Nice people thread part 3- Nice as pie

lemonjelly

Just recieved the following in an email:

25 January 2011 – Majority of people found fit for work as Government presses ahead with reforms

The vast majority of people who apply for Employment and Support Allowance are either being found fit for work after undergoing a Work Capability Assessment or stop their claim before they complete their medical assessment.
The official statistics, published today, demonstrate why Ministers are determined to reform the welfare system and press ahead with the reassessment of those on the old style incapacity benefit (IB), which began in Burnley and Aberdeen last year and will roll out across the country later this year.
Employment Minister Chris Grayling:

"It’s unacceptable that so many people have been written off to a lifetime on benefits and these figures show just how vital it is that everyone who has the potential to work receives the right help and support.
"We are determined to get the medical assessment right and provide the necessary help for those that need it, however these figures show just how many people are found to be fit for work and not entitled to ESA.
"Our new Work Programme will ensure that those found fit for work will get the help and support they need to get a job. Those found too sick or disabled to work won’t be expected to and will continue to receive the support they need to lead fulfilling lives."

For new ESA claims from October 2008 to May 2010, the breakdown is:

• Support Group (for those who cannot work now or in the foreseeable future and need unconditional support) – 6%
• Work Related Activity Group (for those who cannot work now but with the right help could work in the foreseeable future) – 16%
• Fit for Work - 39%
• Claim closed before assessment complete or assessment still in process–39%

Ministers have already made changes to the way the Work Capability Assessments recognise people suffering from mental health conditions and those with cancer.

Interesting...

FWIW, it is essentially a labour policy too.

I'm not inclined to start a thread on it, as it'd just turn into a bashing thread, however wouldn't suprise me if it gets trotted out soon...

http://www.dwp.gov.uk/newsroom/press-releases/2011/jan-2011/dwp008-11.shtml

GDB2222

My son sent me this link, which is well worth a click. http://www.27bslash6.com/f4s.html

Essentially, what happened is that a ski shop gave astonishingly bad service to someone (allegedly, of course), and he generated the following spoof advert for them.




They then received 5,000 phone calls... Anyway, it's worth reading the linky for the follow-up correspondence.

lostinrates

GDB2222, that is hilarious.....

is anyone else slightly tempted to email? I bet they've changed their email and phone number now. LOL.

PasturesNew

I've read a lot of that guy's stuff. Go through his other blog pages. Brilliant writer.

It can't be true, all that stuff wouldn't really happen to one person.

SingleSue

lemonjelly wrote: »

Just recieved the following in an email:



Interesting...

FWIW, it is essentially a labour policy too.

I'm not inclined to start a thread on it, as it'd just turn into a bashing thread, however wouldn't suprise me if it gets trotted out soon...

http://www.dwp.gov.uk/newsroom/press-releases/2011/jan-2011/dwp008-11.shtml

An awful lot of those found 'fit for work' eventually go on to overturn that decision on appeal.....ATOS are not really fit for purpose to be honest.

Of course, there will be some (in fact, probably the majority), who are unable to claim sick pay from work and are off work for a short period of time (say 6 or 8 weeks or so) and need to claim a sickness benefit and once better, return to work cancelling the claim before the medical (it doesn't exactly happen quickly)...hence the cancelling the claim before medical arrives stats.

And you are right, there is an awful lot of bashing that goes on around ESA (in fact any disability benefits) and a lot of misconceptions regarding the medicals...a fair few have the view that if the computer says you are fit, then you are fit when in a whole load of cases, it is completely wrong.

As an example - You are only able to get yourself out of bed unaided once a week, the rest of the time you need assistance from another person. In that scenario, because you have said you can do it once a week, they tick the yes box..there is no facility to add additional notes.

Or....one day out of say 15, you are able to leave your home and do some shopping but the result of doing that then leaves you bedbound for the next two weeks (particularly in the case of ME), you get a yes tick, you can do it ignoring the fact that to do it, would then leave you incapacitated for a lengthy time afterwards.

And it is not catching the cheats...they have worked out how to fool the system and will say what they know needs to be said, while the genuine claimant is honest about their condition and then has to go through a lengthy and very stressful appeals process to finally reach the tribunal stage.

There have been some real horror stories regarding these medicals..some truly heartbreaking.

tomterm8

what I have been doing today.

OK, imagine this comes in your door, in a plane brown envelope stamped, hand addressed with a first class stamp with a bag of dirt attached to it...

letter wrote:

Dear Friend,

You might be wondering why I sent you a bag of dirt with this letter.

Well, while most people go about their lives they don’t realise how much dirt on them is collected by companies and available to the highest bidder.

They don’t know private companies can find out:

• Who you email
• What political party and/or union you belong to.
• What you buy
• Who you are sleeping with
• The names and addresses of your business partners, friends and relatives
• ... Sometimes, even relatives you aren’t aware of!
• Who you talk to on the phone
• When you talk to them
• Where you were born
• Where you are at any point in time to within 5 metres of the street address
• What websites you visit
• ... And even whether you are likely to die of Heart Disease.

And yet, there are hundreds of companies that hold some or all of this information. Even government agencies are often powerless to keep their internal information secret.

So why worry about this if you have nothing to hide?

Most private companies that keep the dirt on you aren’t that scrupulous. For a price your business competitors can discover everything you do. This may sound like science fiction. But there have been several criminal cases where people have been put into jail for spying using these techniques.

I was so shocked when I found out about this that I decided to research it and write a 32-page free guide which explains how companies can spy on you. In addition, it explains some simple steps to keep your private life private.

Go to URL to obtain your copy, or get it by writing to ADDRESS.

Thank you for your time,

Yours,

XXXXXX.

P.s. the free guide on how to stop your competitors spying on you and finding out everything about you also has a section of advice on how to stop people hacking into your computer, and using it to commit crimes which you would be liable for!

And no, it's not a real product, I like to practice my copy writing occasionally. Not that I'll ever be good at it, but it's a useful skill if the economy ever goes down the pan...

PasturesNew

Or, tomtom, you could have simply learnt to fish.

tomterm8

SingleSue wrote: »

An awful lot of those found 'fit for work' eventually go on to overturn that decision on appeal.....ATOS are not really fit for purpose to be honest.
.

I will never understand how an uneducated person clicking buttons on a keyboard can possibly be a better judge of whether someone is disabled or ill than their own doctor.

It is crazy.

tomterm8

PasturesNew wrote: »

Or, tomtom, you could have simply learnt to fish.

What do you mean?

PasturesNew

tomterm8 wrote: »

What do you mean?

One man, a hook and a line can get fish to eat + fish to trade/sell.

Bit more "direct action" than writing stuff on the Internet :P

That's why my current diversification is into "making something", even though that something is a luxury item. It's also a "cheer up" item.

I'm also applying for a little numpty job. Pays £10k, but it's nice and easy - bet I don't hear anything back. Numpty job is in the industry of the stuff I plan to make, so it'd be like being paid to become more aware/learn stuff. £10k from a job, £10-12k from online, few bob from savings = can afford to rent a 1-bed house with off road parking!!

So difficult making choices about what to do.