Latest news with #LiamConlon
CBC
5 hours ago
- General
- CBC
Survivors of Ireland's notorious homes for unwed mothers could lose benefits in the U.K.
Jane Libberton was shocked to learn that her elderly mother could lose her benefits if she finally receives compensation for having her toddler taken away from her seven decades ago. Libberton is the daughter of Philomena Lee, a 92-year-old Irish woman whose story of being forcibly separated from her son brought global attention to Ireland's dark history of mother and baby homes: Catholic institutions for unmarried mothers and their children. Ireland is now offering financial compensation to the survivors of those homes, which are notorious for their long history of abuse, neglect, unpaid labour and forced adoptions. But for the thousands of survivors who now reside in the United Kingdom — Lee included — accepting that money means they could lose out on much needed government benefits. "It kind of nullifies the point of the compensation," U.K. Labour MP Liam Conlon told As It Happens host Nil Köksal. Conlon has introduced a bill to prevent that from happening, called Philomena's Law. Libberton joined him on CBC Radio to support the proposed legislation named after her mother. "I think it is a great thing that he's trying to do for the Irish people here in this country," she said. What happened to Philomena Lee and other survivors? Between 1922 and 1998, tens of thousands of unmarried Irish mothers and pregnant women and girls were placed in the mostly nun-run institutions, often against their will. In 2021, Ireland published its final report from a public inquiry into the homes. It contained accounts from roughly 56,000 women and 57,000 children who were placed or born in the institutions, detailing horrific accounts of abuse, neglect, child deaths, forced labour and family separation. Of all the tragic tales to emerge from the scandal, Lee's is one of the best known. It was told in the 2009 book The Lost Child of Philomena Lee by journalist Martin Sixsmith, then adapted into the 2013 film Philomena, starring Judi Dench. Pregnant at 18, Lee was sent to the Sean Ross Abbey in Roscrea, where she was forced to do unpaid labour. It continued until she was 22, when her three-year-old son Anthony was suddenly adopted by a family in the U.S. without her consent. "All I could see was his face peering out the back of the [car] window and that was the last I ever saw him," Lee recounted during a 2014 interview with then- As It Happens host Carol Off. "I have never forgotten that moment in my whole life and I don't suppose I ever will." Why survivors could lose benefits In the U.K., the government runs a system of social benefits for those in need, including pension credits, housing benefits and social care for people who are ill or disabled. Those benefits are means-tested, which means eligibility is contingent on a person's income and savings. So an influx of compensation from the Irish government — anywhere from €5,000 to €125,000 ($7,800 to $195,000) — would impact that formula, potentially putting some benefits out of survivors' reach. "She's getting older and frailer, so she's probably going to have to get carers at some point," Libberton said of her mother. "So the compensation money, she'd have to pay for carers out of that." WATCH | 2021 report finds thousands of infants died in mother and baby homes: 9,000 babies died in Ireland's mother and baby homes 4 years ago Duration 2:05 A disturbing report into Ireland's mother and baby homes, where unwed mothers were sent to give birth and forced to give their babies up for adoption, says along with other indignities, 9,000 babies died in the care of the 18 homes. The Irish Catholic Church, which ran the homes, has apologized and the prime minister is also expected to apologize this week. Conlon's bill would exempt the Irish compensation package from the means-tested benefits formula. And it has broad support. More than 100 MPs from all parties (out of the U.K. lower house's 650 MPs) have signed a letter of support endorsing the bill. "It shows that we're building a consensus," Conlon said. "This shouldn't be about party politics. This should be something that everyone can unite behind." Is the U.K. responsible for an Irish scandal? During a debate on the bill Tuesday, Labour's Andrew Western, the parliamentary under-secretary of state for work and pensions, said the government is already "carefully considering whether to legislate to disregard payment from Ireland's mother and baby institutions payment scheme" — though he could not provide a timeline. Western noted that similar exemptions for means-tested benefits have been carved out before for people who received compensation for, among other things, the U.K.'s tainted blood scandal, the Windrush generation immigrant scandal and the 2021 Grenfell Tower fires. Still, he said, this case could prove more complicated because the compensation comes from outside the country. "What all the examples I have given have in common is that the circumstances that gave rise to that compensation payment either occurred in this country or involved events for which the U.K. government have direct responsibility or liability," Western said. "We must not forget that income-related benefits are paid for through general taxation, so disregarding a compensation payment comes at a cost to the taxpayer." Conlon admits that carving out an exception for foreign money would, indeed, be "unprecedented." "Everything's unprecedented until it happens, and this needs to happen, and I'm going to keep campaigning until it does happen," he said. Libberton, meanwhile, says her mother is proud to support Conlon's efforts.
RTÉ News
a day ago
- Politics
- RTÉ News
UK Govt considering whether to support Philomena's Law
The British Government is considering whether to support legislation, known as 'Philomena's law', which seeks to help UK based survivors of Irish mother-and-baby homes access compensation. Over 100 MPs and Peers have signed an open letter backing the proposed law. The legislation has been named after Philomena Lee, a mother and baby home survivor, whose story about her son being forcibly adopted was chronicled in the Oscar nominated film "Philomena". It's estimated that around 13,000 people living in the UK are mother and baby home survivors, however many risk losing their means-tested benefits if they avail of compensation under the Irish Mother and Baby Institution payments scheme. 'Philomena's Law' was first introduced to the House of Commons by the chair of the UK Labour Party's Irish Society, Liam Conlon MP. He is seeking a 'indefinite capital disregard', which is a legal mechanism that ensures compensation is not counted as savings for the purpose of benefits eligibility. This model was used in previous cases, including for survivors of the 7/7 and Manchester bombings, as well as the Windrush scandal. No timeline on final decision Today, Minister Andrew Western told MPs that Cabinet Secretaries are considering whether to legislate to ensure that survivors means-tested benefits are not impacted. He couldn't give a timeline as to when a decision will be made. "Part of the reason for this is that conversations are ongoing, not just across government but including Foreign and Commonwealth Ministers and officials, directly with the Irish government to talk about how that might work", he explained. The deputy leader of the Liberal Democrats, Daisy Cooper, who is the constituency MP of Philomena Lee, called on the Minister to write to members within the next 14 days outlining a timeline for a decision. However, Mr Western said that he would not be in a position to do this. Ahead of today's debate, the first in Westminster, Liam Conlon MP explained that the legislation was also being introduce to raise awareness in relation to the Irish government's mother and baby homes scheme. "Take up is incredibly low in Britain and we want to ensure that every eligible survivor knows about it and feels empowered to apply", he explained. Stars lend support to legislation The actor Steve Coogan, who starred in the film 'Philomena', has expressed his support for the legislation. "Liam is doing fantastic work to raise awareness of this important issue and I'm backing 'Philomena's Law' to help him ensure that all survivors get the compensation they are rightfully due", he said. Irish actor and star of Derry Girls, Siobhán McSweeney, said that she "wholeheartedly" supports 'Philomena's Law', adding that "this legislation is a crucial step towards justice and dignity for those who have suffered in silence for far too long." The open letter has been signed by politicians from a number of parties, including Labour, DUP, UUP, SDLP, SNP, Sinn Féin, Liberal Democrats and Alliance. It states that "This complicated and stressful situation is putting undue pressure on survivors who are currently making applications to the payment scheme, forcing them to revisit their most traumatic experiences as they weigh up the cost of accepting compensation".
The Guardian
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
Survivors of Ireland's mother and baby homes risk losing UK benefits over compensation
Survivors of Ireland's mother and baby homes are being 're-traumatised' by the prospect of losing benefits in the UK if they accept compensation from the Irish state, Westminster has been told. The warning comes amid a campaign backed by representatives of almost every political party in the UK and figures including Steve Coogan, who starred in Philomena, a film about the mother and baby homes scandal. More than 100 MPs and peers from across the political spectrum – including both Sinn Féin and Unionist MPs – have now signed a letter in support of the campaign led by the Labour MP Liam Conlon, ahead of a parliamentary debate on Tuesday calling for a change in the law. Ireland has begun the process of confronting one of the most painful chapters in its history by offering compensation to thousands of unmarried mothers who were shunned by society and hidden away in the church-run mother and baby homes. However, up to 13,000 of those survivors who are living in Britain risk losing access to essential means-tested benefits if they accept the compensation, which can range from €5,000 to €125,000 depending on the length of time people were resident. 'Sadly, for thousands of survivors in Britain, what was meant to be a token of acknowledgment and apology from the Irish Government has instead become an additional burden,' the letter states. At present, any compensation accepted through the Irish government's mother and baby institutions payment scheme by survivors living in Britain is considered as a recipient's savings. It can therefore disqualify them from means-tested benefits, including universal credit or pension credit, and affects eligibility for social care. The letter adds: 'This complicated and stressful situation is putting undue pressure on survivors who are currently making applications to the payment scheme, forcing them to revisit their most traumatic experiences as they weigh up the cost of accepting compensation.' The proposed solution, which is being called Philomena's Law, is to implement an 'indefinite capital disregard' – a legal mechanism that ensures compensation is not counted as savings for the purpose of benefits eligibility. Conlon said this model had been used for survivors of the 7/7 and Manchester bombings, as well as the Windrush scandal. 'Beyond ensuring that survivors are not forced to choose between compensation and vital benefits, our campaign has also been about shining a light on the mother and baby institutions payment scheme itself,' he said. 'Takeup is incredibly low in Britain and we want to ensure that every eligible survivor knows about it and feels empowered to apply.' The bill is named after Philomena Lee, whose story of forced separation from and later search for her lost son inspired the Oscar-nominated film starring Coogan and Judi Dench. 'As one of the people who suffered unimaginable abuse within a mother and baby home, I know that, while financial redress doesn't fix everything for families like mine, it represents a measure of accountability for what happened,' said Lee. The Irish government's redress scheme was introduced after an inquiry detailed the horrific experiences of about 56,000 women and about 57,000 children who were placed or born in homes, mostly run by nuns, between 1922 and 1998. In its report published in January 2021, it discovered an alarming number of deaths of babies in the homes and documented the cruelty and neglect suffered. Many women were forced to take part in work and separated from their babies, who were fostered or adopted. A DWP spokesperson said: 'Our thoughts are with the people impacted by this historic scandal. We are currently examining how compensation payments could impact benefit entitlement and will update in due course.'
RTÉ News
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- RTÉ News
More than 100 MPs sign open letter backing Philomena's Law
More than 100 MPs and Peers in Westminster have signed an open letter backing legislation to help UK based survivors of Irish mother-and-baby homes access compensation. It comes ahead of the first Westminster debate on 'Philomena's Law' this afternoon. The legislation has been named after Philomena Lee, a mother and baby home survivor, whose story about her son being forcibly adopted was chronicled in the Oscar nominated film "Philomena". It's estimated that around 13,000 people living in the UK are mother and baby home survivors, however many risk losing their means-tested benefits if they avail of compensation under the Irish Mother and Baby Institution payments scheme. "Philomena's Law" was first introduced to the House of Commons by the chair of the UK Labour Party's Irish Society, Liam Conlon MP. "Our campaign has also been about shining a light on the Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme itself. Uptake is incredibly low in Britain and we want to ensure that every eligible survivor knows about it and feels empowered to apply", he explained. The actor Steve Coogan, who starred in the film 'Philomena' has also expressed his support for the legislation. "Liam is doing fantastic work to raise awareness of this important issue and I'm backing 'Philomena's Law' to help him ensure that all survivors get the compensation they are rightfully due", he said. Irish actor and star of Derry Girls Siobhán McSweeney said that she "wholeheartedly" supports Philomena's Law, adding that "this legislation is a crucial step towards justice and dignity for those who have suffered in silence for far too long." The open letter has been signed by politicians from a number of parties, including Labour, DUP, UUP, SDLP, SNP, Sinn Féin, Liberal Democrats and Alliance. It states that: "This complicated and stressful situation is putting undue pressure on survivors who are currently making applications to the payment scheme, forcing them to revisit their most traumatic experiences as they weigh up the cost of accepting compensation."
