Incapacity Assessment

nogginthenog

hi
i contacted my member of parliament the other day,about the new green paper,
the finer details have not been published yet.What i do know there will be regular medicals for a lot more people if not for everybody.
The daily mirror,and The scotsman are reporting that even blind people will have to attend
back to work advisors.(but that is just paper talk)
My member of parliament told me i have nothing to worry about if i am really not fit for work,I told him not to be so silly as if you are sick and vunrable you always worry.
and if i was cheating the system why would i worry.
He has promised to get back to me and has promised to have a word John Hutton the DWP secetary.

freebie_junkie

thank you, im calming down a bit now- i got dressed an put on some make-up! (yey!) and im gonna let my OH take me to bolton later.

nogginthenog

I am worried too, even though i have been told i have nothing to worry about.
i dont get re assesed for 5 years ,(the max)
But i have been told the rules may change.

freebie_junkie

this new thing has worried everyone.

Miroslav

Glad you're feeling a bit better freebie_junkie :j

My flatmate was told she'd not need another assessment until 2009......looks like they've changed their minds again

The letter she got today was about part time work, apparently she told them she told them she was doing part time work.

She isn't, she phoned them and told them so, and they said don't worry as the letter is sent out randomly.

Very odd.

krisskross

I honestly believe if you are truly unfit for work of any sort then you have nothing to worry about. However the Government are under huge financial pressures trying to balance the countries balance books.They have to start somewhere.
At present 2.7 million people claim incapacity benefit,
1 million are on the unemployment register
11.3 million are of pensionable age

15 million people claiming benefit of one sort or another and that is of course without dependents.

There are 28.76 million in employment, so theoretically on direct taxation. every worker is responsible for just over half a benefit claimant (and I am one myself as is my husband)

Now this seems to work out because when I last worked about 3 years ago I was paying just over £8000 a year in income tax and NI.

Reading on the boards here it would appear that about £12000 a year is about average benefit payments once housing costs etc are taking into consideration, so It was taking one worker (me when I did) 18 months to pay in enough dosh to support one person who was not able to work for whatever reason.

So whilst as I said I think anyone who truly is completely incapable of work will not be troubled by the new proposals, and that is as it should be...a society is judged by how it protects the weak and vulnerable. However it will be great if the reforms work out as the government envisage and people are helped to find work that they are able to do. Such as the blind person referred to in an earlier post......I have met quite a few working blind people in my life. We are all aware of David Blunkett, he has gained high office (ok and lost it) and risen above his disability.

nogginthenog

Hi again
most blind people who work (but not all) have been blind from birth.
imagine going blind at 45.
as for the finances part of the post .many people think it is cheaper to pay people £60
per week than not pay them at all in the long run
crime will soon double medical costs rise as people get more impoverished ,then there children will be born in poverty and you will soon end up with a failed society like the usa.with huge infant mortality.
thats why many political people support giving money to familys,so they can buy good food etc.
you have to look at the bigger picture.do we really want to go back to victorian times.

krisskross

I truly am happy to look at the bigger picture but the fact remains that if welfare spending continues to increase then Britain will be bankrupt.
Health spending is higher than it has ever been and it could therefore be anticipated that people would not be sick but instead there are ever increasing people who are too sick to work.

Perhaps we could have a poll as to where the Government could raise the money needed to pay for everything or which areas could cutbacks be made in. Whatever is chosen will be unpopular I think.

donnalove

well to start with cut bigwigs salary's they don't need um.

the ib figures also include people who are severly mentally and physically disabled that they cant even move, they go straight on this when they are between 16-19 at the high rate. i'd estimate they would take up about 10% or more of the totals.

believe it or not my friend has a severly disabled son 17 next month and last year they had to take him to the job centre to be assessed he is totally brain damaged.

sometimes i wander what this country is coming to, theres a lot i could say but i won't.

nogginthenog

things will improve in the future a lot of disablement is due to heavy industry and bad practices in the past,people are a lot more gend up on how to lift and use protective clothing and know how to handle chemicals etc
WE ARE the 4 richest country in the world,because we learned from our mistakes ie more productivity by giving people days off work
and not that it is relavant here in this forum but bankrupt countries do not have cruise missiles.

Deus vobiscum
noggin