MSE News: Disability and carer's allowance claimaints to suffer as inflation falls

fed_up_and_stressed

wildwestfan wrote: »

My wife is blind i.e can't see. You appear to accept that nannytone can't see but assume my wife can. Partisan or what?

I haven't suggested anything of the sort ! I have no idea of the level of sight impairment of either your wife or Nanny. I'm not an opthalmagist !

wildwestfan

nannytone wrote: »

i have lived with sight loss since virth.
the less sight i had, then the bigger difference any more loss made.
it is incredibly difficult to live with an impairment that is constantly changing. you adapt to the changes onlu for them to change again.
does your wife have macular degeneration? that is the most common cuse of sight loss in the elderly agter diabetes. ( doesnt make it any easier to live with though.
from the age of 12 i was totally night blind and so for all of my working life, i needed taxi's during the winter months to get me home from work.
there was no DLA at the time and so i gad to pay that as an additional expense just to keep working.
regarding my PA... you seem to think she is 'free'. but i pay 60% of my DLA yowards her cost. im more than happy to do so because that is what my DLA is for.
the rest goes towards petrol, her gym membership to accompany me ( no concessions) parking and help towards the upkeep of her car.

She does indeed have wet macular degeneration but a big bleed wiped out 1 eye completely overnight. The other eye she still has some peripheral vision but no night sight. Certainly not able to go out alone. Her life has changed immeasurably in the last 4 years and of corse she could wake up tomorrow and find she has lost the rest of her sight.

She is one of the few youngish people attending her clinic. Most are 80ish

nannytone_2

y have retinitis pig,rmtosa, which is a group of similiarly acting conditions. genetic testing has said i have 'no known type'. the one good thing is that it is recessive and there is very little chanve of it being passed on.
in the last 10 years ot os fpong some very strange things and the dictirs are a bit stumped.
i do have some sight but it is very disturbed ( like looking through snow on a TX screen) and serves little purpose apart from to give me migraines.
i have had no peripheral sight for about 20 years, and until 10 years ago my sight was stable. i had a rapid decline, losing 3/4 of my remaining sight in 2 years.
i really do hate the fact that i dont know what my grand daughter looks like and not being able to reade.
i dont on the whole, complain. it is what it is and i am more than grateful for the help i get ( i received no help while i was with my partner and help is only available to those that live alone) but it does upset me when people think im living the life of riley at the taxpayers exoense, because im not. i dont have to constantly worry about turning the heating on, but nor do i have 'paid for' holidays or expensive treats

Scully38

VisforVendetta wrote: »

As a newcomer to this forum I am absolutely shocked, sickened and disgusted by some of the ignorant, bigoted, malicious, mis-informed and pathetic comments that I have read here!!!
Would these ignorant people feel better if those who have health issues were given a lethal injection so they were no longer a drain on the economy and a drain on their own precious pennies?
How much better would our country be if that happened??
I have heard these pathetic comments and ill informed arguments before, but I did not expect to find them here, in a forum, that I believed was for the members to offer advice to the others!!

Totally agree with you. I wonder (just thinking aloud) if the reason there is so much disinformation and negativity about people who have a disability because of what the government think. MP's consistantly try and reduce benefits from those in need, and even workforce MP's and welfare reform MP's don't truly understand what it is to be disabled. So they lump us in with everyone else who has to live on benefits, and we're seen as people who really shouldn't get any assistance. I look back at my parents, dad received DLA as he was terminal (only received 1 payment of DLA as he died within 6 weeks of diagnosis). And my mom was luckily entitled to DLA, but not the independent living form (help to pay for carers and special equipment, conversion of bathroom etc). My mom's DLA was not to pay for carers, and neither is the PIP allowance. DLA/PIP is to help us with those extra costs like transport, taxi's... the amount of money I paid in taxi per month was extortionate £8 per day, but never received DLA/PIP until recently. I paid £1500 for my mobility scooter that I can't use because I can't lift it into the car and only receive care allowance (standard). MP's and some people don't truly understand what help we need, and let's face it although we don't pay VAT, what we do need is extra equipment day to day (wheelchair, commode, grabber's wet room, handles on toilets, baths etc. Taxi fares. There are still a lot of people who don't get assistance or who have lost their payments because of the government converting to the welfare form. All they are interested in is cutting the extra money we need to level the playing field.

They got rid of IB, DLA, IMF, adding of the bedroom tax (even those who need the additional bedroom for their specialised equipment. They tell us they did all this because too many people were claiming and SOME were abusing the system. I totally agree it needed overhauling, but when the government did their impact studies, they didn't listen at all to over 1000 independent charities who told them in no uncertain terms that what they were doing wasn't helping.

So, they reduce our benefits to save money yet their pay equates to 66,000,000 per year not including all the additions they get, TV, sky, PC's, Taxi's, Food, waiters, mortgage payments etc..

But now with their additional 11% payrise it costs us the taxpayers an additional £11k per year on their own wages, for us it is £7,260,000. So they add 7 million to a crippling economy to boost their own lives, yet reduce needed benefits from those who need it the most.

It makes me angry to think they think their entitled to help on a huge wage, and lots of additional 'goodies' as mentioned above, yet the majority of disabled people have had in a lot of cases ALL their benefits taken away....

So it's no wonder people think the way they do, it's what the government thinks of us as people not worthy of help!

It makes me angry that none of the MP's, house of lords, listen to us or the charities. And until that changes we're going to have our money reduced even further.

fed_up_and_stressed wrote: »

DLA / PIP wouldn't pay for many hours for a Personal Assistant wildwestfan ! More likely payments for a PA would be through direct payments. Again these are not "luxuries" but assisting people to do day to day activities.

Not only that 'fed up and stressed' the DLA/PIP doesn't even cover us to pay for carers, and it's not what the DLA/PIP is for, it's for additional expenses we incur on a daily basis, but a lot of people don't realise it and will always think we're scroungers and not entitled, because that's how they've been brought up, and that's what their own government say.

You previously said you have paid into the system so belief you are entitled to what you receive ...well ditto I have paid into te system and have been ASSESSED as has everyone on DLA /PIP as having a need.

Absolutely, they don't understand that we have to fill in all the forms, and go for a medical and an interview, and when you have someone who has been told to reduce the benefits, then it's an uphill struggle, and to be honest it's degrading. I hated every minute of my assessment, and it felt as if the interviewer was trying to find a way to catch me out. He kept saying, 'yes, you say you struggled, but i've been told to determine what you can do'. Which to me implies that we will always have 'good days' when it simply isn't the case.

[/QUOTE]Is this the same as the winter fuel allowance you and other pensioners get regardless of need .. Yet disabled people don't get this ?? Hmmm.[/QUOTE]

And pensioners living abroad receive it, even when they don't live here in the winter...

SnooksNJ

Scully38 wrote: »

Well said! I think quite a few people who don't 'care' for others have a rather simplistic view. I base this on my family rather than anyone elses. I cared for my dad when he had terminal cancer 10 years ago, and for my mom 9 years ago as my mom was paraplegic due to breaking her neck.

I used to work extended hours, 12 hours over 3 days so that I could be there for the majority of the time. Both my parents needed completely different care, mobility needs, medication, dietry requirements, hospital, doctor, pallitive appointments, but that's ok as all you do as a carer is sit and chat with the person you're caring for. Not only that, but carers never have to get out of bed in the night, because the person you care for is able to sleep for minimally 8hrs a night. So your sleep is never disturbed, you don't need to hoist them onto the commode at 3 in the morning, or roll them over in the night as they're screaming in pain, or give them extra medication, or even do several different meals because the chemo makes your dad/mom/sister/brother/aunt/uncle/friend etc makes them nauseous, or make them vomiting because of the smell. And to go outside and got to various appointments or taking the person you care for out for a few hours so they don't go stir crazy looking at the same 4 walls. Sure it only takes a few hours to get them read, get the equipment ready then get yourself ready......

But we didn't/don't do very much do we Tropez (and other carers)

*gets of her soapbox*

Yes I have taken care of my Grandmother and if the time came I would do it for my parents. My personal belief is it's what family members do and it's about love. Not Government payouts.
But I'm old school and I get it that times have changed.

FBaby

Would these ignorant people feel better if those who have health issues were given a lethal injection so they were no longer a drain on the economy and a drain on their own precious pennies?

Well it must be a question of interpretation because I have read any post suggesting the above.

I certainly don't hold that view. As a matter of fact, I am a strong advocate of benefits to support people who severe disabilities who I don't think get enough support.

My issue, and that I think that of many people who don't agree with DLA is that unfortunately, I feel that more and more people with mild disabilities (not in their views but in comparaison to those with severe disabilities) seem to have the same sense of entitlement than those suffering from severe disabilities. The system in my views is abuse.

In my line of work, I have seen people in wheelchairs very poorly suited for them, who get constant pain because they need a high spec one, but struggle to afford it. Next to this, I read SOA where people clearly admit that their DLA goes towards repayment of their debts because they poorly managed their money before.

The reason why we never agree here is because we can't see eye to eye where the limit between acceptable and 'taking the p...' lies. I admit I probably have a view which has low thresholds, but I do feel that some people trully convince themselves that what their spend their DLA on is acceptable when deep inside, they very much know it was never intended towards that kind of costs.

schrodie

tomtontom wrote: »

Are they? There are additional costs associated with disability, but can every claimant honestly say that all their DLA, SDP, DP etc is used solely for those costs? I don't think many can.

Likewise can every pensioner honestly say that all their Winter Fuel Allowance goes exclusively towards their energy bills.

nodiscount

FBaby wrote: »

Well it must be a question of interpretation because I have read any post suggesting the above.

I certainly don't hold that view. As a matter of fact, I am a strong advocate of benefits to support people who severe disabilities who I don't think get enough support.

My issue, and that I think that of many people who don't agree with DLA is that unfortunately, I feel that more and more people with mild disabilities (not in their views but in comparaison to those with severe disabilities) seem to have the same sense of entitlement than those suffering from severe disabilities. The system in my views is abuse.

In my line of work, I have seen people in wheelchairs very poorly suited for them, who get constant pain because they need a high spec one, but struggle to afford it. Next to this, I read SOA where people clearly admit that their DLA goes towards repayment of their debts because they poorly managed their money before.

The reason why we never agree here is because we can't see eye to eye where the limit between acceptable and 'taking the p...' lies. I admit I probably have a view which has low thresholds, but I do feel that some people trully convince themselves that what their spend their DLA on is acceptable when deep inside, they very much know it was never intended towards that kind of costs.

I agree.
I don't think anybody begrudges paying for those who are genuinely disabled, who genuinely struggle and can't get better.
As usual it's the minority that ruin it for everyone.

wildwestfan

schrodie wrote: »

Likewise can every pensioner honestly say that all their Winter Fuel Allowance goes exclusively towards their energy bills.

Fuel has to be paid for. Whether the WFA is ringfenced doesn't really matter. Most people pay their fuel bills by DD throughout the year, we certainly do. We are in credit on this months reading by £300+ which will cover the extra needed during the winter. So in effect we have allocated the WFA amount to our fuel account before we get it. I can show you exactly how much our fuel costs and account for every penny of the WFA we receive.

When everyone claiming DLA can show that the cash they receive is exclusively used for costs associated with their claimed disability then you can question the use of the WFA by those who receive it.

I find it strange that those who receive large sums of money each week in DLA are so envious of the paltry £2 a week pensioners get once a year as WFA. The complaining about it only being for pensioners always starts around this time of year.

belladonna13

SnooksNJ wrote: »

It amazes and sickens me that you think people who work want people dead to save taxpayer money.

What a state of affairs when some in a supposedly caring society are so sure that some disabled people are not so disabled and should not have a car or the rate of benefit they get. Yet many who have had those things taken from them have taken their own lives or in a few cases starved to death. All those who have implemented and stood by and watched the implementation of a very obviously deeply flawed piece of legislation, The Welfare Reform Bill, must share some of the responsibility for the state of affairs we are in now in and the loss of lives and the limitations of other lives of those disabled people who could not cope and cannot cope with being made to feel like parasites on the backs of the taxpayers!

I am not saying that welfare reform was not needed and I am not saying that there are not sad people who mimic or lie to receive disability benefits. Yet the figures are what? 0.5% disability benefit fraud. I am sure some will jump on me if I am wrong there. Even if it is higher it still means that very few people in the context of many genuine disabled people are actually defrauding the system and so the taxpayer. Then figure in the many genuine disabled who do work and pay into that system. Then look at the harshness of the welfare bill and the ways in which in its implementation some who have been genuinely disabled have been treated. Was that much reform really needed?

Tomorrow it could be any one of those who are obviously begrudging, jealous, angry at what disabled people get, who becomes themselves disabled or their child or OH. Yet it was mainly disabled people who took action and tried to stop the bill. Why is that? Are we not suppose to all be in this together? Can you not see how very easily healthy fit working people can become disabled? No-one is immune. It is not a us and them situation. We are them and they are us. Humans at various states of abilities and various states of both physical and mental health that is what we are. All doing the best we can!

No-one on here is medically qualified to know for sure someone's true level of disability who is a friend, a neighbour or whoever.If people 'think' their close friend is in effect playing the system why not challenge that close friend? Why seethe with anger and annoyance behind your close friends back? That is kind of sick to me!

Saying someone does not need the financial help because they have other means like an high income is a moot point since David Cameron claimed DLA for his late son Ivan and what is Camerons true worth?

I do not think for one minute that there are truly many individuals who work who would wish the disabled dead and I never actually said that, did I? I said and I quote myself '

Its OK though for the taxpayer is now saving money because he died last year at the age of 36 and joined his brother who had died 3 years previously at the age of 38 or so with MS. I am sure many disabled live comparatively short life spans to the non-disabled'


It was a reference to him spending his taxpayer funded disability money on a packet of baccy. He was also my friend and I feel bitter about the way he was treated by know-it-alls. I am sure the three men who beat him up and left him unconscious in a local park because they had found out he had been given DLA and they thought he was lying did not really care too much about his well-being! That was when he could still walk with a stick. Now that is sickening, very sickening, but then I find any hate crime sickening be it physical or verbal!

I never even thought when I was working with many disabled children and young adults and paying my dues that I would ever be in the position where I would see, from the disabled persons view, such vitriol towards some of the most vulnerable members of our society by those who have no knowledge of the true and harsh realities of disability for many.

Look beyond the shiny care and the extra benefits. You do not see what is happening behind closed doors you do not feel the pain or the limitations placed on an individual through disability the grinding down through the inability to do the simplest tasks or the sometimes very messy and degrading business of having someone attend to your personal bodily needs.

My friend who is paralysed was able to use the toilet on his own for his bowel movements but needed to insert pessaries in order to do so. He would need approximately 2 hours sat on the toilet each morning. He already had a urine bag.

He was then trying a different device to try to cut down the time needed for the bowel part of his needs. It malfunctioned and exploded in his rectum and caused enough damage to not only put him in intensive care where it was touch and go but also to necessitate the need for a colostomy bag.

I saw him cry because that was yet another 'normal' thing he could not do. Hard to take when all he wanted was a degree of control over his bowel movements. Some only see what they want to see, often based on scant knowledge of any of the true issues that impact on those with disabilities.

I cannot educate you you can only choose to either educate yourself around issues that those with disabilities need to deal with or you can carry on believing what some of the media will have you believe, what the woman at number 7 said or what you heard at work off someone's auntie who knows someone who is not really disabled and yet claims DLA and went abroad.

Carry on judging based on a very, very small sample of people with disabilities who you actually know or know of and find them guilty of fraud. Ignore the truth if it does not fit into your very narrow views, but if the day comes that you become disabled and need DLA or need other disability benefits, expect that you will also be harshly judged because you are a part of the perpetuation of so many myths around disability.

To the unenlightened those myths are reality and if they read it in the paper it must be true and any of the real truth is lost in the telling!