought to remember: 'The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.' (Edmund Burke - Date unkown).
September 27, 2021
The author’s account of austerity and its often unseen and unheard victims, is extremely thought-provoking and shines a light on the government’s lack of care and empathy towards some of the most vulnerable in society. The content is extremely well-researched and well-presented, making it highly accessible for: academics; those with a professional interest and casual readers who wish to understand policy making and it’s detrimental impacts on individuals living within society. I would highly recommend this title.
August 31, 2020
If you’re interested in how austerity has impacted on those with a learning disability this is perfect. Rather than just an overview and data, this introduces you to real people and their day to day lives. Easy to read but hard to accept how badly they have been affected. Having spent the last 20 years supporting children with these same issues I’m devastated that this is the life they now face.
June 3, 2021
A must read... Shocking insight into the atrocities of austerity on societies' most vulnerable.
It's a very well written insight into how austerity is affecting adults with learning disabilities. Would definitely recommend this book as it uncovers the hidden truth about how poorly the most vulnerable in society are treated when they need the most help.
It's a very well written insight into how austerity is affecting adults with learning disabilities. Would definitely recommend this book as it uncovers the hidden truth about how poorly the most vulnerable in society are treated when they need the most help.
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August 25, 2020A compelling read, Neil manages to give the reader concrete information about vulnerable people's plight. It's a stark personal insight into the difficulties faced by this particular group in Cornwall. It applies to the whole of the UK though.
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