Should DLA be means tested?

jetta_wales

Other boards have threads asking what people would do to cut the countries defecit if they were in charge. As you can imagine there were lots of "Get rid of income support" kinda posts and other nonsense like that but also making DLA means tested came up a lot too.

I think this could actualy be a real possibility in the future and I don't think I'd dissagree with it really either.

There would need to be other methods for people to get a blue badge and recognition of their dissability for other purposes where it's necessary for non financial reasons.

But at the end of the day if somebody's dissabled' but still has a family income of say 60k or more then I see no financial reason for them to get extra money from the state when they're clearly well off enough not to need it.

I don't know I think there might be some very differing ideas on this but it would be interesting to hear them.

If I for example I were to win the lottery (yeah that'd be nice lol) then I think as things are I'd be able to forfit by indefinate claim but only because there's still a register for the blind and visualy impared so I can get allowances made for me when it's needed by just proving this.

If DLA were means tested would we need another register again for other people too or is DLA effectivly a register in it'self anyway so you'd have to claim but get a sort of empty entitlement just for that purpose?

Mupette

If i won the lottery then yes i would stop my beneifts inc DLA (i know the others will stop anyway before someone says anything)

DLA is paid to you for your mobility and care needs.

so my mobility side i don't see as it goes to motability to pay for the car i have to help with my mobility.
Same with the care it goes towards your care needs.

I've never seen it as a income for me to have to spend, ifwm, it was seen as something i was given to pass on to others for mobility/care.

But if i won the lottery (we are asking for a miracle here) I would cancel the DLA, even though i would still be entitled to it, i would feel that if the lottery win was sufficient for the rest of my life, i would no longer need to be a benefits scum.

And that someone else would benefit from it instead.

I wouldn't buy another car, i would want the one i have with motability, its lovely, its suited to my needs, i guess i would ask to buy it outright. Blue badge wise, well half the time when i go to use it, the spaces are taken by other badge holders so i park where i legally can.

But there are still plenty of benefits claimants out there (not necessary disabled ones) that try all the tricks in the book to stay on benefits.

Bit of a thing in take a break magazine for the last few weeks, working mum against benefit mum, i was shocked at how the benefits mum reacted to the word 'work'
her kids had everything they wanted, electronic games, posh holidays, that's not bringing up children, they way she was doing it was producing brats with no money sense.

jazabelle

If there was also a register, I would have no problem with that. Quite honestly it would be good to make all benefits income assessed (child benefit, fuel allowance, etc). But for me it wouldn't be to save money, it would be to distribute all the money back to those that need it.

The problems I forsee is that there is a big problem with those entitled to benefits not claiming, for a variety of reasons. They don't know it's available, pride, forms are confusing, don't want to give their financial information away, etc.

One thing that does need addressing is that there needs to be help all over the country for people trying to claim benefits. I recently had a lot of trouble (well, it's ongoing). I needed to fill in some forms and wanted help, and there just wasn't any available. CAB said they didn't have the resources, my local welfare rights only help organisations not individuals, we don't have a DIAL, or any other charity that could help. I was really stuck - so if there was more help available, it would be a start.

Indie_Kid

It would cost too much money and time to administer. And where would the cut off points be? Would someone on HRC earning the same as someone on LRC get the money; but not the person on LRC? Based on the amount that the government says they both need to live on.

lilac_lady

Maybe this should be moved to the Discussions Board? I'm sure it'll generate a lot of interest!!

jetta_wales

lilac_lady wrote: »

Maybe this should be moved to the Discussions Board? I'm sure it'll generate a lot of interest!!

It's been done a lot I was just curious as to how the views would differe when most the people posting actualy do claim DLA themselfs.

If it does happen I just hope they do set the bar high enough with it.

Invasion

I wouldn't have too much of a problem with this, as long as, as you said Jetta, the cut off point wasn't too low, as we all know living with a disability is expensive and it'd be unhelpful to have the cut off point too low and making things a struggle for people. But this is something that I've thought about before, say you're a millionaire and your child needs a blue badge, but your council is one that is absolutely adamant that unless you meet the one of the automatic criteria you can't have a badge... Then you're claiming £50 a week you don't need for HRM just to get the badge and to show entitlement to needing a carer with you for other activities too.

TOBRUK

Income support is means tested and there is a cut off point of £6000 savings until money is reduced. I would think that DLA would come under the same amount otherwise things would get too complicated.

If you are receiving IS and DLA, although DLA is not means tested and both benefits are in one account, although DLA is not means tested what happens if you reach £6000 in your account? Do you say well some of that is DLA and so it's unfair that you include it in the cut off point?

jazabelle

I would hope the means tested amount would be much higher than income support. £6000 isn't much at all. I mean it's much higher than anything I have ever had, but not a lot in the grand scheme of things! A mobility scooter or car could wipe that out in one hit.

TOBRUK

jazabelle wrote: »

I would hope the means tested amount would be much higher than income support. £6000 isn't much at all. I mean it's much higher than anything I have ever had, but not a lot in the grand scheme of things! A mobility scooter or car could wipe that out in one hit.

This is what I mean when you are in receipt of IS and DLA. I bought a car 12 years ago and had it adapted, since then I have been in receipt of IS and then DLA. I have been saving a lot of the DLA for mobility towards buying another car (my car is now 14 years old) for when I have to. However, where do I stand when I get close to the £6000 mark because DLA is not means tested? I would think they would still start reducing IS but in a way it would be unfair as the money would have been saved from non means tested benefit.;)

I-Owe-You

I am disabled, 24, & work full time. If DLA was means tested would I not be able to be in receipt of it because I still bother to get up and go to work everyday??

I am profoundly deaf and suffer with Meniere's disease. I am fortunate enough to still be able to work for an understanding employer, whom has made reasonable adjustments to enable me to work as "normal" as possible...but of course I still have limitations.

I pay my way, pay full rent & rates, and my family have never ever claimed benefits. I appreciate the fact that I am able to still work (for the time being)

I struggle with the cost of living as it is, using my wages to pay my rent and utilities. I do not have any luxury mobile phone contracts, Sky TV or go on fancy holidays...

I do however have additional expenses that "normal" people do not incur; such as equipment costs in my flashing doorbell, vibrating alarm clock, domestic loop & listening pager set up, amplified & type talk phones as well as the additional electricity this uses.

Its insulting enough that I work full time and as a tax payer, keep those in this Country who don't and have no intention of working and use state benefits as a way of life

... Don't suggest to take my DLA away from me! It makes living with a disability a little bit more easier for me personally, especially when I actual use the money for the purpose it was intended.