"Tough Love" Cuts for sick and disabled!

UnderPressure

WOW how far is this government going to go, the truth according to sky news so take it as you wish:

http://news.sky.com/story/1007543/sickness-benefit-crackdown-in-25m-trial

UnderPressure

"Under the proposals, claimants would be expected to attend regular sessions with a health care professional who could require them to attend therapy and other treatments to help them recover."

ATOS :eek:

dktreesea

It will be interesting to see if the government can actually afford to fund the visits to health professionals that would be needed to fix conditions like mental illness, spinal injuries, chronic pain and the myriad of other conditions that stop people from enjoying good health.

If Cameron and Osborne were really serious about reforming benefits, they should means test them. The idea that you can have £16k in the bank while living off other taxpayers is outrageous.

Dunroamin

UnderPressure wrote: »

"Under the proposals, claimants would be expected to attend regular sessions with a health care professional who could require them to attend therapy and other treatments to help them recover."

ATOS :eek:

Shock horror!:eek: What exactly is wrong with that?

dori2o

Dunroamin wrote: »

Shock horror!:eek: What exactly is wrong with that?

There are many sick people out there who have conditions from which they will never recover.

Unless of course ATOS can defy science, biology, and even the almighty himself, and declare everyone cured.

Maybe ATOS are the 2nd coming of Christ and are going to heal everyone with the touch of their hand.

It's nothing more than another vicious attack on the bottom rung of society, whilst their cronies at the top get away with millions/billions of pounds in tax evasion/avoidance.

Dunroamin

dori2o wrote: »

There are many sick people out there who have conditions from which they will never recover.

Unless of course ATOS can defy science, biology, and even the almighty himself, and declare everyone cured.

Maybe ATOS are the 2nd coming of Christ and are going to heal everyone with the touch of their hand.

It's nothing more than another vicious attack on the bottom rung of society, whilst their cronies at the top get away with millions/billions of pounds in tax evasion/avoidance.

It comes to something when requiring people to seek therapy and treatment is seen as a vicious attack!

(And since when have sick people been "the bottom rung of society"?)

jackieb

My son has been changed over from incapacity benefit to ESA. He was put in the work related group. He has waited for months to see someone, as they said being put in this group would mean he would get some help. But there's been nothing from the job centre.

He has seen the doctor and was told he'd be referred to see someone. Again, it's been months. He went back last week and our GP said they'd chase them up.

He wants to get better, and to be out doing something, instead of festering at home. We would welcome some help. Any help.

Poppie68

The title of this thread seems to imply the disabled will also be under scrutiny, i cant seem to find any evidence of this or am i just reading the wrong news reports?

antrobus

Sickness benefit will be stripped from claimants who refuse to get treatment for their problems

Don't see the problem myself.

Poppie68 wrote: »

The title of this thread seems to imply the disabled will also be under scrutiny, i cant seem to find any evidence of this or am i just reading the wrong news reports?

Title of thread is misleading.

elsien

UnderPressure wrote: »

"Under the proposals, claimants would be expected to attend regular sessions with a health care professional who could require them to attend therapy and other treatments to help them recover."

If there is genuine help out there I'm all for it - I can think of at least one relative who's been playing the system for years. As soon as one "illness" is sorted, he starts googling the symptoms of the next one. And freely admits to it.

However I work with people with disabilities who are never going to able to hold down a job of any sort. And I've seen the cuts that are now starting to bite where services which were almost non-existent in the first place have now vanished for adults completely in our area. Unless you're at crisis point. And probably not even then.
So the reality of these therapy and other treatments? I won't be holding my breath for anything meaningful or useful to come along any time soon.

dori2o

Dunroamin wrote: »

It comes to something when requiring people to seek therapy and treatment is seen as a vicious attack!

(And since when have sick people been "the bottom rung of society"?)

I'm not saying that seeking treatment is a bad thing, but when they say

claimants would be expected to attend regular sessions with a health care professional who could require them to attend therapy and other treatments to help them recover

it makes the assumption that everyone can recover from their illness. I can't from mine, and no amount of treatment is going to change that. All I can do now is accept the way things are.

How about those with terminal conditions, are we saying these people should be forced into treatment that in all likelyhood isn't going to make them better.

What happens when your GP/Dr/Consultant says there is no further treatment available, will ATOS agree with this, or will they determine their own rules? I'd rather trust my own DR's to tell me about treatment options, considering they know the history, and are experts in their field, rather than some HCP who is paid to get people off benefits, and may not have any idea about your particular condition.

I'm all for people being properly tested, but it should be down to an individuals own Dr's to advise on treatment, not ATOS.

Also, if this goes ahead, who will be liable for the cost of the treatment if it is not available on the NHS? How far will people be expected to travel to receive treatment?

if treatment is not available on the NHS, would the individual be sanctioned if they were advised to have said treatment but could not afford to pay for it?

It's another brain dead idea from a brain dead government.