MSE News: Half a million could lose disability benefits

shedboy94

ineed wrote: »

I feel for people on housing benefit.

Yeah, especially the ones receiving thousands per month because they have chose to live in mansions or affluent areas.

Is it fair that someone can get the state to pay for them to live in a house that someone not receiving benefits could not afford to live in themselves?

shedboy94

Penny-Pincher!! wrote: »

Im disabled with lifelong illnesses and I'm 37. I hate having to rely on others for my care and have often begged my husband to put me in some kind of care home so he can live a normal life. Although I appreciate my DLA, I would much rather be well and be out working and enjoying an independent life. Presently, Im just about existing.

What I don't understand is that if DLA has only a 0.05% fraud rate, why are they focusing on changing the system so extremely and so quickly? Im quite happy to have a medical etc, but wouldn't their money be better spent targeting the areas where high amount of fraud or flaws are more obvious?

Fraud rates are in the 1st instance guesses. They are always underestimated otherwise a higher figure will make people administering the benefits/the government of the day overseeing it look even more incompetant than they are.

I can guarantee the rate will be higher than 0.05%

The Tax Credit error and fraud rate (so not just fraud) is estimated at less than 5% - I can 100% guarantee this is way lower than it actually is.

In regards to Tax Credits, there are people who have claimed the disability element for years, but have never informed us that their condition has changed/improved, because they aren't medically examined by HMRC
There are so many other things such as s/e workers who claim to work EXACTLY 16/24/30 hpw to meet the criteria, but never earn much or any money, inflated childcare costs, claiming for children who have left the household or left FT education.
You wouldn't believe the amount of apparently single parents in this country.........and don't get me started on the ones who have been single for years, yet have had a few kids inbetween - all with the same surname of their non-existant partner.

There are many who don't believe or want to believe, but the staff who actually administer these benefits know how generous the system can be and how corrupt the various systems actually are.

So much of this fraud is not picked up/investigated due mainly to understaffing and government cuts.

Before anyone gives a smart-!!!!! comment about all public servants working in the ivory towers retiring with a gold-plated pension........I work in a cold call centre in Scotland with a very, very small pension to look forward to, redundancy hanging over my head and a min 5 year pay freeze.

Weary_soul

I can guarantee the rate will be higher than 0.05%

Blimey. So you've got you're finger on the pulse even more then the DWP who published this figure?

Broke_n_Broken

Dunroamin wrote: »

On the other hand, think of the number of queries on here where someone of 20, say, asks " I live with my parents and claim JSA. I'm fed up with this and would like to move out, how much will I be able to claim for rent if I do so?".

It's hardly a good use of public money, is it?

Any idea what someone in that situation may be fed up with? Constant arguing, put downs, being treated like a child....
Moving out could = happy, health worker
Staying could = depression, a never ending spiral & a life long ESA claimant.
Good use of public money?

What about those who are forced out at a young age. It's hard enough as it is with out extra hurdles put in place.

fairycakequeen83 wrote: »

Exactly - if you receive these benefits/ this help from the taxpayers purse, why would you have anything to hide in being assessed regularly.
It MAY be that if the assessor sees you need MORE help than you currently get, they can point you in the right direction.

I have faith that if these checks are made that it will weed out people who don't need it, and encourage them back to work - sometimes being told we CAN work instead of that we CANT does wonders for confidence in making the effort.

Nothing to hide - everything to gain as a society - including faith in the system that the right decisions are being made instead of 1 person giving an opinion 10 years ago and it being carried through with no checks on the validity definitely.

We're not talking about RE-ASSESSMENTS here, nobody has a right to moan about that, we're talking NEW assessments, NEW criteria, NEW rules to "fix" a system that isn't broken, isn't easy and already isn't always fair.
Lifelong DLA awards already can & are being checked.
If there is no hope of recovery now, there will be no hope in 1,3,5or 10 years.

DLA IS NOT ABOUT WORKING, or ability to work. DLA helps many people STAY IN WORK. For MANY, no DLA= no JOB.
That is not good for anyone.

fairycakequeen83 wrote: »

perhaps i am also an idiot, but i dnt see anything wrong with the post you refer to?

can you elaborate?

Since you asked so nicely, I'm going to try to do this calmly...

shedboy94 wrote: »

No, they just pass on tips on this forum on how to pass medical examinations

They have legions of staff & know all the ever-changing rules. You have yourself & a disability.
Amateurs passing on tips, information & experiences is likely to be the only help or support someone receives in a system that is designed against you.
If you're lucky enough to own a computer.

shedboy94 wrote: »

I do agree that some people incur additional expenses because of their medical conditions........but why does EVERYONE on DLA get additional money?
EVERYONE on DLA has been assessed as having extra needs & additional expenses that require more money. That's the point of DLA

.

shedboy94 wrote: »

Junkies and alcoholics get additional money - I'm sure they don't use it to buy drugs and alcohol.......
Junkies & alcoholics aren't having fun, they have a serious health problem & recognised mental illnesses.
There is often an underlying problem, which, if it had been treated instead of fobbed off, may not have degraded to substance misuse.
If you think a junkie or alcoholic can get DLA for just being a junkie or alcoholic, well, (being nice), your wrong.
They MAY get additional money social services, the NHS or other benefits.

.

shedboy94 wrote: »

Mobility cars........I know plenty of people who work FT and can afford a car, but the nice givernment gives them money to get a free one.
There is a down payment NOT covered by the government, the car is paid for out of DLA entitlement, it is not "free" in that it is car or money.
It is NOT a government scheme.
The average full time employee who can afford a car, doesn't then have to pay for the car to be specially adapted so they can use it.
This can be VERY expensive.

Anubis_2

MissMoneypenny wrote: »

He seems to be looking at tackling the top 3 welfare payments that are a huge burden to the UK. He has already moved the pension age and is now looking to the other 2, housing benefit and tax credits.

Encouraging single mothers into work and a further crackdown on housing benefits, is a good idea, not a bad idea. Children should not be a meal ticket as it encourages the wrong type of parent. People shouldn't be funded by the taxpayer to live in an expensive area, especially as some of those taxpayers couldn't afford to live in that expensive area.

I agree in most part but the cuts in HB already mean the likelihood of the claimant living in an expensive area are pretty slim. I wouldn't consider an allowance of £90 for two beds extravagant would you?

He has to remember not only single mothers work part time. Additionally I want to know where all these full time jobs are going to appear from?

shedboy94

Weary_soul wrote: »

Blimey. So you've got you're finger on the pulse even more then the DWP who published this figure?

I've explained why the published figure is so low.

Weary_soul

You know no more then anyone else who's just guessing. The DWP publish their figures, so forgive me If I believe them rather then your guesses.

Anubis_2

sangio wrote: »

Personally I agree with all of these reviews, IB/ESA, DLA/PIP etc. For far too long it has been a question of once on it, you are generally left alone year in year out.

As for DLA, it is an utter joke! Only last month a friend of one of my children was awarded MRC & HRM. Why? He is 29 and has a blocked artery to his heart.
You might say that that is acceptable, so would I as the symptoms are that he could get out of breath easilly and cannot do anything that exerts him. His GP seems to think so.

Yet his council bungalow (yes he was given a property due to his condition) is used every weekend as a 'drug den'. He is permanently stoned on 'Coke' spends every Friday and Saturday night clubbin getting legless on alcohol and drugs, AND still manages to walk the 3 miles home!!

His GP & Consultant sees one side of him, the side he wants them to see the other he carries on with his life as normal.

Is he just a one off case? No way, he has 2 brothers and a sister including his mum & dad and they are all in receipt of DLA and a myriad of other benefits. The sister has a £300,000 detached house (mortgage free) which is currently up for sale with the intenetion of buying a 5 bed £650,000 property. All of that on 'Permitted Work'!!!

You lost any credibility to your post right there.

In addition a blocked artery can be unblocked.

shedboy94

Weary_soul wrote: »

You know no more then anyone else who's just guessing. The DWP publish their figures, so forgive me If I believe them rather then your guesses.

Believe what you want

I'm a benefit adviser - I know how much fraud there is.

DWP......our fraud rate is 0.05% - oohh...that's not too bad!!
DWP......our fraud rate is 10% - WOW that's terrible...whoever is in charge must be doing a terrible job and must besacked immediately.

What is the more likely scenario to spin out??

MissMoneypenny

shedboy94 wrote: »

The Tax Credit error and fraud rate (so not just fraud) is estimated at less than 5% - I can 100% guarantee this is way lower than it actually is.

On HMRC:
Quite a few posters on immigrationboards.com say they have been claiming child benefit when they aren't allowed to have it. The form to get Indefitnate Leave to Remain in the UK use to say "are you claiming any benefits" (if they did, they would be refused ILR). That board advised them to cancel their claim and then tick the "no" box as it asked in the present tense and they said nobody at HMRC checked anyway. The ILR form has recently been changed to reflect past and present benefit claims.

On the Britishexpats forums, there are posts where they say they know people who have emmigrated outside the EU, but still claim child benefit as they kept their UK account and didn't tell HMRC to cancel their claim.

Fraud on benefits is rife.