MSE News: 'I'm on benefits but I'm no scrounger'

LouiseTopp

Hi I am on benefits and get accused of being a scrounger, I am also disabled. The finger points are usually by people who have jobs and have no idea of what it is like to be out of work.

Can they do anything about your tumour, I didn't think it would be allowed to get that bad.

Take care.

:beer:

borkid

ses6jwg wrote: »

I refuse to believe that most people on disability benefit cannot perform some sort of work such as office work.

Depends what's wrong with them. I know of someone who in slight remission from illness took on a 20hr per MONTH cleircal job. Mainly worked from home with just a few hours outside of the home. Within 9 months she had relapsed and it took another 18 months before she was back to the level of health enjoyed before taking the work. This 18months included 2 months being confined to just 2 rooms mainly bedroom but struggled to the bathroom next door by holding on to the wall as was suffering from vertigo. Many months of being near housebound ie she could only go out when accompnied.
Before anyone comments the DWP was told about taking the job before actually starting work so was all above board.

soffpro

I can sympathise with you Ross not with your hand issue but that the pain likely taxes you mentally to the hilt. but i have to say as BAD as the reaction is to your arm, you will also gain instant recognition for your illness and benefit by it. what about all those who suffer extreme mental distress and trauma, whose illness DOESN'T SHOW and is MORE DAMAGING and HUMILIATING every time they have to try to explain to the next assessor or health professional or benefits advisor who hasn't even bothered to check files or case notes. or if they cannot even attend these appointments with PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT QUALIFIED to assess a person's capability due to mental illness?

robpw2

ses6jwg wrote: »

I refuse to believe that most people on disability benefit cannot perform some sort of work such as office work.

as someone who has lost their benfit and is going through an appeal , i am also trying for jobs and whilst you may refuse to believe that disabled people cannot do some sort of work
many employers however disagree and completly ignore you/ use the insurance risk excuse etc

in an ideal world ther would be jobs for all

tbs624

There seem to be three "areas" raised by this article. One flags up the very real difficulties faced by not just those who have a long term illness or disability, but also those who will find themselves discriminated against due to their age, after being made redundant.

The fact is that, despite what the Daily Mail wants people to believe, many who are in receipt of benefits *do* want to work and life is not as straightforward as folk like Ian Duncan Smith, for example, like to think. It can be hugely demoralising for those whose health places restrictions ( both real ones and those perceived by potential employers) on what work is available to them and/or for anyone else who has applied for numerous jobs with no success.

The second area is other people's perception of benefit claimants as Ross describes. This Government seems hell bent on further encouraging the stigmatisation of *anyone* who needs to claim benefit (from a system into which they may well have personally paid for several decades) regardless of the fact that at that point for that person they may absolutely have no other option.

To me the furore over the benefit time limits that were proposed for those who are receiving cancer treatment told us everything we needed to know about the morality of some of our MPs and how out of touch with reality some of them seem to be.

Ross makes valuable points via his personal story but the third area, ie the level of actual benefit income, and its effects on his family life seems to throw up some anomalies, as other have suggested. It has to be borne in mind that there are people who are working a full week who will also be on similar low level of income and who also find it desperately hard to make ends meet. His description of the limits placed on his family will also apply to them.

It is possible that Ross does not claim all that he could - he mentions, for example, the problems with affording travel for hospital visits and yet see the Healthcare Travel Costs Scheme here

oliver1950

I don't understand the numbers quoted.

If I do a test run thru the UK benefits calculator this guy potentailly has benefits of a minimum of £24,000, probably plus his diabalement entitlement.

What gets me with a lot of benefits claimants is they are happy to moan about the small amount of cash they receive, but they carefully forget all the non cash benefits, free housing, free council tax and access to a range of other benefits.

My quick calc shows the following:

Means-tested income entitlements
Tax Credits-Initial Tax Credit £5,662.02
Income Support £5,539.67
Council Tax Benefit £999.70
Housing Benefit £10,457.14
Other income entitlements
Child Benefit £1,762.02
Total Entitlements £24,420.55

This equates to a tax free £467.06 weekly

he council tax entitlement may actually be higher.

Moreover, what is the partner doing, why can't they work?

Whilst i have sympathy for the medical condition, this still sounds like a long whinge to me.

Lets see the value of the real benefits you are getting.

soffpro

when quoting the burden to the tax payer - we always hear of those who are bad examples playing the system for all it's got and often fraudulently. this isn;t the case with most. nor do most claimants have any problems getting out of bed in the mornings. that's if they can sleep in one. i haven;t been able to for over a year now. when Fuhrer Cameron and his SS officers quote the Welfare Rights burden to the tax-payer, they no doubt include the costs of benefit fraud teams, welfare rights and other support services, forums, quangos, conferencing, committees, training and everything peripheral to the actual benefits total. if only they were as diligent with the moneys Government, councils and NHS bureaucracies have been LAUNDERING for decades, the tax-payer would be as up-in-arms as people who are losing their houses and jobs for paying for politicians to have multiple homes and jobs.

clairewop

zagfles wrote: »

The article says
I can't see how he'd only get that:

IS/JSA for a couple: 5500
DLA 1000 (at least - probably more)
Child ben: 1752
CTC: 5655
Council tax benefit: 1000 (at least)

That's nearly £15,000, and that doesn't include housing benefit/SMI.

I get dla I have cerebral palsey in my right arm and get £76 a month,

Skoorb

Nomally, people on a low income such as this would be entitled to total, or partial help with health costs. This would include travel to and from hospital!

Specifically, help towards:

• NHS prescriptions
• NHS dental treatment
• Sight tests, glasses and contact lenses
• Travel to receive NHS treatment
• NHS wigs and fabric supports

A lot of people don't know about it as it has to be claimed separately, and there aren't exactly many adverts around for it. I only know as I work in the NHS.

It's not the same as the partial exemption given to some people on certain benefits - not all benefits come with the option to claim back necessary travel costs.

Details and a claim form are at http://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/1125.aspx or they can be rung on 0845 850 1166 or 0191 203 5555 and will fill in the form over the phone for you.

This guy should get a form filled in if he hasn't already, then he should be able to claim his hospital travel costs back using the refund claim form.

If it turns out he already has an exemption, they should be able to help him with the claim form for a refund.

Likewise, if he doesn't have an NHS Dentist, which will provide free (under this scheme) or heavily discounted care, he should ring his PCT and ask for one using the details at http://www.nhs.uk/ServiceDirectories/Pages/ServiceSearchAdditional.aspx?SearchType=PCT&ServiceType=Trust

soffpro

i disagree vehemently with the previous post about forgetting all the peripheral benefits a person may receive. what this limited mentality fails to assess is the money most of those who are ill are saving services because the majority are too proud to access what they're entitled to and often do voluntary work or care for their ill families. if they think this is so easy and does not reduce their quality of life and aspirations or affect how much they can heat their homes or the food and clothing they can afford - they obviously subscribe to the valium of the masses - the media coverage showing obese families eating mounds of fried or microwaved processed foods and smoking, drinking their lives away in front of their plasma screen telly. not those who are ending up on the streets, the thousands appealing to homelessness agencies and those committing suicide or accessing greater health services for mental and stress related illness. not the criminals who simply CLAIM mental illness when they rob or assault someone. those who have never accessed the benefits system aught to TRY IT and it's effects, before opening their mouths. politicians especially. then you'd adjust your calculation to equate to what is a more common reality. you only serve to inflame ignorance against a reality YOU are more likely to have to face in the future than ever before. That's just the money - you try dealing with all those agencies and devious DWP and JCP bigots. CAMERON AND HIS CRONIES COULDN'T EMPOWER A DYNAMO ON A BICYCLE. YOU CANNOT MAKE A NATION STRONGER BY UNDERMINING THEIR SELF-ESTEEM AT EVERY POINT OF CONTACT.