MSE News: Half a million could lose disability benefits

Dunroamin

clemmatis wrote: »

Most such examples -- and ones like the people with MS I've known work on through -- show

that some people can do it

and

that most of those can do it with help.

"No claim for benefit" is a cheap shot, The MS people I'm thinking of don't I believe claim benefits, but they are well pad and are given help and support including the equivalent of PAs.

I add that you don't need a team of PAs to fly a Spitfire (indeed, they'd get in the way) or even travel the world. A man without legs, though, could not have done the job my father did in WW2, or the job Denis Healey did.

I wasn't the one who started slinging comparisons around but I felt that it was useful to give an example of someone well known who did things without a retinue of helpers (as you say, a bit of a squash in a Spitfire!).

I've worked with many disabled people (in my last job there were 18 staff, of whom there were at least 5 people who had a disability) and none of them had extra help except the colleague who had a blue badge. Obviously there are some people who couldn't work under any circumstances but there are many who could, even though they might think that they couldn't.

clemmatis

The Spitfire thing made me LOL!

danielanthony

clemmatis wrote: »

Sigh...

1. DLA is not an out of work benefit.

2. I doubt your grandfather'd have been entitled to DLA because he lost some fingers, and anyway, it wasn't introduced till 1992.

3. Tell David Cameron -- he claimed DLA.

1. Indeed, but if you earn a decent salary and happen to be disabled, why should you claim it?

2. If you can claim for anxiety or aspergers, you can claim for missing limbs.

3. Next time I see DC I'll tell him how disappointed I am

clemmatis

danielanthony wrote: »

1. Indeed, but if you earn a decent salary and happen to be disabled, why should you claim it?

2. If you can claim for anxiety or aspergers, you can claim for missing limbs.

3. Next time I see DC I'll tell him how disappointed I am

Re your 2, it isn't possible to claim simply on the grounds that you have anxiety, Asperger's, missing limbs..., DLA is awarded for care/mobility needs. It's my assumption -- based on inadequate information, admittedly, and my knowledge of hand problems -- that the "(some) missing fingers" you mentioned wouldn't necessarily give rise to care needs sufficient to justify DLA. If he'd lost the use of one hand totally, that might well not qualify him for DLA.

anguk

clemmatis wrote: »

Re your 2, it isn't possible to claim simply on the grounds that you have anxiety, Asperger's, missing limbs..., DLA is awarded for care/mobility needs. It's my assumption -- based on inadequate information, admittedly, and my knowledge of hand problems -- that the "(some) missing fingers" you mentioned wouldn't necessarily give rise to care needs sufficient to justify DLA. If he'd lost the use of one hand totally, that might well not qualify him for DLA.

Good point. My husband is an amputee and gets DLA but I know quite a few other leg amputees who don't get DLA, the difference is they don't have any other health problems and are able to walk perfectly well with their prosthetic leg whereas my husband has other health problems and can't walk very well with a prosthetic leg (problems with stump). Having your leg or even legs amputated doesn't automatically qualify you for DLA.

ineed

danielanthony wrote: »

1. Indeed, but if you earn a decent salary and happen to be disabled, why should you claim it?

2. If you can claim for anxiety or aspergers, you can claim for missing limbs.

3. Next time I see DC I'll tell him how disappointed I am

1. Because being disabled causes a lot of expense if you need to pay for a carer, medication, or any special treatment or devices for your car/home. Earning a decent salary won't pay for all that and your normal bills like mortgage, water rates, council tax etc plus food for yourself and family.

2. You cannot get DLA for anxiety or aspergers unless caused by an underlying condition (in the case of anxiety) that caused other problems that affected your ability to function in everyday life. DLA isn't easy to get, and missing fingers wouldn't automatically entitle you to claim it, unless it affected your ability to live your life normally (needing someone to cook, clean and write for you for example). You would also need to have evidence that the loss affected your abilities to live a normal life, if you cannot provide strong enough medical evidence you have to prove to a panel of doctors that your condition or loss affected you in these ways.

3. Can't you just punch him in the face for being a two faced git?

Anubis_2

sangio wrote: »

Why?



Let's put it this way. Her husband was sacked 6 months ago for theft from his employer. He now suffers from stress and claims ESA. His wife (the sister) also claims ESA yet carries out work as a mobile hairdresser working 'no more that 15 hours a week' - 'hoping to find out if she could make a go of the business'.

Last I heard she is taking booking 3/4 weeks in advance and certainly does at least double the number of hours she admits to.

They own a flat (their original home 8 years ago) which is let out to one of her brothers on the QT. They own another house (4 bed detached £250,000) which is also let out on the QT to one of my daughters'. Both rents are paid in cash with no formal agreements involved.

Then they bought last year a £300,000 5 bed detached on a BTL mortgage and moved in. Now that is to be p/x for the new house which will also be mortgaged as a 'BTL' property.

There you go a little bit more info for you to digest. Your choice if you don't believe it.

As for the other brother, yes it can be unblocked and that is the next course of events - but do you honestly expect him to inform the DWP (ESA & DLA) after the surgery of his improvement or maybe hand back the LA bungalow given to him due to his 'ill health'?

He is staying put. as he puts it, and will be buying it off the LA asap.

The hospital will inform them.... You have to inform DLA when you go in hospital but even if you don't the hospital will. They will likely be informed of the removal of the block too.

Never known anyone to get a bungalow due to just a blocked artery alone because it can be fixed relatively easily.

If they are screwing the system so much with over half a million equity on paper etc, and you know you are right about what they are doing, then you should inform the relevant people.

All it will take the DWP is a quick search to see who owns what property, the rest, such as surveillance, will be taken from there.

Anubis_2

MissMoneypenny wrote: »

I know; but her photos there don't match the longterm history picture that has been posted here. https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/1894739

I'm really, really hoping someone has hacked her account; it's going to shatter my belief in posters otherwise:(

To be fair, I do see your point with the photo's. I know for me I do spend most of my time in bed. There are several reasons for that, one of the main ones being pain/exhaustion/breatlessness and the effort and help required to get downstairs is wasted when I have to go back upstairs 30 minutes later due to - shall we say - toilet/bathroom needs, or to lie down.

I simply could not stand unaided, whether crutches/person or both (a stick is of no use) and I need the wheelchair so there would be no photo's of me without a chair, or, at the very least, crutches.

On the other hand, photo's do not tell he whole story in some cases as some people may not want photo's with disability aids in them. My FIL is a proud man, and many years ago we went out for a few hours and at the time I had an electric wheelchair. He was suffering a lot with his legs and he became in pain/tired quite easily. He was obviously hurting when we were in one store, as I saw it in his face. I offered to get out of my chair so that he could use it while in the store as there was a chair in the store I could sit on.

He point blank refused, saying he didn't want people to think he was disabled and wouldn't dream of sitting in the wheelchair so went and sat in the store chair. It took him all his time to use sticks and he didn't like it. He certainly wouldn't have any photos took with such aids :eek: Of course now it's different as he has since lost his legs so has to use a chair mostly unless it's a short distance to where he is going, then he uses his prosthetics but not very well as he is blind/deaf so it's easier to use the chair with the assistance he needs.

He has learned to drop his pride, he has had to, but just making a point that for some people, pride might be a factor (not saying this is the case here.)

It would be easy to assume from the photo's that there is nothing wrong, but that's conjecture really as you have to consider that the photo's where taken over two years ago although I can see both sides, and your point

As for the point of travelling/holiday when you are disabled, it's a moot one really since disability should not necessarily mean people have to never go anywhere. With the right help, anything is possible.

~Chameleon~

FBaby wrote: »

Why the generalisation that disabled people are the least able to defend themselves? How does having a mobility issue makes you less able to fight for what you believe is your rights? How are they less able to defend themselves than a young employee who is made redundant because he was the last one in, who has no idea about employement rights?

You, like many others, are making the erroneous assumption that all disabled people are physically immobile and wheelchair bound!

Disability affects people in many more ways and those suffering mental illness and learning difficulties certainly are a vulnerable group, many of which no longer have the support of social workers or mental health teams because of the government cutbacks to these services.

How do you suggest these people gain access to the help needed to deal with this government's so called austerity measures when they suddenly find themselves without any benefits to live on?

FBaby

~Chameleon~ wrote: »

You, like many others, are making the erroneous assumption that all disabled people are physically immobile and wheelchair bound!

Disability affects people in many more ways and those suffering mental illness and learning difficulties certainly are a vulnerable group, many of which no longer have the support of social workers or mental health teams because of the government cutbacks to these services.

How do you suggest these people gain access to the help needed to deal with this government's so called austerity measures when they suddenly find themselves without any benefits to live on?

I wasn't referring to everyone who claims DLA I was challenging the generalisation that disabled people are vulnerable and can't defend themselves. its like saying all pensioners are vulnerable.of course some are but many are not. Just like many vulnerable people do not have a disability. I very much dislike labels associated with a particular trait. I am from another county originally been here for over 15 years and still I face people assuming things about me because of my nationality.