Claimants to lose DLA even if FALSELY accused of fraud (to think this is HIGHLY unreasonable.)

[Darkesteyes]

How can this even be legal. To stop a claimants income just because some bastard has falsely accused them.
In every other instance in this country someone is presumed innocent until proven guilty
Except when it comes to benefits when you are guilty until proven innocent.
But NOW it seems that the innocent are STILL going to be treated like they are guilty.

benefitsandwork.co.uk/news/2416-claimants-to-lose-dla-permanently-if-falsely-accused-of-fraud-dwp-decides

so I'm not sure why PIP would be worse than DLA - are the criteria more stringent?

They are different.

Also you have to make a claim, so yo have to fill in a long form and wait for a decision as to whether you qualify for PIP.

THEN you have to wait 3 months before you get a payment. It is not just swapping from one benefit to another.

that site is good but they do like scaremongering, I don't believe it personally.

And isn't PIP going to be quite a lot less money than DLA?

no pip is exactly the same amount of money as dla.

Why's that, tolittletoolate?

There are alot of things this government are doing which arent exactly legal / skirt the line.

If my dla was stopped I would become homeless at the end of the month, as I have to use part of it for rent as my disability wiped my earning power and am stuck in v unsuitable accommodation whilst waiting to be moved into more accessible place. Not what it's for but it's caused by my disability so all goes into the melting pot.

I use the rest to pay specialist carers who obviously can't work for free for the months I'd be without the rest of their income. Its taken me a year to find the right skillset snd match for me and i cant exactly lay them off then expect to rehire can i?

Without these carers my health would spiral out of control, I can't wash or eat without them, let alone move around my house, couldn't get prescriptions for vital medication.

However none of that would matter as I wouldn't be able to look after my little boy, so would top myself anyway, as he's the only reason I'm still here.

That's called REAL effects of government policies.

(thank fuck no one has reported me btw!) I will certainly not tell people I get it in the future, careless lips lose lives etc...

Well that's us fucked then. We already get at least 2 malicious reports a year. And yes I know exactly who's doing it - same person who reports us to RSPCA maliciously.

Does anyone know the stats on how many reports of fraud actually get upheld?

0.7% including a margin for DWP payment error.

The sad fact is that people think that if a disability is not openly visible. They report someone who they know is in receipt of DLA/PIP but they saw him/her in their garden weeding (for example) they then report them without a thought that they may suffer severe Epilepsy or mental health issues that prevent them being able to live a "normal" life. For these people to be in receipt of this benefit they have had to have had evidence form the relevant health professionals, which in many cases lately has been proved to have been ignored by the DWP etc... so they would get their money stopped..

This is definitely another horrific attempt by this sadistic, self serving, moronic so called Government to demean the sick and disabled, whilst spitting their dummies out for a 11% pay rise and stupid expenses..... and please do remember that the leader of that Government was not backward at claiming DLA for his son when he could afford the best quality car out of his pocket change.....

OK off my soapbox now!

Those with children who qualify for DLA currently can stop worrying for the time being.

PIP is for over 16's so if you have a current long term award for DLA for a under 16 it will stay DLA until they hit 16.

Even with an allegation or change

Diai I think I liiiike you

I can believe this as I work in this area and although have no cases of this what has happened to people I work with. Was what happened is when older people who receive state pension who should never ever stop receiving for any ever as they are always still entitled to recevie this, have another benefit paid combined with it, either Attendance Allowance or Pension Credit or both, and i mean as only one lumped together weekly payment of multiple benefits including the state pension, when a stoppage of one benefit means all stop, suddenly I have known people to have nothing at all for weeks

Thanks for sharing that Gobby, really high then
Obviously informing on people isn't flawed in the slightest then either. Ffs. I hate feeling so persecuted by the government & society at large. It's disgusting.

Encouraging malicious accusations from people who might just simply be bearing a grudge is disgusting. Very redolent of Gestapo tactics in ww2.

thankyou Gobby Great minds think alike

Is that not the case for all benefits? Don't they all stop whilst under investigation? (genuine question not rhetorical)

Double

I personally can fully empathise with you, I do wonder how a supposedly intelligent, diverse and PC society can believe the twisted lies that certain Ministers put out in the media about the sick and disabled. They need to realise that they are only an accident or illness away from being in the same boat

This is really worrying me as I'm not allowed to work full time due to my mental health problems; I get DLA for them and for epilepsy - and the DLA means I can 'top up' my income with WTC - i'm still struggling financially though.

It's worrying because I look and seem healthy and someone malicious could report me - i'm thinking of one colleague in particular who is a bitch... maybe i'm worrying for no good reason but losing DLA would wreck my life right now.

Latara

Please try not to worry, you are describing exactly what I posted further up.

What some stupid people do not understand is that DLA/PIP is a benefit in place to enable people such as yourself to be able to work and if you lose it you will cost the benefit system and taxpayers more through having to claim ESA......

Thanks diaimchlo the problem is that certain people at work seem envious of the fact that I work less days a week (when the stress of work contributed to psychosis last year).

They have been asking how I cope which is a thinly veiled attempt to find out if i'm on benefits. I've admitted that I get benefits to a couple of friends there but I know how gossip spreads.
Hopefully most people like me and wouldn't be malicious but you never know.

Back to the OP, yes I think it should be innocent until proven guilty and people shouldn't lose benefits unless they've been found to be fraudulent.

Latara a friend of mine is on DLA and WTC too. Similar boat to you only she has epilepsy. if someone were to maliciously report her there is no way she could afford to go into work and there is no way her employer would wait 8 to 16 weeks and keep the job open while its sorted. Not to mention the obvious situation of her possibly facing homelessness.

Gestapo tactics is a bang on description.