Brace yourself for the next assault on the sick and disabled

[sadone]

http://voxpoliticalonline.com/2016/04/05/brace-yourself-for-the-next-assault-on-the-sick-and-disabled/

 

Rumours from the Department for Work and Pensions suggest that new secretary of state Stephen Crabb is likely to announce renewed plans to change the descriptors to PIP for aids and adaptations in August or September.

 

It seems they are part of proposals from the think tank Reform that have already been partly implemented with the cut in Employment and Support Allowance for people in the Work-Related Activity Group.

 

The Reform paper – written and published in February this year by people who are all former members of Conservative Party support staff who now claim to be politically neutral – claims that the amount of money paid to people on sickness and disability benefits adversely affects their likelihood of moving into work.

 

So it states:

 

The Government should therefore set a single rate for out-of-work benefit. The savings from this rate reduction should be reinvested into Personal Independence Payment – which contributes to the additional costs incurred by someone with a long-term condition – and into support services.

 

So the plan is to continue using the discredited perversion of ‘biopsychosocial’ theories (that claim illness is a personal choice and is all in the mind) as the basis for any assessment of a claimant’s illness; to put anyone with “mild or moderate” health conditions such as cancer or Parkinson’s on the welfare-to-work treadmill, with sanctions applied if they fail to participate (even if that failure is due to their illness); and to have all sickness benefit reduced to the same level as Jobseekers’ Allowance.

 

That’s right. Cutting ESA for people in the Work-Related Activity Group was only part of it. If the plan to roll sickness benefits into Universal Credit is implemented, then people in the Support Group – those with serious conditions that are not expected to improve within the foreseeable future – will also lose a huge amount of their weekly income.

 

 

Here’s the icing on the cake: The Reform paper recommends that savings from the ESA rate reduction could be reinvested in PIP and in support services – but there is absolutely no evidence to suggest that Mr Crabb is planning to do so. Quite the opposite, in fact. It seems he is cherry-picking the recommendations that suit him and abandoning the rest.

 

It seems clear he is also planning to abandon the sick and disabled to an uncertain and desperate future.

[Nystagmite]

What support services? And not everyone on ESA gets PIP or DLA.

 

So, I stand to lose over £100 a week. ****ing wonderful.

 

Most people on ESA have long term medical problems. The majority of people on JSA are on it short term.

[jason2723637]

time for a double u turn...

 

 

EDITED TO ADD-

 

"to put anyone with “mild or moderate” health conditions such as cancer"

 

cancer is a mild or moderate health condition???

[jason2723637]

" ‘biopsychosocial’ theories (that claim illness is a personal choice and is all in the mind)"

 

woah!

[sillygirl1]

My illness (osteoarthritis in my neck with three collapsed vertabrae) is NOT in my mind...I would love to give my illness to several pen-pushing DWP twerps and see how they can cope.

 

On a bad day I can't hold a cup of coffee in my right hand, lift my arm up to put deodorant on or even manage to brush my hair on that side...let alone use a PC keyboard.

 

I have worked out how to do speech typing on my laptop but it probably wouldn't be acceptable in a busy office,

 

I am about to hit the 13 week mark and still haven't heard from the DWP about another farcical F2F - going to call them later today to see what is happening.

 

The government need to know that their policies are NOT working for the sick.

 

A nation with a 100% full workforce and 100% full health will NEVER EVER exist in reality.

[Nystagmite]

Someone needs to look up personal choice. I didn't choose to be put on medication which has made me deaf in one ear. Nor did I choose to inherit something that will possibly make me go blind me before I reach my 40s.

[tommy456]

They all need lessons in basic common sense something that the real parasites in this ,those at the top don't possess

 

Any rational person working or not knows that there will never be 0% unemployment or 0% sick or disabled and they accept this will always be ,

 

Sadly some of those Deluded ,overpaid & under worked out of touch top level politicians can't see this, Or they are on some personal crusade to find ways to persecute those who can't easily fight back,

Remember those school bullies ? I recall what happened to one or two during my time at school lol

[Max1968]

"So the plan is to continue using the discredited perversion of ‘biopsychosocial’ theories (that claim illness is a personal choice and is all in the mind) as the basis for any assessment of a claimant’s illness; to put anyone with “mild or moderate” health conditions such as cancer or Parkinson’s on the welfare-to-work treadmill, with sanctions applied if they fail to participate (even if that failure is due to their illness); and to have all sickness benefit reduced to the same level as Jobseekers’ Allowance."

I'm not in the business of defending any political party but does the "reform paper" state any of this in writing or is it the opinion of the author of the article?

[carly123]

I saw a video of the person who proposes the cuts and she said only 70% of people in support group claim pip so the other 30% will benefit from the cut to their money because the money will be used to support them into work.So if you don't claim pip you will not be classed as disabled and will need to do wra.

 

I am on support group but have not applied for pip because I don't need the extra money because I get enough on support group but when they cut it I will just apply for pip and will get about £100 more than I am getting now,so much for them saving money.

 

The way she said it was like the 30% had tried to get pip and had failed,they are a*******s.

[tommy456]

I saw a video of the person who proposes the cuts and she said only 70% of people in support group claim pip so the other 30% will benefit from the cut to their money because the money will be used to support them into work.So if you don't claim pip you will not be classed as disabled and will need to do wra.

 

I am on support group but have not applied for pip because I don't need the extra money because I get enough on support group but when they cut it I will just apply for pip and will get about £100 more than I am getting now,so much for them saving money.

 

The way she said it was like the 30% had tried to get pip and had failed,they are a*******s.

Ahh ,but they have announced plans to make changes to the descriptors for PIP, So they will no doubt make it virtually impossible to meat the criteria and score points, They have done a similar thing to ESA over the years

[Nystagmite]

I saw a video of the person who proposes the cuts and she said only 70% of people in support group claim pip so the other 30% will benefit from the cut to their money because the money will be used to support them into work.So if you don't claim pip you will not be classed as disabled and will need to do wra.

 

I am on support group but have not applied for pip because I don't need the extra money because I get enough on support group but when they cut it I will just apply for pip and will get about £100 more than I am getting now,so much for them saving money.

 

The way she said it was like the 30% had tried to get pip and had failed,they are a*******s.

 

And many of us are still on DLA.

[carly123]

I think DLA would count as it's a disability benefit.

 

It shouldn't happen for a while anyway,support group is supposed to be last to be changed over and and uc is a total disaster.

[sillygirl1]

I didn't qualify for PIP although I should soon be getting the higher rate of ESA as I am coming up to 13 weeks. Sent my ESA50 form off ages ago but haven't heard anything further yet.

 

Wondering if I will get any extra 'automatically' until they decide which group I will be in - I suspect I will be put in the WRA group - although at 58 with osteoarthritis I don't expect much will be done.

 

If the government hadn't moved the retirement age I would have retired now. I might be able to arrange that though....will see if I can get anything done on that front.

 

Sadly this government seems to think nearly all illnesses are self-inflicted - I wish they had 3 collapsing vertebrae in their necks trapping nerves and then see what they think!

[sadone]

"So the plan is to continue using the discredited perversion of ‘biopsychosocial’ theories (that claim illness is a personal choice and is all in the mind) as the basis for any assessment of a claimant’s illness; to put anyone with “mild or moderate” health conditions such as cancer or Parkinson’s on the welfare-to-work treadmill, with sanctions applied if they fail to participate (even if that failure is due to their illness); and to have all sickness benefit reduced to the same level as Jobseekers’ Allowance."

I'm not in the business of defending any political party but does the "reform paper" state any of this in writing or is it the opinion of the author of the article?

 

It's the recommendations of the Tory Think Tank as written in that article in the original link I'm afraid. If you go on their site it all makes for some very scary reading. Their willful ignorance of sickness and disability is just breathtaking. But It's this lot that recommended taking £30 a week from the esa work group.

 

Wondering if I will get any extra 'automatically' until they decide which group I will be in -

 

Sadly no. Unfortunately you will stay on the assessment rate until you have your 'medical' and these days that 13 weeks wait can stretch to being as long as a year.

[sadone]

Here's the link to that original article. And whilst you're on there read the other articles recommending some of the most ignorant and scary policies that I've ever seen.

 

http://www.reform.uk/publication/working-welfare-a-radically-new-approach-to-sickness-and-disability-benefits/

[Max1968]

Here's the link to that original article. And whilst you're on there read the other articles recommending some of the most ignorant and scary policies that I've ever seen.

 

http://www.reform.uk/publication/working-welfare-a-radically-new-approach-to-sickness-and-disability-benefits/

 

 

Interestingly it doesn't actually state what "mild to moderate" health conditions are as far as I can see but the quote that does make me laugh is "Evidence shows that work is good for people’s health and wellbeing" . My late father died of a heart attack before he was 60 after slaving away for 40 odd years and he loved his job but that's another discussion!!

 

What the article, and many of the Governments policies don't actually take into account is how difficult it can be to get into full time work anyway whether you have a condition or not. Before my condition started I was made redundant and spent 6 months job searching without success despite many an interview, and at the time I was fully fit!! Now with my current condition I am extremely limited as to what I could actually do anyway. If there was a job that involved computer work from home for instance I would probably be fine but those sort of jobs just don't exist. I was a driver but vertigo, insomnia and driving don't really mix!!

 

A friend of mine rang me a few days a go to see how things were going. He is a lawyer and we spoke about the situation. He said that the problem I and many others have which the Government fails to realise is that at the present moment in time "I am unemployable" and he admitted hypothetically that even as a friend he wouldn't currently employ me because of the health and safety risks of my condition plus right now I wouldn't be able to perform as an employee to the required standard for both him, his company and myself. I can understand that, I mean why would he want to risk a potential lawsuit if I fell down the stairs at work when he knew full well that my condition meant that I couldn't do that 100% safely when he employed me?!

 

So that is the problem that our dear Government fail to grasp. Whilst they would much rather me be swaying and spinning and exhausted in work rather than on benefits they fail to tell me what I can actually do and who would actually employ me because I wouldn't get past the current health conditions part of an application form!!

Edited April 7, 2016 by Max1968

[sadone]

No they grasp it just fine. Thing is they don't care. Getting anyone, let alone sick and disabled into some kind of work is not what this is about. It's about saving money and let those who can't fend for themselves starve.

 

You only have to look at the USA to see how well that works out.

[Nystagmite]

Work is probably good for some people. But finding an employer who'd take someone on when they have completely unreasonable adjustments will never happen. The adjustments I need are unreasonable (reasonable being things like things in large print and on coloured paper - both are easy to do) and so would be the amount of time I need off work due to being ill.

[mikeymack2002]

Has any one got a care plan in place? Have they noticed that the timings and length of the care visits is already on the decline? Do carers (Council paid) offer value for money and care? Maybe in some circumstances, a neighbour was having issues with a carer and they were not doing what was expected or working correctly within the printed care plan.

 

 

The result was this particular carer being removed from the service users home. A new one to replace them is being arranged as we speak. I had noticed that the input from various carers was not done in a proper manner and that the visits were rushed and of little use. Once these observations can comments were placed in the clients care plan book and made known to the LA they decided that they agreed with us on our points.

 

 

So it looks like the disabled could face possible downgrade/s in care and time from some LA's. Has anyone got any comments on this?

[sadone]

I don't know where you've been Mikey, but social care has been cut back to the bone for some time now. Every year it gets worse and worse.

[mikeymack2002]

I've been hiding from the world. My care is now privately provided and a much better standard than what I was getting. Time will tell how deep and long these cuts will be.

[sadone]

Aren't you the luck one.

 

The cuts have been eating away at care now for quite some time sadly, and due to less being given from central government only set to get worse.

[tommy456]

The cuts from this and the previous tory /coalition government have eaten away at CAB funding too, Infact my CAB adviser/case worker has been telling me that local government funding is uncertain for tribunal representation after the summer of this year in my area, This is due to this uncaring callous (other derogatory names are available ) Tory government and the buck stops with their biggest fool Cameron, because it is he who gives the orders

 

I hate them all with a vengeance,time some one did something

[Max1968]

The cuts from this and the previous tory /coalition government have eaten away at CAB funding too, Infact my CAB adviser/case worker has been telling me that local government funding is uncertain for tribunal representation after the summer of this year in my area, This is due to this uncaring callous (other derogatory names are available ) Tory government and the buck stops with their biggest fool Cameron, because it is he who gives the orders

 

I hate them all with a vengeance,time some one did something

 

 

 

Surely there is a journalist out there somewhere with a conscience wanting to make a name for himself/herself? The only way that this can all stop is for the media to become involved.

[Guest Miss Anxious]

I didn't qualify for PIP although I should soon be getting the higher rate of ESA as I am coming up to 13 weeks. Sent my ESA50 form off ages ago but haven't heard anything further yet.

 

Wondering if I will get any extra 'automatically' until they decide which group I will be in - I suspect I will be put in the WRA group - although at 58 with osteoarthritis I don't expect much will be done.

 

If the government hadn't moved the retirement age I would have retired now. I might be able to arrange that though....will see if I can get anything done on that front.

 

Sadly this government seems to think nearly all illnesses are self-inflicted - I wish they had 3 collapsing vertebrae in their necks trapping nerves and then see what they think!

 

What did you mean by, you might ba able to arrange retirement? What could you get done on that front?

 

Miss a.