Disability Benefits

Zebra

Can somebody please tell me exactly what is happening to disability benefits?

I care for somebody with Huntington's Disease and they currently claim incapacity benefit and higher rate disability living allowance.

I hear a lot of conflicting views, usually from people with a political point to prove or an axe to grind.
Some of what I hear about assessments and the like is quite scary and I'm starting to worry about what's going to happen.

So hopefully somebody will be able to give a concise and accurate answer without it descending into the usual bickering and mud-slinging.

KxMx

Basically the Government do want to cut the Disability benefits bill. I think that is a fact and not speculation.

All people on IB are in the process of being transferred to Emploment and Support Allowance, Contributions based, subject to passing the medical. The medical is tougher and there are well documented problems with it, and very few will be exempt- the IB medical exemption rules no longer apply. Also well documented is people who are very, very ill, being passed as fit for work and having to appeal.

ESA has 2 groups: Work Group and Support Group. In the Work Group you are expected to attend regular interviews at the Job Center. In the Support Group you are left alone. Current plans expected to pass mean a 12 month limit on CB based ESA in the Work Group. After which you can apply for Income Related ESA. If you do not qualify for IR ESA then there will be nothing apart from DLA.

As for DLA, reforms include compulsory medicals and a re-jigging of the criteria and bands- I don't think someone who qualifies for HR DLA would be affected. As always the award is subject to approval and again many are having existing claims denied- recently a woman with a 7yr dd who needed tube feeding, constant night care and other help posted on here her award was deneid at renewal time- happily has been re-instated. The Government are quite open in saying they want 20% of claimants off DLA.

Barneysmom

I'm hoping they go for the malingerers as they said they would.
I have someone in my family who is an alocholic and he gets more money than you could shake a stick at, certainly more than I earn at work.
And it all goes on cider.

clemmatis

One problem in answering this, zebra, is that we don't know. As KxMx said, we do know the government want to cut the disability benefit bill, the figure of 20% is a government one.

We know DLA will be replaced by PIP, we know PIP has no lower rate, I assume people who get lower rate DLA now will get nothing, but I don't actually know.

Just to add to what KxMx said, this -- it is from a site opposing the abolition of DLA, but it gives a straightforward factual account of the changes

http://www.mentalhealthforum.net/forum/showthread.php?18094-Dla-pip

Barneysmom, zebra asked for factual replies, not posts like yours.

AsknAnswer2

The only information that we can give for certain is that all IB claimants will be migrated to ESA (this is occuring at the moment).

Future points is that DLA claimants will be transferring to PIP at some point. However Universal Credit is also coming out at some point.

jsjones21

I want to apply for DLA. I have mobility issues and I have depression. The thought of applying, filling out forms, interviews, appeals, makes me feel ill. It's a viscious circle. I searched the web and found a company call My Benefits Checker. It seems ok, they sent me out a contract which I received the next day. Has anybody heard of them?

SailorSam

jsjones21 be careful of any firms that are offering to check your benefit entitlement for a fee, when very probably there are plenty of other places you can get the same advice for free.
Don't know anything about the company you mentioned.

suelees1

I'm with Sailor Sam, I'd never heard of My Benefits Checker and I'd never advise paying for a service that you can get for free from a lot of advice agencies.

I've just checked it out and they want 50% of any arrears due to you. Don't let these leeches take half of what you're owed from any claim you make.

To be honest they have no incentive to help you get the benefit immediately without it going to appeal.

I have clients whose appeals have been ongoing sometimes for year or more. That'd be good for MBC as they longer it goes on and if it's successful the more you'll be owed in arrears and the more they will charge you.

You're also agreeing to them paying out disbursements on your behalf. They could well instruct specialist who charge a fortune for reports. Whose to say these specialists aren't on the payroll of MBC!!

Seek advice elsewhere

Prinzessilein

DIAL went through the possible benefits I could be entitled to with me - and they then helped me complete the forms - and helped with an appeal....and they did it for free!

Never pay for this sort of help! It is availablr for free.

Zebra

Thanks KM, Clemmatis and AsknAnswer.
I guess it's a case of wait and see then.

Although I am worried about the medicals.
My friend has Huntington's Disease - that is a fact, not her opinion, not a doctor's opinion - fact!
She takes medication which controls the movement and the chorea but the memory and reasoning aspects alone mean she can't work (although she would love to).
I'm worried that they won't take this into consideration, as looking and talking to her you can't tell that she is disabled.
Once the job centre worker told her it wasn't a problem as she could have a brain transplant!

clemmatis wrote: »

We know DLA will be replaced by PIP, we know PIP has no lower rate, I assume people who get lower rate DLA now will get nothing, but I don't actually know.

What's PIP?

Zebra wrote: »

So hopefully somebody will be able to give a concise and accurate answer without it descending into the usual bickering and mud-slinging.

Barneysmom wrote: »

I'm hoping they go for the malingerers as they said they would.

***shrugs***

clemmatis

Zebra, PIP is the proposed replacement for DLA -- in and from 2013/4. It's similar in that it isn't means tested. It will involve, as KxMx says, compulsory face-to-face medical assessments (I believe, by ATOS); the criteria for getting it will be somewhat different; and it will have only two bands, medium and high.

I'd have expected anyone on HRC to get PIP but I really don't know.