Dear colleagues,

I am writing to you as the Hardest Hit campaign again urgently needs
your help!

As you may be aware, the Welfare Reform Bill is currently going through
the House of Lords.  Peers have voted against the Government in favour
of an amendment that would extend entitlement to Contributory Employment
and Support Allowance from twelve months to a minimum of two years,
which reflects the difficulties that many disabled people face in
finding and retaining employment.

However, the Government have stated that they will vote against this and
other amendments that the Lords have proposed.  As such, we urgently
need your help to lobby MPs, particularly Liberal Democrats (and
Conservatives).  At their annual conference last year, Liberal Democrats
voted against the arbitrary 12 month time limit to cESA which is why we
are specifically targeting those MPs.  However, we are particularly
asking people to lobby all MPs by writing to them or better still going
to see them at a surgery over the next couple of weeks as the Welfare
Reform Bill goes back into the Commons.  Ultimately, MPs, have the final
say on this.  

We have created a simple online action on our website where letters can
be sent directly to your MP.  For this campaign action, letters have
been tailored depending on which party your MP belongs to, as the asks
are not quite the same, so this may look a little different to previous
actions.  Do let us know if you have any problems.  As always, please
personalise your letter as it will have far more impact.  Copies of the
letters are attached for those who wish to email.  The link to the
online action is below:  
http://bit.ly/xBf5ip

We have also updated our Welfare Reform Bill lobby pack for campaigners,
for people who will be seeking to meet with their MP. There's an updated
campaigners briefing which reflects some of the changes that have
happened + an updated briefing for campaigners to leave with their MP at
the end of their meeting:
http://bit.ly/zdeDzX

Obviously, these have been compiled by RNIB and are tailored for our
supporters.  However, the letters can be adapted by those of you from
other organisations and much of the guidance material on the Bill is
generic in nature.  

For the North West, we have the following Lib Dem MPs, do put a shout
out to anyone you know living in these areas to visit their MP at a
surgery or write a letter to express their views:

Gordon Birtwistle - Burnley
Tim Farron - Westmorland and Lonsdale (Lib Dem President)
Mark Hunter - Cheadle
John Leech - Manchester, Withington
John Pugh - Southport
Andrew Stunell - Hazel Grove (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State:
Communities & Local Government)

Tim Farron and Andrew Stunell are particular MPs to lobby.  I am more
than happy to offer further advice on issues to raise with your MP or
try to arrange support for any supporters seeing their MP at a surgery.
Do please get in touch.  

This is the last chance we have to make an impact on the Bill so do
please help if you can and spread the word round your networks.  

Thank you for your continued support of Hardest Hit.  

Kind regards
Lindsay

(on behalf of the Hardest Hit campaign)

Lindsay Armstrong
Regional Campaigns Officer

RNIB North West
The Gateway Centre
71 London Road
Liverpool L3 8HY
Tel: 0151 298 3233
Mobile: 07827 872 402
www.rnib.org.uk/campaign

Follow us on Twitter:
www.twitter.com/RNIB_campaigns

Check out the North West Campaigns page at:
http://www.rnib.org.uk/getinvolved/campaign/campaignwithus/england/north
west/Pages/northwestcampaigns.aspx