Fuck it - the government will look me

How does that translate into claimants abusing the system?

Yes, the whole assessment aspect needs looking into. Far too many people are turned down but win at tribunal. If they were properly assessed to begin with, a lot of time and money that goes into tribunals in court would be saved.
Also, people who get reassessed for conditions that will never improve. Waste of time and money having to explain to the DWP that their child's Down Syndrome will never be cured, or that their missing limb will never grow back.

We weren’t even given the choice when DD1 (16) was assessed earlier this year. We would have preferred a F2F interview! And in DD1’s case, her disability is even more obvious F2F, as she simply can’t answer questions herself in such situations, she looks to us to answer for her.

I'm afraid I disagree, the award rate is high. And I agree with Catknowsbest who says the below. No one has said people shouldn't claim what they're genuinely entitled to.

have always been frustrated by the decline in F2F interviews and the completely inappropriate use of telephone assessments. I genuinely believe the system would be much better with proper assessments and save money in the long run yet since covid they have decided telephone is the way to go. I think its short sighted and the current issues they claim to have with too many people on PIP is actually their own fault to a huge extent.

It isn't easy though.
Someone claiming benefits that they are entitled to is not taking advantage of anything.

I think if you make it easy for people claim PIP for being anxious, then many will take advantage of that.

Yes, she blames the system. You are blaming claimants.

Did you see the post a bit above yours by the woman who works in benefits? From the CAB:

At the moment the DWP will try to do the assessment by looking at your medical evidence and talking to you over the phone or by video call.

https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/benefits/sick-or-disabled-people-and-carers/pip/help-with-your-claim/your-assessment/

That is a bold claim. Care to back it up? With actual figures, and not anecdotes.

The motability system is abused by many.

And I have no objections to helping disabled people, my own mum is disabled and on PIP.

But I do object to people deciding they can’t work because they’re anxious and the DWP awarding them PIP without a F2F interview.

The motability system is abused by many.

And I have no objections to helping disabled people, my own mum is disabled and on PIP.

But I do object to people deciding they can’t work because they’re anxious and the DWP awarding them PIP without a F2F interview.

The lack of face to face interviews is entirely down to how badly the DWP is run- I work in benefits support (also have very disabled DH) and have always been frustrated by the decline in F2F interviews and the completely inappropriate use of telephone assessments. I genuinely believe the system would be much better with proper assessments and save money in the long run yet since covid they have decided telephone is the way to go. I think its short sighted and the current issues they claim to have with too many people on PIP is actually their own fault to a huge extent.

The motability system is abused by many.

And I have no objections to helping disabled people, my own mum is disabled and on PIP.

But I do object to people deciding they can’t work because they’re anxious and the DWP awarding them PIP without a F2F interview.

So you don't want to pay to help disabled people?

@BionicWomansAnkle
Then I take my hat off to you for acknowledging you didn’t know, because most people don’t do that.
I will share this with this post because you don’t know sometimes what emotions you can stir up: I am 50.
I’ve paid higher tax rates when I worked. I am educated with the best results ever from my university, at the time, from my BA, then did an MLitt and then a PhD in my chosen field.
I worked very hard all my life. My parents had nothing to bequeath me but they gave me an extremely hard work ethic.
My first daughter died.
My second was born severely physically disabled.
I would choose not to use Motability because- as per the figures I gave above - it’s a rip off for disabled people.
My husband works damned hard to help children who have been treated horrendously by their parents and are now “looked after” by the State. He is a decent hardworking person, also with a PhD. Neither of us are stupid or feckless or scroungers.
As our situation demands that we acquire a WAV - currently, as I said above - only available to lease via Motability or purchase second hand (none of the type we needed were available when we first needed it).
Count your blessings that you don’t need to know the ins and outs of Motability.
I never thought I would.
The worst part of the hatred towards disabled people is the notion that these children don’t deserve help.
I did absolutely nothing wrong in my life to end up where I am.
You and the others who are quick to judge are a car accident or a childhood cancer diagnosis away from where we are.
I want you to know that I am as tough as they come - but this thread has made me cry.
My daughter will self-fund when her wealthy grandparents die.
Tax will be taken that will more than cover her DLA. That’s if she survives them.
Not every disabled child is so lucky.

What's your point? People cheating the system? The system's bar is too low?

What's your point? People cheating the system? The system's bar is too low?

I'm sorry you had to deal with that at what must have been a very difficult time.

I've tried applying for any job until something in my field turns out, but I'm being rejected from those too (Tesco, Aldi).

Here's how this went:
Applied online. Popped into Job Centre a few days later as I was passing thinking I could check I was doing everything I needed to do (I've never been unemployed before). Got wrestled to the floor as my foot stepped over the threshold - "When's your appointment?" the security guy barked at me.
I explained why I was there and once they saw I wasn't about to torch the place one of the staff (work coach?) did very kindly take me aside and say there was a 4 week wait for claims to be processed.

Waited. Got my snotty email saying it was being processed. No "we are here to support you and give you advice" rather "IF we deign to give you JSA you will have to jump through these burning hoops of fire".

Waited. 3 letters. One pointing out that benefits are liable for tax, lest I think my taxes might already have paid for this.
One saying my reason for backdating wasn't reasonable. I was reeling pretty much, but said that I wasn't sure what my NI code was.
One saying. No you're not eligible.

This is where it turns into 'couldn't make it up'. I was registered as self employed. If you have a child under 12 your NI is paid. When my child turned 12 my NI was not paid. No one told me. I didn't realise for 2 years. It is one of those things you don't know you don't know. It took some back and forth with my accountant to realise what had happened. I didn't think I'd need to pay the shortfall because I've got enough years to qualify for state pension. Little did I think that it's exactly those 2 years that I need to have paid in order to get JSA.

I did call JSA line to see if I could still get some support finding work. When I finally got through she talked to me like I was scum. I just wanted to talk to an actual person who might help me navigate this situation. She shut me down.

The default is that people seeking benefits are lazy, scum who just want free money. At least that's how I have been made to feel. It's very isolating.

Maybe I've swerved a bullet. I am not on the bones of my arse yet and to date I've just be made to feel worse.

When I lost my job and couldn't work because my child was seriously ill in hospital, I had a work coach helpfully ask if a cleaning job would be an option until my son's DLA came through?

Funnily enough, the answer was no.

It took a strongly worded letter from the hospital my son was at for them to stop hounding me when I had a seriously ill child.

They are fucking awful to deal with.

The number of people receiving jobless benefits without having to look for work has climbed above four million for the first time.

Figures published by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) show the number of Universal Credit (UC) claimants with no requirement to look for a job rose to 4.03 million in October.

Here's how this went:
Applied online. Popped into Job Centre a few days later as I was passing thinking I could check I was doing everything I needed to do (I've never been unemployed before). Got wrestled to the floor as my foot stepped over the threshold - "When's your appointment?" the security guy barked at me.
I explained why I was there and once they saw I wasn't about to torch the place one of the staff (work coach?) did very kindly take me aside and say there was a 4 week wait for claims to be processed.

Waited. Got my snotty email saying it was being processed. No "we are here to support you and give you advice" rather "IF we deign to give you JSA you will have to jump through these burning hoops of fire".

Waited. 3 letters. One pointing out that benefits are liable for tax, lest I think my taxes might already have paid for this.
One saying my reason for backdating wasn't reasonable. I was reeling pretty much, but said that I wasn't sure what my NI code was.
One saying. No you're not eligible.

This is where it turns into 'couldn't make it up'. I was registered as self employed. If you have a child under 12 your NI is paid. When my child turned 12 my NI was not paid. No one told me. I didn't realise for 2 years. It is one of those things you don't know you don't know. It took some back and forth with my accountant to realise what had happened. I didn't think I'd need to pay the shortfall because I've got enough years to qualify for state pension. Little did I think that it's exactly those 2 years that I need to have paid in order to get JSA.

I did call JSA line to see if I could still get some support finding work. When I finally got through she talked to me like I was scum. I just wanted to talk to an actual person who might help me navigate this situation. She shut me down.

The default is that people seeking benefits are lazy, scum who just want free money. At least that's how I have been made to feel. It's very isolating.

Maybe I've swerved a bullet. I am not on the bones of my arse yet and to date I've just be made to feel worse.

Have you claimed contributions based job seekers allowance? It's not means tested and is for 6m, you do have to show that you are looking for work, but you might also get a job coach which might be useful.