Blow for sickness benefit claimants

wolvoman

Trains, busesand many cars are adapted now for wheelchair use so there really is very little excuse not to work just because you are disabled.

In the office where I work we have at least a dozen or so wheelchair bound employees, some in senior roles.

I know if I lost a leg or had a broken back, I'd want to be back in work as soon as possible.

JayScottGreenspan

geoffky wrote: »

and where will the jobs magic themselves from.....expect lots of more crime..

Ever heard of jobseekers allowance? It's for jobseekers, apparently.

ILW

JayScottGreenspan wrote: »

Ever heard of jobseekers allowance? It's for jobseekers, apparently.

I believe it is OK to claim it and also deal drugs part time. Quite a lot of people seem to.

SingleSue

JasonLVC wrote: »

It'll make a true picture of who is unemployed and who is disabled much more accurate. At least then we can see the true extent of the situation and plan economic policy accordingly.

Disability benefit opens the door to many other benefits (blue badges, carers allowances, IS, etc), whereas JSA is more restrictive, depending upon the type of JSA benefit claimed so may work out cheaper to pay JSA than all the other benefits.

Just a small point (and hardly important but I still felt the need to point it out, typical woman!), not everyone will gain access to a blue badge even if they receive disability benefits, it is down to the level of mobility component given via DLA, low rate mobility (even if you get high rate care), no automatic right to a blue badge, high rate mobility (and even if you get low rate care), automatic right to a blue badge.

Edit - You can also get a blue badge without receiving a disability benefit.

Who can have a Blue Badge


You are automatically eligible to apply for a badge if you are over two years old and either:

• receive the higher rate of the mobility component of Disability Living Allowance
• are registered blind
• receive a War Pensioner's Mobility Supplement

You may also be eligible for a badge if you are over two years old and either:

• have a permanent and substantial disability which means you cannot walk, or which makes walking very difficult
• drive a motor vehicle regularly, have a severe disability in both arms, and are unable to operate all or some types of parking meter (or would find it very difficult to operate them)

ALIBOBSY

Well JSA rates used to be lower than the long term incapacity rates so even just moving people from one to the other would reduce the tax bill. Plus as other posters have said it will give a real count af the true amount of unemployed.

The main thing is that the new focus is the assumption that all accept a very small minority can work (some with support).

ali x

ILW

I believe that currently, being alcoholic, drug addicted or grossly obese gets you a higher rate of benefits.

JasonLVC

SingleSue wrote: »

Just a small point (and hardly important but I still felt the need to point it out, typical woman!)

No worries SingleSue, my post was fairly generalist and was trying to explain that JSA is 'cheaper' than having to pay DLA and all that goes with it. But I take your point on badges on board.

JayScottGreenspan

geoffky wrote: »

and where will the jobs magic themselves from.....expect lots of more crime..

JayScottGreenspan wrote: »

Ever heard of jobseekers allowance? It's for jobseekers, apparently.

ILW wrote: »

I believe it is OK to claim it and also deal drugs part time. Quite a lot of people seem to.

People going from disability benefit to JSA aren't suddenly going to decide to become drug dealers.
Drug dealers on disability benefit may become drug dealers in JSA, but surely that's neither here nor there.

carolt

At last! - just many years too late.

It's shocking that these people have been allowed to sponge off the rest of us for years, just to flatter the unemployment figures. Ridicuous that people who are obese or alcoholics, say, class as disabled - they can bloody well stop spending my money on excessive food/alcohol and get a job.

Cured!

Or if not, at least it's their own money they're spending on making themselves ill. :mad:

JayScottGreenspan

ILW wrote: »

I believe that currently, being alcoholic, drug addicted or grossly obese gets you a higher rate of benefits.

It is absurd that self-inflicted disability reaps greater benefits than unemployment.

I can envisage there are good arguments for benefits for alcoholics or drug addicts that are the same as JSA. But how can anyone justify them being greater? Bizarre.