DLA Reform Consultation Started Today!

Indie_Kid

oldestrocker wrote: »

Why don't you just take out 5 mins and really think about others that are worse than you.

Now who do you think deserves the help them or you?

Was there any need for that? Many people do deserve help. If I got the help I needed when I was younger, I would not be in the situation now of needing botox injections.

With chronic pain and all the will in the world the above will only get you so far.

Indeed. I went further one evening than I should've done. I now have torticollis as a result.

Now you can do things to help distraction techniques etc but they will only help for a while and will most certainly not stop severe chronic pain.

Especially when any position (sitting, standing / walking & laying down) become uncomfortable after a while. Thankfully, I do have an understanding manager at work, so can walk around when I need to.

yorkiegal

GlasweJen wrote: »

I was thinking only people who are under the care of a psychiatrist, who have previously been hospitalised and are still undergoing outpatient treatment or are on copious medications/therapies through another channel, or who pose a real risk to themselves or others.

Now that's where I would fail the test and lose over £360 per month in benefits.
I've had mental health problems for over 20 years and have received dla for the last three. But I'm no longer under the care of my psychiatrist and my therapy has finished. They just give me the medication and leave me to manage on it. I just see my gp once every two months.
The dla decision was made when I was in a psychiatric hospital and in crisis. Now that I'm on the right meds I am stable. However I am stable because I don't have the huge pressure of having to go out to work. The anti psychotic meds stop me going into crisis but only because I'm able to plod along through the day and take my time doing simple things such as walking the dog or having a bath etc.
If something out of the ordinary happens, like someone knocking on my door when I don't expect a visitor, it can make me incredibly anxious and then I'll spend the rest of the day in bed, unable to cope with the outside world. After so many years fighting this condition I know myself and I know work makes me ill.
But the ATOS people will just see someone who has no need for secondary healthcare services. By the way I did try to get help from the CMHT but they don't have the budget to help everyone.
No DLA means poverty for me and I find it very difficult to manage a budget as it is. The main reason I ended up in the psych ward last time was because I'd not been able to manage just on incapacity benefit and had got myself into all sorts of debt.

sweetersong

oldestrocker wrote: »

Like ESA, it was expected to show approx 25% of false claims - in fact that figure went up to close on 75%.

No, thats what the Daily Mail reported, not the actual figures

The 75% was those who applied, but did not attend a medical, or those who did attend a medical, and were deemed, at that stage, fit to work

It does not take into account therefore

A. Those who are self employed have to claim ESA for short term conditions, as they are not eligble for SSP, so they could claim ESA, and then quite rightly finish their claim before the medical, which happens at around week 13 of the claim, if they are better and do not need it any more

B. The 40% of those deemed fit for work at the initial assesment, whose decisions were overturned at tribunal stage

If you take into account of these two things, it is a lot less than 75% false claims

Trialia

GlasweJen wrote: »

I was thinking only people who are under the care of a psychiatrist, who have previously been hospitalised and are still undergoing outpatient treatment or are on copious medications/therapies through another channel, or who pose a real risk to themselves or others.

I might qualify under that last, but for the rest, I wouldn't; they discharged me from my last psychiatrist as they said that there was little they could do to help - my illness is intractable due to a combination of its being ultradian-cycling and half the medications they try for it make my physical illnesses worse.

I honestly don't think there is one solution that would, or will, work for everyone. That's the downside of this whole situation. I honestly don't think 0.5% as a fraud rate is that bad, considering the DWP's error rate is much higher. The people defrauding the system give the rest of us a bad name, but they aren't costing the country all that much overall, unlike tax evasion and errors within the department. Much though the media would like us to believe otherwise.

sweetersong

Trialia wrote: »

I honestly don't think there is one solution that would, or will, work for everyone. That's the downside of this whole situation. I honestly don't think 0.5% as a fraud rate is that bad, considering the DWP's error rate is much higher. The people defrauding the system give the rest of us a bad name, but they aren't costing the country all that much overall, unlike tax evasion and errors within the department. Much though the media would like us to believe otherwise.

Particularly agree with these points.

Indie_Kid

Trialia wrote: »

That's the downside of this whole situation. I honestly don't think 0.5% as a fraud rate is that bad, considering the DWP's error rate is much higher.

I'm sure I got told / read somewhere that they lump these two figures together. I wonder why...

Pink_Mummy

Does anyone know when these changes are due to take place??

I suffer from anxiety and have a back and hip problem.. I get MRC and HRM and also a motability car, I was just discussing on another thread about giving back the car and stopping my DLA claim because of the stress of all the changes coming up.. I have read somewhere that they're not going to be taking place until 2013... My claim finishes in July 2012, is it worth me hanging on until then or what should I do?!?!? Ahhhh stressed!!!!

Brassedoff

Not only is it worth hanging onto, it is worth re-applying. If the car is the only mode of transport you have you will be seriously curtailing your mobility giving it back. If you back is anything like mine, a car, any car is a must. Otherwise you'll make yourself housebound!

WhiteHorse

L6MCT wrote: »

It also says that an important part of the new process is "likely to be a face-to-face discussion with a healthcare professional" - which I am sure is Con-dem speak for ATOS!

No doubt.

The one thing that won't happen is an assessment by independent, qualified specialists.

sheeps68

I sent a long response copying in my MP and organisation that supports my particular condition. Am trying to be positive about it but realistically we all get anxious about change but current system really needs an overhaul so lets hope for common sense to prevail.