To let you all know that disabled are having their benefits cut

[AndNowItsSeven]

The DWP has today launched a consultation aimed at cutting the number of people eligible for the daily living component of personal independence payment (PIP) by up to 35%. The cuts will be aimed at claimants who qualify for PIP because of their use of aids and appliances and may include replacing awards with discretionary voucher payments.
The press release and consultation document published today claim that 35% of all daily living allowance awards are based solely on the claimant’s need to use aids and appliances.
This is flawed as
A)often disabled people require assistant, however Atos are only scoring then as needing an aid.
B) even if you disability needs listed in the pip form can be met by aids most people will have many other needs not mentioned on the form.
To suggest the only extra cost of being disabled for those claimants, is the cost of aids is absurd and insulting.
The consultation ends on 29 January 2016, conveniently over the Christmas New year Period.
Please if you can take the time to respond.

www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/484217/pip-consultation-on-aids-and-appliances.pdft

Does anyone know whether this will have any impact on ESA?

Becca - My MP says disability benefits should be done away with. There should only be one benefit for those who don't work and that Jobseeker's Allowance. As for PIP/DLA then the expense of being disabled should be met via health insurance/ savings from work because there is possible work for everyone ... that above is from their email to me

Who's the MP Becca?

I'm wondering if anyone who voted tory will come along and defend them here? Or will it be the usual ''poor little tory voter me daren't put my head above the parapet on MN'' shit?

Bloody hell just when you think the bastards can't get any worse

My mum is currently on ESA and DLA for bi-polar disorder, does anyone know if this will affect her when it changes to PIP??

Enjoy, in principal yes as one of the five proposals suggested will apply to all new pip claimants, renewals and change of circs.
However someone who suffers from bipolar is extremely unlikely to be awarded pip on the basis of aids only. They would have to also have a physical condition and the prompting and support required for their bipolar completely ignored.

I'm not saying who the MP is. As much as I hate them because it would out me (because of other info ive put on here).

Ive kept their email. There won't be anyone who won't know their opinion come the next election

To the person saying about means testing a lot of disabled people are only able to work due to claiming DLA/PIP. Means testing would remove their ability to work. It's been suggested before and isn't appropriate when you consider what it is used for. Example, I wouldn't have been able to continue in my managerial position when I was diagnosed without DLA as that extra money enabled me to continue working, if it was means tested it would have meant not being able to work, or more importantly getting equipment or the support I needed in work as DLA was the only evidence my employer accepted of the level of disability.

Thanks for pointing out things I hadn't thought of.

Tory voters would do well to consider this before 2020.
First they came for the communists, and I did not speak out - because I was not a communist;
Then they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out - because I was not a socialist;
Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out - because I was not a trade unionist;
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out - because I was not a Jew;
Then they came for me - and there was no one left to speak out for me.

this is just going to pit those on TC against the disabled even more

first it was the working pitted against the unemployed now its this

hmmmmmmmm wonder if the tories thought of that

i have bipolar and was awarded PIP 18mths ago for 5yrs (without medical)

instead of tinkering with pip again they would be better of clearing the huge backlog of renewals/claims but that would be to simple

when i have time i will look and see what i got my points for

Sally pleased you didn't have to have a medical.
The people most affected will be those with physical conditions such as arthritis, fibromyalgia, cfs/me , ms etc

By claiming pip it's allowed me to work part time (it makes up my wage shortfall) but I have to say if by having an aid or adaptation you are then fully independent it is wholly different to someone who has a chronic pain or degenerative issue.

Pip is there to pay for the things you need because of your disability. I need frequent hospital trips and therapies so it pays for parking at the hospital along with filling the gap for my wages.

If someone 'just' has a limb missing (for arguments sake) their needs may well be met by occasional appointments for a new prosthesis and a few dressing aids. So I can see how they are thinking with the new plans. Doesn't mean I agree with them though

I will say though pip isn't as hard to get as people make out. It is harder than dla but not impossible to get if you have a genuine need for it. Nor is the wait in some areas as long as the press will have people believe

does anybody know the time scale of the proposals

yes seven i seem to of been very lucky with my claim,Enhanced daily living,i do have other conditions arthritis etc but agree mine is more Bipolar

i really hope the public get behind this as those with physical conditions sound screwed if this happens,dark times

Divide and conquer. Oldest trick in the book. Just in case that fails all they do is put in any conversation about the disabled "those who are genuine and most vulnerable are protected" for those who might not fall for the divide and conquer bit. I know a lot of people, both on MN and in real life who fall into this category.

Universal credit does away with disability premiums, WTC for the disabled and ESA WRAG payment are going. Yes there were consultations for the first two, the third was in the summer statement. There were campaigns and threads on MN but the fact is it doesn't effect enough people, there is no central organisation for disabled people in this country, it's really fractured. Yes there are organisations like MIND who can help represent those with mental illness - there was a time when mental illness wasn't assessed separately in terms of benefit and it took years of campaigning before there was separate questions for mental illness but there is no central organisation to speak up for all disabled people because everyone is different. Two people with the same diagnosis can have very very different needs never mind representing different illnesses.

I read the autumn statement and it says the following : "our welfare state is failing the disabled. Far too many are remaining on benefits compared to those on Jobseekers Allowance and this must be urgently addressed" and then he whittles on about getting more of the disabled to look for and into work. Because of course everyone who has left ESA has done so to get a job and is now better. Not that they've left it because they are in ESA WRAG which is time limited as contribution based and becomes income based so if your partner earns more than (whatever the limit is for a couple these days) your money is stopped. Or theyve died. No, the only reason to leave ESA is work and being better

well where i live in general it takes 9-10 mths and thats not to bad compared to other areas that are frankly a disgrace

9-10 mths is still far to long imo and other areas are worse

Many people with disabilities could, should and do work. If they genuinely cannot then they will be receiving other benefits alongside pip or dla.

Pip and dla are only supposed to cover the additional costs you incur from having the disability. Such as parking charges (which many won't incur due to having a blue badge), additional costs of power usage, pay for home help and Gardening... Your other benefits are for your living costs

the trouble is the general public only see bright new shiney free cars
leased on mobility and dont care to listen to the reality of disability

lunch it depends on where you live in terms of how hard it is to get/waiting times.

My county has a massive wait for medicals as there is only one centre, which is not accessible, no car park, no public transport nearby and they only do medicals Monday and Wednesday (all of which is relevant when having a medical). The time for appeals is currently about eighteen months and there are no longer organisations to help with applying or appeals as CAB has now closed due to lack of funding so the rate of success is quite low.

I cant even apply for PIP as I cannot use a telephone or textphone and the DWP will not allow anyone else to contact them and do the mini medical on my behalf. I don't own a telephone. I am genuine with my needs, qualify many times over, as do many other people who cannot use telephones or text phones.

So when my DLA is due to be transferred I will get nothing. Same goes for ESA renewal. Still at least Osbourne can say the welfare state will have worked in my case

In my area you are charged for parking with a blue badge in a car park same rates as everyone else, I thought that was the case everywhere but obviously not.

becca it's crap the service varies so much round the country. When I rang all the asked me was for my name, address and national insurance number so they could send the pack out, has that changed?

My medical was done at a centre which was awful for someone with my health conditions but you can ask for your assessment to be done at home, which is where the wait is usually incurred.

Is free parking for blue badge holders not universal then?

not everywhere

in my borough council car parks give free parking to blue badge tax exempt vehicles,also same circumstances our hospital dosent charge

we must be lucky here compared to some

and were a tory council,i expect they will try to void that next

lunch I couldn't even manage that . Now they do a mini medical with you over the phone and send you a specific form according to the results of that phone medical. I understand that's for PIP possibly it is for ESA as well. There definitely is no longer a generic form sent out. They don't consider multiple illnesses/needs so will send the form for one only.

The last time my ESA was renewed I was bombarded daily with letters threatening all sorts if I didn't give them my telephone number as it is a legal requirement they refused a medical at home - the wait is upto a year for the centre, I dread to imagine the wait for a home visit!!

It would appear the universal free parking in car parks isn't universal, unless it's just my council charging wouldnt surprise me in the slightest

My brother in law receives pip/dla he isn't physically disabled but as he requires supervision/caring and is unable to work he receives the higher amount. Does anyone know how this will affect him? I will write to my MP as well.