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500,000 to lose disability benefit

Posted: Mon May 14, 2012 8:10 am
by BoroBot
Half a million people are set to lose disability benefits
as the Government pushes ahead with plans to rid the system of abuse and fraud, Iain Duncan Smith says.
10:00PM BST 13 May 2012
In an interview with today’s Daily Telegraph, the Work and Pensions Secretary says that he is determined to introduce radical reforms to disability benefits which will see more than two million claimants reassessed in the next four years.
Iain Duncan Smith says that the number of claimants has risen by 30 percent in recent years “rising well ahead of any other gauge you might make about illness, sickness, disability”. Losing a limb should not automatically entitle people to a pay-out, he suggests.
The cost of disability living allowance, which is intended to help people meet the extra costs of mobility and care associated with their conditions, now outstrips unemployment benefit and will soon be £13 billion annually.
Under the reform plans, the existing benefit will be replaced with a simpler “more focused” allowance and only those medically assessed to be in genuine need of support will continue to qualify.
An official impact assessment of the plans, released this month, reveals the scheme will cut benefit payments by £2.24 billion annually – and lead to about 500,000 fewer claimants.
The rigorous new process being introduced by Mr Duncan Smith could lead to those without limbs, including former soldiers, having their payments reduced as their everyday mobility is not undermined by their prosthetic limbs.
The Work and Pensions Secretary says: “It’s not like incapacity benefit, it’s not a statement of sickness. It is a gauge of your capability. In other words, do you need care, do you need support to get around. Those are the two things that are measured. Not, you have lost a limb...”
The reform of disability benefits will be the next major challenge in the Government’s welfare reform programme and is expected to lead to high-profile protests from disability campaigners.
Tony Blair was forced to abandon a plan to reduce disability benefits after people in wheelchairs chained themselves to the gates of Downing Street.
Mr Duncan Smith says that the current system has been exploited and abused because of political fear over reforming a benefit for the disabled.
His department will now replace Disability Living Allowance (DLA) with a new benefit called Personal Independence Payment (Pip) which will have tighter criteria and a simpler approval system.
“We are creating a new benefit, because the last benefit grew by something like 30 percent in the past few years,” he said. “It’s been rising well ahead of any other gauge you might make about illness, sickness, disability or for that matter, general trends in society.
“A lot of that is down to the way the benefit was structured so that it was very loosely defined…Second thing was that in the assessment, lots of people weren’t actually seen. They didn’t get a health check or anything like that.
“Third problem was lifetime awards. Something like 70 per cent had lifetime awards, (which) meant that once they got it you never looked at them again. They were just allowed to fester.”
Ministers are currently consulting on the new eligibility criteria which will be announced in the autumn but they now appear keen to begin discussing publicly the need for reform.
Hundreds of thousands of people are expected to lose the benefits which are worth up to £120 a week. Others will have them cut while some of the most severely disabled Britons are expected to be awarded higher benefits. The mentally ill may also benefit from the changes.
Each of the two million people of working age claiming the benefit will have to see a medical expert and everyone will have been assessed by 2016. There are then expected to be regular reassessments. Currently, only about half of claimants have ever been medically assessed.
Mr Duncan Smith is also working on plans to encourage and help more disabled people to return to work. Many people wrongly believe that they will lose their disability benefits if returning to work, but they are not means tested. However, officials believe that other benefit bills may fall if more disabled people return to work once the new system is explained personally to them.
The changes only affect people of working age, not children and pensioners.
The planned assessments for disability benefits are similar to those underway for incapacity benefit. The Government is currently in the process of reassessing millions of incapacity benefit claimants and has judged that almost 80 percent are either fit for work immediately or in the future.
The level of potential abuse in the incapacity benefit system has shocked ministers, who now believe that many people are also being wrongly categorised as “disabled” by the benefits system.
The Work and Pensions Secretary said: “It’s like incapacity benefit, we’ve got to be careful because these are vulnerable people. There has been a lot of nonsense talked about it in the last few months, lots of letters asking about it. It’s now just beginning to seep in what we are doing. There are all sorts of scaremongering going on about how we are getting rid of it, slashing it, cutting it. The reality is that for the most part that’s not true.”
He added: “There is a big difference between what Tony Blair tried to do and what we are doing. Tony Blair’s government tried to attack DLA, just to restrict it. We’re not doing that. What we’re saying is we need to address DLA’s problems, to reform it. We are creating a new benefit, which we think will be better. We are actually reforming this process to improve it.”

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healt ... nefit.html

Re: 500,000 to lose disability benefit

Posted: Mon May 14, 2012 8:22 am
by BoroBot
PaulOnBooks
More weasel words from IDS - "will see a medical expert" for re-assessment. No they won't, they'll see a minimum wage drone who's had a two week training course so he can pronounce some of the names of various conditions, a drone who will be working to preset approval levels - or rather disapproval levels. To pretend this is about getting benefits to the right people is a lie. To further lie and say the mentally ill may get more money is just plain disgusting.

Leg shot off whilst serving in Her Majesty's Army abroad? Prosthetics are wonderful these days - you should be at work. Sorry, IDS, not all prosthetics are wonderful - to the extent that many people with false legs can't stand for long periods or easily climb stairs - which makes rush hour public transport a nightmare, let alone the other issues associated with having a limb blown off. Still, I believe these poor unfortunates used to sell apples on street corners - unless that's been outlawed now.

Proofteller
These disgusting politicians continue to target the vulnerable as they and their friends become fatter and richer. Time for them not to lose a limb but to lose their heads. Note how they go to war with countries armed with the equivalent of a pea shooter, cowards abraod as well as at home. Revolution is needed, rid the world of this vermin.

wotevah
If you find this all rather disturbing, please sign the e-petition below to have what the Government is trying to do here re-examined by Parliament and ask your family and friends to do likewise:
http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/20968

Jayne Pickard
I am one of these so readily labeled "scroungers" . I was assessed by a doctor at home and deemed disabled enough to warrant high level on both benefits. ATOS however, deemed me fit to work last year and as much as I would love to go back to work (I left school at 16 and worked in retail for 25 years) who would put up with persistent sick days? The problem with them, is that although they are "qualified" medical people (not doctors) they have a book which lays out every condition and its various effects. It isn't taken into account that some are worse than others, there are varying degrees of each problem! I was literally called a liar on the copy of the "book" i received as a part of my appeal. Apparently the things I "claimed" don't happen to people with my condition...really? Tell my body that!!! My condition is degenerative.

The term Invisible Disability, is so true and believe me, I would give up the money and the car tomorrow if it meant being able to walk everywhere and be pain free again. But that isn't going to happen, ever! So to punish ALL disabled people because of the few who manipulate the system adds to the stress we already feel when members of the public shake their head at us getting out of our "FREE" car in a disabled bay! As for leading a normal life by going to the pub (which I don't do by the way!) or a coffee with friends (which I do!), why shouldn't we? Just because there is a disability, doesn't mean we have to sit at home at vegetate!!!

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healt ... qus_thread

Re: 500,000 to lose disability benefit

Posted: Mon May 14, 2012 8:37 am
by BoroBot
This government is truly evil. They have no idea how to run the country and resort to things like "the big society", welfare to work schemens and now taking money from the sick and disabled. It would be so much better if they sorted out the ystem, so that those who currently abuse it ( lke my neighbour, who is voluntarily disabled ) but that requires effort and brains. Far easier to go after the soft targets
- Gem, UK, 14/5/2012 07:59

First they came for the disabled, and I did not speak out-- Because I was not disabled.
Then they came for the unemployed, and I did not speak out-- Because I was not unemployed.
Then they came for the pensioners, and I did not speak out-- Because I was not a pensioner.
Then they came for me--and there was no one left to speak for me.
This is starting to feel like Germany in 1933. Better wake up people because they are coming for you next.
- Jock, Basildon England, 14/5/2012 07:58

Evil, wicked, nasty, and vile man. Meanwhile guess who is running the new parenting classes after the Tories shut down all the sure start centres, yes thats right, Dave mates from Eton. The Tories need to be stopped NOW!
- The Roses, Derby, 14/5/2012 07:58

Having worked full time for many years I eventually succumbed to the effects of my illness and stopped work.
The DWP itself labelled my illness 'a degenerative and disabling disease with no known cure'.
So why now am I suddenly being told that I am not really ill?
Inspite of the degeneration which has left me reliant on other people for the most basic daily function,
the government and it's minions are quite happy to declare I am not 'disabled enough'.
IDS and his lot should walk (or shuffle painfully) for 50 yards in my shoes before they make these judgements.
I miss work but which employer in their right mind is going to employ me when I need help to wipe my backside,
am in constant pain, have numerous hospital appointments for treatment and cannot be sure when I wake up that
I will even be able to get out of bed that day.
- Off to the Workhouse at this rate., Worcestershire, U.K., 14/5/2012 07:58

Oh dear as per normal I.D.S issues an edict that has been poorly thought through.
The man is an idiot with no experinece of the job he does!
Firstly he needs to STOP paying benefits to eu and non eu people who arrive - show us that he will not let the UK foot the bill either to pay these aforemetioned folk pensions as per the wish of Brussels!
Ex servicemen should go through the benefit system on a separate situation completeley!
Nothing this man does or says is for the people and he doesn't solve anything -its honestly pathetic
and lets face it he has no life experience of anything to do with the title he has!
Perhaps he would also like to look and sort the ultimate disgrace of people that work within the benfits system as most are not effective!
RIDICULOUS!
- flo, east end, 14/5/2012 07:57

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... z1upLM0SEg

Re: 500,000 to lose disability benefit

Posted: Mon May 14, 2012 8:51 am
by BoroBot
I can assure IDS it is not scaremongering.
Why doesn't he just reintroduce Workhouses and be done with it?
My husband has advanced Parkinson's & Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary disorder & worked all his life.
He is incontinent & unable to walk.
He was terrified at the atos medical carried out by unqualified staff who get a bonus to as fail him.
14 pages of medical evidence submitted by top Consultants was ignored.
This was just for the ESA test.
What hope does he have for DLA?
The 'lifetime' award' previously given was because he has degenerative & incurable illnesses.
He uses every penny to get the extra help he needs so he can remain at home.
A 16 month wait for an Appeal and Appeals are costing more than the 'savings' made by forcing genuinely sick people off welfare.
This government can give Billions in foreign aid and to the EU
but fails in its duty of care to the genuinely disabled.
Shame on you IDS.
Another Tory propaganda campaign spearheaded by the DM
- Millie, Ampthill, 14/5/2012 6:35

Heartless. What if you worked all your life, paid your taxes and became suddenly ill with a chronic illness or disabled? Our lives are worthless to these politicians.
- elena, london, 14/5/2012 3:40

He doesn't go into the specifics of why DLA claims rose because it would show him and the whole political class as having lied to the public for years. He says different contradictory things to different audiences, selecting truthful but incomplete points to fit. In truth, most of the growth is explained by pension-age claimants which the DWP finally acknowledged in a single ad hoc analysis report which was buried for three months and then released in the middle of the riots last August so no one would notice. This is separate from the demographics issue ministers fob journalists off with when ever the narrative on the DLA rise is challenged. Oh and mickey mouse tests don't 'reveal' anything about fitness for work; they just show the extent to which the goalposts were moved.
- Mason Dixon, Autistic, North Yorkshire, England, 14/5/2012 1:44

Disgusting idea how many servicemen have lost a limb while on duty in the name of the queen, we should get our priority's right.
- emma, London, 14/5/2012 6:30

Realistically, the question shouldn't be 'are they fit to work?' but 'can they get a job?'. Unless the idea is to let people starve to death if they can't meet the standards of employers who frequently want only swift yuppies who work out regularly and have little need for sleep.
- DrMallard, West Palm Beach, Florida, USA, 14/5/2012 2:59

I have heard it all now it is called disability allowance but if you lose a limb you might not qualify. People should NOT have to be tested if they are in this position. I would have thought Mr Duncan-Smith would know the meaning of the word disabled. It's bad enough losing a limb without having to justify it. This Government really needs to get a grip.
- Mrs T, Fife, Scotland, 14/5/2012 3:14

This should help fill the hole caused by the tax cuts for the rich,IDS is an empy suit.
- mehal, foxburn, 14/5/2012 2:41

This is just disgraceful. Instead of going after the bankers, they go after the disabled.
- Patrick Gilmore, London, England, 14/5/2012 5:03

I can well understand stamping down on those who abuse the system to claim these benefits but these are in the minority and there are genuinely disabled (already under stress) who will feel this is another attack on them, some of the most vulnerable in society. Strange that a country in financial straits has a tendency to pick on the vulnerable rather than those who caused the mess in the first place. Whether any minister has tried to survive on disability payments which help toward basic needs to get around or help I know not but they should give it a go and recognise the daily struggle. Many would gladly gain back their independence if they could. So, stamp out the fraudsters but please IDS protect the genuinely disabled.
- Robin , London, 14/5/2012 6:33

I know nobody who believes a word the government says any more.
- Toady the Toad, London England, 14/5/2012 4:15

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... l#comments