I was able to attend this forum and a good debate was had.

• Welfare Reform and parents - Speakers Gingerbread & Unite.
• The "Work for your Benefits scheme" - Speakers Child Poverty Action Group & UNISON.
• Welfare Reform and disabled people  - Speakers RNID/Disability Benefits Consortium & RADAR.
• Contracting out Jobcentre Plus services - Speakers PCS & University of Sterling. 

The speaker from RNID spoke mainly as a representative from the Disability Benefits Consortium of which the National Aids Trust (NAT) has recently joined and represents our community on this panel.

All were against the Welfare Reform Bill. Right to Control has become an area where what was promised in the Green Paper has been diluted so much it bears little resemblance to the hope in the Green paper. Work for you benefits was likened to a modern day "slavery".

I will not go into detail of the event as I understand there will be a paper from the TUC covering this and I will of course add it when I receive it.

One of the interesting points was that the PCS who are extremely active on the Welfare Bill were saying that in order to get Welfare Reform on the Public Agenda at election time they were prepared to stand candidates in key constituencies to ensure the sitting MP has to debate the issues.