MSE News: Half a million could lose disability benefits

cit_k

juliep123 wrote: »

I've just been medically retired from DWP at the age of 44 .I've had RA for 9 years but over the last 6 months it has got much worse and i'm now pretty imobile.
I've worked since i was 18 and would be entitled to ESA conts but i've decided not to claim.The attitude of some people to those who claim benefit is horrendous (including members of my own family).For the benefit of all genuine claimants the fraudulent claims must be weeded out and proper sanctions should be imposed on these fraudsters.
I'm very lucky as my OH is able to support us both - a lot of people aren't so lucky.
Jules

If you have not claimed yet, you have no idea if you would be eligible for ESA [at least without a year wait for an appeal], remember - we are talking about 2 highly incompetant places - atos and the dwp.

The attitude you speak of will be fed by propaganda - something the DWP has played an active role in promoting.

cit_k

~Chameleon~ wrote: »

Unfortunately, many are clueless as to what exactly forms the basis of a DLA claim, or how extremely difficult it is to claim. And far too many people make far too many erroneous assumptions about those who are in receipt of it, often getting it so badly wrong!

Perhaps MSE should restrict entry of benefit threads to those who can pass a test about the benefit in question.

Far to many threads are just full of people posting rubbish, because they dont have a clue what they are talking about - yet are happy to denounce other people based on their lack of knowledge.

It would not be to bad, if people said they were clueless, but they make false statements on a regular basis.

Ellejmorgan

cit_k wrote: »

If you have not claimed yet, you have no idea if you would be eligible for ESA [at least without a year wait for an appeal], remember - we are talking about 2 highly incompetant places - atos and the dwp.

The attitude you speak of will be fed by propaganda - something the DWP has played an active role in promoting.

Divide and rule...

ineed

juliep123 wrote: »

I've just been medically retired from DWP at the age of 44 .I've had RA for 9 years but over the last 6 months it has got much worse and i'm now pretty imobile.
I've worked since i was 18 and would be entitled to ESA conts but i've decided not to claim.The attitude of some people to those who claim benefit is horrendous (including members of my own family).For the benefit of all genuine claimants the fraudulent claims must be weeded out and proper sanctions should be imposed on these fraudsters.
I'm very lucky as my OH is able to support us both - a lot of people aren't so lucky.
Jules

Yes exactly, no one is questioning the need for assessments. But what is worrying everyone is the ESA assessments carried out by ATOS are absolutely horrific. You could see anyone for your assessment including someone with no previous knowledge of your condition. The written reports made by the ATOS staff are often filled with incorrect information stating the claimant can do things they cannot and did things at the assessment that never transpired. Appeals are often successful but cause alot of unnecessary stress to people and cost the country even more money. There have been many suicide attempts over ATOS medicals, look it up on google search. And that's just the half of it.

The worry is the DLA assessments will go the same way with people being victimised and made to feel like scroungers. Because the government don't care if your genuinely ill or not; they just care about getting people of off benefits and into the jobs that are not available especially for a lot of disabled people.

cit_k

This is very much worth a read, explains a lot about the reasons for moving from IB to ESA - and the myths, the politics, the problems.

juliep123

I think everyone agrees that there must be assessments but how can they be carried out fairly.They could start by trying to ensure that the assessors have some medical knowledge of the disability they are assessing.
Jules

ineed

juliep123 wrote: »

I think everyone agrees that there must be assessments but how can they be carried out fairly.They could start by trying to ensure that the assessors have some medical knowledge of the disability they are assessing.
Jules

That would be good, they should have different staff for physical and mental health conditions at least.

cit_k

juliep123 wrote: »

I think everyone agrees that there must be assessments but how can they be carried out fairly.They could start by trying to ensure that the assessors have some medical knowledge of the disability they are assessing.
Jules

Leaving aside getting assessments that actually are fair for a moment - we also have to consider the true motive is not to see who is assessed as being genuine, but simply to move the goal posts.

If the true motive was to assess people, there would be no need to move the goal posts with a already published goal of a 20 percent reduction.

sunnyone

ineed wrote: »

That would be good, they should have different staff for physical and mental health conditions at least.

So what about people who have both since a huge percentage have both problems, most people who have primarily physical disabilities get MH difficulties caused by the changes in lifestyle etc. and vice versa because serious MH issues can lead to conditions caused by physical neglect etc.

And then what about oncologists to assess everyone with cancer?

Dunroamin

cit_k wrote: »

except they retired him on medical grounds when he lost his legs, and had recovered.


They only rehired him when the war broke out, and they made sure they capatalised on the long term propaganda.

ps - he was also responsible for the accident, by ignoring safety rules, and messing around with acrobatics in the air he was not allowed to do.
So he also cost them a fortune with the crash, and his treatment - all self inflicted.

A rather selfish person really, putting others lives at risk - by performing stunts against the rules.

Apart from the fact that this is hardly news, how would his situation be different from someone who was claiming benefits for being an alcoholic or drug addict, both of which would be described as self inflicted.