MSE News: George Osborne to make £10bn welfare cuts

Dunroamin

Ellejmorgan wrote: »

Firstly I haven't had a holiday in years,

Bearing children, I assume that is old fashioned talk for giving birth, I don't give birth, I have C-sections..

Raising children, have been quite vocal in the fact i'm struggling, hence the having two support workers and trying to get DLA, the dla hopefully will help pay for the baby to go to a childminder one day a week so at least I can go to appointments/sleep/rest..
Which will be coming out of benefits at £100pm

You have little respect as you so put it because you are not compasionate, have no heart, and would never help anyone who needed it..

Personally at least I can say I'm a human being, i'm proud I got my kids away from their father, perhaps I should have put up with his rubbish just so I didn't have to go on benefits, you'd all be happy then wouldn't you..

No wonder so many women feel they can't leave their abusive partners if this is what they get.

I actually wasn't referring to you in my post but, if the cap fits....

Anny_2

Dunroamin wrote: »

Some people (not me) who post on here are genuinely severely disabled and deserve every penny they get. Others manage to live totally normal lives (including bearing and raising children, having challenging holidays and doing many things that would daunt those who are well) but just somehow don't seem to be able to work even for a few hours a week.

Is it any wonder that many people in the first group have little respect for those in the second?

I wonder how some people on here 'know' who is genuine and who is not - how would anyone be able to judge that on an internet forum? is it magic?

I am led to believe that DLA is suppose to help disabled people live, if not a 'normal' life, then as near 'normal' as possible and last time I checked 'normal' people were bearing and raising children, going on challenging holidays and doing all manner of other things...so why with extra support (paid for by DLA) would anyone expect disabled people would not also do those things? is that not just a very negative stereotype?

Their are many types and differing levels within those types of disability...not all disabled people are in wheelchairs...not all disabled people are bed bound...not all disabled people wear nappies and so on so on.

I know many disabled people who do voluntary work and the only reason they can do that is because there is no expectation on them that they will be well enough or able enough to commit to x amount of hours and having to start and finish at set times, some have attempted paid employment and been unable to fulfill their duties/contracts because of their fluctuating conditions, some have with their DLA and adjustments at work been able to continue in paid employment. So often it is not because disabled people do not want to work...it is because they cannot. Perhaps that does not fit into the cosy Tory led dogma of benefit scroungers = disabled...but I have worked with disabled people and most want to work in someway, be it voluntarily or paid.

DLA and PIP when it is introduced should remain focused on supporting choice and independence for disabled people, if that choice is to have children, go on challenging holidays etc - then if the focus of DLA/PIP remains the same that is fine with me and I am happy to pay into a system that supports those choices.

Regarding having 'little respect' for some people I wonder why some posters need to express that by being nasty, vindictive, insulting, immature and by ganging up and thanking each other for putting others down (usually just one poster is the target) and despite the protests of certain posters involved in this - it is bullying and is schoolyard behaviour - and certainly not the behaviour expected of mature adults.

I have no respect at all now for certain posters because of their immature behaviour - but other than challenging them at times - I will not be joining in their childish and inappropriate games. I left school a long time ago.

FBaby

Anny wrote: »

last time I checked 'normal' people were bearing and raising children, going on challenging holidays and doing all manner of other things.

Really? Last time I checked, I saw many 'normal' people who couldn't afford this at all, so I guess it all comes down to what people perceive as normal?

ams13

Anny wrote: »

I wonder how some people on here 'know' who is genuine and who is not - how would anyone be able to judge that on an internet forum? is it magic?

I am led to believe that DLA is suppose to help disabled people live, if not a 'normal' life, then as near 'normal' as possible and last time I checked 'normal' people were bearing and raising children, going on challenging holidays and doing all manner of other things...so why with extra support (paid for by DLA) would anyone expect disabled people would not also do those things? is that not just a very negative stereotype?

Their are many types and differing levels within those types of disability...not all disabled people are in wheelchairs...not all disabled people are bed bound...not all disabled people wear nappies and so on so on.

I know many disabled people who do voluntary work and the only reason they can do that is because there is no expectation on them that they will be well enough or able enough to commit to x amount of hours and having to start and finish at set times, some have attempted paid employment and been unable to fulfill their duties/contracts because of their fluctuating conditions, some have with their DLA and adjustments at work been able to continue in paid employment. So often it is not because disabled people do not want to work...it is because they cannot. Perhaps that does not fit into the cosy Tory led dogma of benefit scroungers = disabled...but I have worked with disabled people and most want to work in someway, be it voluntarily or paid.

DLA and PIP when it is introduced should remain focused on supporting choice and independence for disabled people, if that choice is to have children, go on challenging holidays etc - then if the focus of DLA/PIP remains the same that is fine with me and I am happy to pay into a system that supports those choices.

Regarding having 'little respect' for some people I wonder why some posters need to express that by being nasty, vindictive, insulting, immature and by ganging up and thanking each other for putting others down (usually just one poster is the target) and despite the protests of certain posters involved in this - it is bullying and is schoolyard behaviour - and certainly not the behaviour expected of mature adults.

I have no respect at all now for certain posters because of their immature behaviour - but other than challenging them at times - I will not be joining in their childish and inappropriate games. I left school a long time ago.

I dont know about anyone else but I cant afford what you call normal. I have 3 jobs and not had a holiday for years. I agree with some of what you say but. I have been on a pay freeze for years while people on benefits have had rises. If we were all in it together it wouldnt be so bad. All I see on here is i'm entitled and why dont the rich pay.

FBaby

I wonder how some people on here 'know' who is genuine and who is not - how would anyone be able to judge that on an internet forum? is it magic?

I totally agree with you, there will be some genuine and some not, that's why I actually think that asking questions can only help 'knowing' better.

So often it is not because disabled people do not want to work...it is because they cannot.

Just as it is difficult to assess who is genuine and who is not, it is even more difficult to judge who doesn't work because they can't as opposed to who doesn't work because they think/convince themselves that they can't. Again, there is likely to be a mixture of both amongst posters.

but I have worked with disabled people and most want to work in someway, be it voluntarily or paid.

As stated before, I think there are those who genuinely wish they could, and those who claim they do because they know that's what people want to hear, but deep inside have no interest in doing so at all.

DLA and PIP when it is introduced should remain focused on supporting choice and independence for disabled people, if that choice is to have children, go on challenging holidays etc - then if the focus of DLA/PIP remains the same that is fine with me and I am happy to pay into a system that supports those choices.

Even when those choices are not always available to non disabled people?

Cerisa

Dunroamin: I liked it because a parent's income has nothing to do with their offspring's income. Again, you might reasonably assume that a wealthy parent will help their struggling offspring out; doesn't always happen.

My parents were quite well off when I was unemployed. That didn't mean that they paid my rent or bills.

mart4280

I wrote the following letter to Iain Duncan-Smith in protest of the change for 25-34 year olds last January.

I am writing in protest against the welfare reforms you introduced in January 2012 relating to the shared accommodation rate for Under 35s. This is a policy which is fundamentally flawed and goes completely against age discrimination laws and was introduced despite much opposition from housing and other welfare groups who warned thatit would lead to increased homelessness amongst young people.

Having a safe, secure and suitable place to live has an enormous impact on our livelihoods. Everything from education, to job prospects and health to relationshipsis affected by where we live. This change will damage families, create perverse incentives, and institutionalise the notion that people can’t aspire to live by themselves until their mid-thirties. The vast majority of the people affected by this change will lose their current accommodation, and so tens of thousands of people currently in self-contained flats will be forced to seek out shared accommodation. In many parts of the country there simply is not enough accommodation available.

I have worked for nine years and during that time have paid over £32,000 in tax. I have only claimed benefits twice for a combined period of fourteen weeks but as a 32 year old single man I noticed the financial impact of your changes last March. Given the amount oftax I have paid over the years I have every right to expect my rent, rates and basic living expenses such as water, light, heat and food to be covered in the event that I lose my job to allow me sufficient time to find alternative employment. I think a figure of £1,000 per month for all parts of the UK including London would be reasonable. Why should people in London get more? I agreed with your policy of capping the time period over which people can claim benefits to three months as I felt it was a much fairer way than capping the benefits themselves. I fail to see why someone who has saved money in bettertimes should be penalised for doing so.

The biggest problem with the shared accommodation rate is that it doesn't affect the private landlords it affects the tenants as they have to fund the shortfall which can be as much as £500 permonth and have no way of getting out of a tenancy agreement that is typically for six or twelve months which they entered into in good faith. The last time I had to claim housing benefit my rent was 29% of my net income. I think the penalising for savings income over £6,000 on top the 50% reduction for shared accommodation rate is absurd. The biggest problem is the lack of jobs and until something is done about that people will continue to suffer under your government.

There are two million households with children where the parents are not working. How can it be right for benefits to be paid to three generations of families in Teesside or for a family with six children can get £32,000 in benefits which equates to £46,500 gross which is probably more than I can ever hope to earn. What message is this sending to hard working people? People are not going to look for a job if they have no chance of earning the same amount in employment. I have been subsidising these people for years while I have been working and then subsidising them when I was unemployed! How can it be right for a couple with a household income of £40,000 to get child tax credits? This should be the area targeted along with long-term disabled.

I agree the welfare budget needs to be cut but cutting it from young, single people is not the answer. I would support the use of vouchers to ensure benefits are spent on essentials rather than on vices like cigarettes and alcohol. I believe benefits should be capped at £20,000, which is the average gross salary of £26,000 netted down, so that no household can get more than this amount irrespective of the number of children.

The problem with the Conservative government is that it does not have people from a cross section of society withmost having had the luxury of private school education and being born into rich families. Conservative strategy seems to be to allow the rich to continueevading paying tax while middle and lower income earners suffer. I think the Conservatives are massively out of touch with the majority of the British public.

I have voted for the Conservatives in the past but will not be doing so again until I see your government acting in the interests of the whole country rather than for the richest 1%. I am appalled plans for a mansion tax have been scrapped. Why is the government not doing more to ensure companies such as Vodafone, Boots and GSK pay the corporation tax they owe, people with offshore bank accounts and making the banks pay back the money they took from us the taxpayer in the first place.

Cerisa

FBaby:

The thing I think is saddest is that employers regard people with disabilities as a bit of a risk. And if the government is really aiming to get work for people with disabilities, why did they shut down all the Remploy factories?

I'm a big fan of DLA as it helps keep disabled people in work - contributing to the economy and being productive, like we all want to be.

Dunroamin

Anny wrote: »

I wonder how some people on here 'know' who is genuine and who is not - how would anyone be able to judge that on an internet forum? is it magic?

I am led to believe that DLA is suppose to help disabled people live, if not a 'normal' life, then as near 'normal' as possible and last time I checked 'normal' people were bearing and raising children, going on challenging holidays and doing all manner of other things...so why with extra support (paid for by DLA) would anyone expect disabled people would not also do those things? is that not just a very negative stereotype?
.

Some of us, because of our circumstances, spend a lot of time on here and get to know people by what they say about themselves, just as we do IRL. Some of us also have good (and long) memories and remember contradictions in other posters' stories. Some of us even have good comprehension skills.;)

Disabled people leading a normal life is a laudable aim but not if that means that they are in a better position than people who work for a living or when their activities conflict with the reasons that they claim disability benefits.

Most disabled people used to want to work but I think that increase in the availability of benefits has meant that many pay lip service to this desire whilst accepting a life on (quite) generous benefits as a compensation for their misfortune.

FBaby

Cerisa wrote: »

FBaby:

The thing I think is saddest is that employers regard people with disabilities as a bit of a risk. And if the government is really aiming to get work for people with disabilities, why did they shut down all the Remploy factories?

I'm a big fan of DLA as it helps keep disabled people in work - contributing to the economy and being productive, like we all want to be.

This is as much as a generalised comment against employers as are comments made here about disabled people which is raising uproar.

Not ALL employers regard people with disabilities as a bit of risk and more importantly, many employers are rated on the number of disabled people they employed. What it means is that it probably limits one chances, but limits are put on many employees. Someone with a disability probably has more chance of getting employment in the public sector, but then having been employed by the public sector for almost all my career, my chances of gaining a job in the private sector at the moment is probably no higher!

Is there proper evidence that DLA helps people stay in work? Although I can see how it could help for those, I would be surprised that it is a factor on its own.