Feel this country has become rotten - benefits

This is why the benefits system needs a radical restructuring.

The new PIP equivalent should be a payment aimed at those who are unable to work and need care at home not those who physically go to work. No ifs or buts.

Before someone mentions MH, only those with serious MH conditions who are totally unable to work would qualify. A streamlined more efficient System.

Oh ok. Apparently this woman is working, claiming UC and pretending to be a single parent so she can claim more. This is definitely against the rules.

You can own a house and clam UC, as long as you live in it and you don't own any other houses.

Do you mean that your friend works for the DWP and therefore knows how to cheat the system?

How is she able to claim UC if she owns a house?

It’s always been considered benefit fraud for people to pretend to be separated in order to claim as a single person and people can be and are investigated for things like this.

People who cheat the system like that are scummy. They just are. You are not. Its no consolation, but personal pride and doing the right thing should count for something. It doesn’t any more for so many.

No. What used to happen was that people suffered in silence and were unseen and unheard. But you carry on with your rose-tinted glasses with ideas about the good old days.

PIP enables claimants to have a life at home too. It is nothing to do with employment.
How would PIP payments to employers help someone who need care at home?

Oh. That doesn’t sound at all like something that’s open to abuse by unscrupulous employers, now does it?(!) and how would that work if the person had to move jobs?

This thinking shows a lack of respect for disabled people and a suggestion that they should all be treated like a child begging for pocket money. Awful.

So you’re basing your views about society as a whole on one person who had mental health disabilities and was manipulative. How does that make any sense?

You can't force a couple together though
I saw a post on here where someone said their benefits would vanish if their partner moved in with them. They were told that they were committing fraud. And then that they were responsible for the housing crisis.

I also know someone doing the living apart thing. But they have 4 kids so one parent claims 2 lives with them and the other two lives with other parent. So they can claim for 4 kids.

Neither work.

I second this. I don't think a lot of people know this happens, but it does. It's a ridiculous loophole. A close friend of mine does this- and she works in benefits. She owns her own house, he owns his own house and has kids from a previous relationship and flits between the two places when it suits him. And because he can afford to own and run a home separately, it doesn't matter for Universal Credit purposes. When she had their child, she cut down to 2 days per week to be eligible, and 85% of her childcare is paid too.
Me and my partner are both having tonwork FT after my maternity so we can save for a house deposit- and the other day she had the cheek to urge me to drop my days 'because you'll regret it'. I'm still raging now. That's the level of entitlement so many have and it's easy to see how fucking demoralising it is for those who bust their balls working.

I used to believe the DWP line that people will always be better off working. Now I dont- the government seem hell bent on that not being the case.

I know but am scared.

The Government want more control on that now though.
Hence the change in their attempt to get people back to work ie to make the benefits more evidenced based and, it seems, harder to qualify

Obviously you know all this anyway.

I am declared as unfit for work for UC.

No because PIP and sickness benefits are totally different.
I know people who manage to work because they are on PIP. They would not be entitled to sickness benefits.

As long as they can live at home with parents? You don’t get a reduction on rent as utilities because you’re just starting out on the career ladder

Of course if you are completely funding yourself with nothing to you or others to care for you then of course no one can make you do anything.

I does make sense that you need to be declared unfit to work officially by some means.
Im sure you would agree with the logic there…..wouldn’t you?

No.

My idea is better. Have it as a solution focused conversation like they do for disabled student allowance. Give the person the money to enable the support that has been identified to help them.

The next assessment asks how the money was used to support the person and in certain cases looks to identify steps of improvements. The money might get more or less depending on how things have changed. If someone has made no progress at all (in certain conditions) then it might lead to questions about how they are spending the pip to meet the expenses related to managing their disability, and potentially a reduction.

Example - my DC was in their room not getting up and dressed, not washing, not eating anything unless I brought it in. We used our pip for PA support twice a week and now DC goes bike riding, which has rekindled their interest in plants and animals, and they have been able to help our neighbour look after their cat when they went away. There are still lots of issues with personal hygiene, use of washing machine etc.

Next pip review we can show the efficacy of that money in helping DC, and show that there is lots still to go, but with the PA support the future is looking better and we may even move towards voluntary work or part time paid employment. This would mean the money continues or increases to support the PA's wages. In other words, they don't take money away automatically if you admit there has been progress.

If you have spent money but there's been no change - eg the PA hadn't helped at all - then you would try to work out what needs to be different (eg meds review, different support worker, different focus of support).

If we hadn't spent any money on the disability supports except to buy a new bed (because the other was worn out from DC being in it 24/7) and just say "no change" at review, the assessor could reduce the money as it's not being helpful if literally nothing has changed in their mental health condition.

Obviously this system wouldn't work for some conditions but I think it might for some of the more mental health ones.

I havent and am not expecting anything. My care needs are met by my mum and boyfriend.
But the gov are now saying I have to have PIP to be declared not fit to work. I am not on PIP. I know people on PIP and they claim it so they are able to work. It makes no sense.

Appreciate that. But surely you can’t expect to receive something you haven’t applied for.

Which is not surprising as there’s still a lack of clarity.
All new taxes and changes are stressful for those that will be affected

I have never been assessed. The whole process scares me. I am not alone in that.

Then you’ve been assessed as not needing them.