DLA durations of award

opus33

gingergee wrote: »

I get HRC/HRM, awarded indefinitely. I know this means almost zilch now though. I have a condition that varies from day to day. They told me they accepted i had good and bad days. So it could be called "fluctuating".
PIP is going to cause mayhem i think. I'd swap every penny i ever have to be well. My disease is incurable though. Its managed instead.
Fingers crossed OP you get the right answer x

Yes it does mean nothing!

We had a meeting at our home this morning with AgeUK, and this very point arose. Dad has HRM & MRC indefinitely. It was renewed at the end of last year.

AgeUK know all about his problems and needs and told us for him to be prepared to lose his Motability car from next year onwards as he would not get enough points under PIP on the basis that he virtually cannot walk, but does not need or use any aids and his needs fluctuate so much.
They also said that he is as bright as a button as regards being able to get from A to B.

His MRC will also be downgraded to the minimum.

Having fluctuating needs will go against people as the new test is based on 'for the majority of the time'. You may be able to claim it on a historical basis (which is not possible), because of the unknown future can only be viewed looking back to see what actually happened.

Looks like we are all going to be contributing towards a car for mum and dad and help with the running costs just to keep them mobile.
We will manage one way or another. Maybe the government is giving us the push to do it as up to now the Motability car has always been available and we have just assumed it always will be.
Maybe the carrot wasn't enough - the stick will have to be used a little more to 'encourage' people to be more self reliant and for the family to step in instead of the government.

redbicycle

The trouble is people caring for disabled relatives can be pretty put upon as it is, though the government has been making some noises about supporting carers, there are many people who would really struggle if eligibility for disability benefits is cut.

opus33

redbicycle wrote: »

The trouble is people caring for disabled relatives can be pretty put upon as it is, though the government has been making some noises about supporting carers, there are many people who would really struggle if eligibility for disability benefits is cut.

Don't you mean when? It all kicks off next year with Universal Credit to be followed later in the year by the gradual shutting down of DLA. By 2016, all of the new benefits will be in place, and thank God, I don't have to worry about claiming any of them!

redbicycle

Never heard of a government U-turn?

I don't think the PIP eligibility proposals are final yet either.

There might even be a vote of no confidence and an early election before 2015 so nothing is certain.

I don't like it though when people talk about it implying the existing DLA system is wonderful, it isn't, the assessment process is a mess, shown by the fact that such a large percentage of awards come as a result of appeals.

opus33

redbicycle wrote: »

Never heard of a government U-turn?

I don't think the PIP eligibility proposals are final yet either.

There might even be a vote of no confidence and an early election before 2015 so nothing is certain.

I don't like it though when people talk about it implying the existing DLA system is wonderful, it isn't, the assessment process is a mess, shown by the fact that such a large percentage of awards come as a result of appeals.

Hey one of those optimists I keep hearing about.

There will be no u turn to the Welfare Reform. Why? Because the vast majority of the public actually believe that those on benefits are scroungers.
There is a groundswell against all things benefit - you only have to read some of the comments on this forum to know that.

It will be a popular move by the Government to squeeze benefit claimants even more - who is going to object? Err the benefit claimants themselves? or maybe the do-gooders that object to everything and anything?

Do you honestly believe that they will water down PIP? Pigs will fly before that happens.

Most people in this country believe that those on DLA are pulling a fast one especailly when they themselves admit that they have never been formally assessed. Claims made on paper and awarded indefinitely.

No confidence? I think you need to give the British people a bit more credit - who on earth wants to go back to the likes of Blair/Brown again?

pstuart

opus33 wrote: »

Hey one of those optimists I keep hearing about.

There will be no u turn to the Welfare Reform. Why? Because the vast majority of the public actually believe that those on benefits are scroungers.
There is a groundswell against all things benefit - you only have to read some of the comments on this forum to know that.

It will be a popular move by the Government to squeeze benefit claimants even more - who is going to object? Err the benefit claimants themselves? or maybe the do-gooders that object to everything and anything?

Do you honestly believe that they will water down PIP? Pigs will fly before that happens.

Most people in this country believe that those on DLA are pulling a fast one especailly when they themselves admit that they have never been formally assessed. Claims made on paper and awarded indefinitely.

No confidence? I think you need to give the British people a bit more credit - who on earth wants to go back to the likes of Blair/Brown again?

I was with you all the way until the last paragraph, like them or not they weren't cruel.

HB58

It was the labour party who first started to reform the benefits system, they laid the groundwork for ESA and have shown no intention of trying to reverse the changes if/when the get back into government.

Anubis_2

opus33 wrote: »

Yes it does mean nothing!

We had a meeting at our home this morning with AgeUK, and this very point arose. Dad has HRM & MRC indefinitely. It was renewed at the end of last year.

AgeUK know all about his problems and needs and told us for him to be prepared to lose his Motability car from next year onwards as he would not get enough points under PIP on the basis that he virtually cannot walk, but does not need or use any aids and his needs fluctuate so much.
They also said that he is as bright as a button as regards being able to get from A to B.

His MRC will also be downgraded to the minimum.

Having fluctuating needs will go against people as the new test is based on 'for the majority of the time'. You may be able to claim it on a historical basis (which is not possible), because of the unknown future can only be viewed looking back to see what actually happened.

Looks like we are all going to be contributing towards a car for mum and dad and help with the running costs just to keep them mobile.
We will manage one way or another. Maybe the government is giving us the push to do it as up to now the Motability car has always been available and we have just assumed it always will be.
Maybe the carrot wasn't enough - the stick will have to be used a little more to 'encourage' people to be more self reliant and for the family to step in instead of the government.

Sorry, I don't believe AgeUK said that at all. Fact is they can't - PIP has not been passed yet, they would have no way of knowing and should not be telling people they will loose their awards. I don't know why you keep coming back with the same story under a different name.

opus33

pstuart wrote: »

I was with you all the way until the last paragraph, like them or not they weren't cruel.

No, I accept that they weren't cruel, just a little misguided when it came to the financial affairs of this country.

Brown the accountant dreamed of being Brown the MD!!!

opus33

Anubis wrote: »

Sorry, I don't believe AgeUK said that at all. Fact is they can't - PIP has not been passed yet, they would have no way of knowing and should not be telling people they will loose their awards. I don't know why you keep coming back with the same story under a different name.

I'm sorry, but that is what they did say when we had a chat about the possibility of dad keeping his HRM under PIP. They had a list of the descriptors and the points and went through it with us all.
Based on what they know of us and what we told the lady, it was suggested that based on the current thinking, he will lose his car and have a reduction in the Care component.

We want to look to the future and take on board anything that may happen, not just let it happen!

What other name????