To Think the Tories Are Actually At War With Disabled People?

[JoffreyBaratheon]

I've been mired in the grim process of my son's DLA being changed to the new benefit, PIP. During this time, I have heard the stories of other disabled people and their loved ones. This may make me biased. Or human.

On every forum I have been on for help, can see that thousand of other disabled people, their carers, appointees and loved ones are being pretty well tortured by the vicious cuts and the new, brutal system being forced into place.

Benefits advisers and people at charities in the front line trying to support people like us also seem to report they feel like the disabled are under attack.

Now I will never understand why the most disadvantaged people in society are being forced to pay for the mistakes of bankers and rich people. Losing DLA will be a blow to our family - most of all my son but all of us - we won't recover from. To multi millionaires like Campbell, no doubt it's back pocket change so they are incapable of understanding what they are doing to ordinary people.

The past few months going through this hell, I've often felt like we might as well cut to the chase, sew the lack triangle on our clothes, and wait for the work camp to open. And I don't say that lightly, as someone whose grandad was present during the liberation of Belsen. (Wasn't it another tory - Gove - who said historians got it wrong and the British were donkeys led by lions, or words to that effect - so we know the contempt in which we are held by these chinless wonders already).

AIBU to think that people like Cameron and IDS are targeting disabled people and their carers, specifically?

Good luck for tomorrow, candy.

Thank you flatley

Good luck Candy!

Thank you dawn

Just come out of the assessment centre. Waiting room was packed and there were running an hour behind.
Assessment took 5 mins. Assessor said that from all the documents I had previously sent in it was self evidence that I couldn't work in conventional employment and they had no problem agreeing with that.
They were almost apologetic and even commented that the politics of the day meant they were being asked to conduct more and more assessments.

Weyhey!

Shit that you had to go, but glad you've had a result at last.

If your assessment centre is anything like mine, they'll be bumping people by this time of day. They completely overbook and when people turn up (having travelled whatever distance, in pain, often with someone who's taken time off work to accompany them), tell them to sod off home and repeat the process next week.

Oops, I'm touching wood for having said "result".

Wouldn't want to tempt fate given their creative incompetence...

My DH took time off work. That did crossed my mind, we would have refused to go I think!
I still don't trust it to run smoothly so we will see.

Sorry for the off tangent hi-jacking but I saw mention of this upthread: my sister's 18 yo with a diagnosis of Aspergers won't leave the house at all so can't get access to any help or benefits (now he's an adult he has to claim in own right), is there any way she can get them to come out to her to assess him without having him sectioned? Dr refuses to do a house call for someone able bodied.

can you find another doctor? Just because he is physically able-bodied does not mean he doesn't have mental health issues such as extreme anxiety that result in him not leaving home and therefore not being able to have equal access access to his community and services

i wonder by the way how much money the Tories are costing taxpayers by having so many unnecessary re-asessments Such horrible distrust and insulting treatment of people who have to access benefits to survive

Ah so my sister could phone a few other drs, explain the situation and see if they were amenable to coming out then moving his registration - great idea, thanks! She's desperate, she's got a serious MH diagnosis herself and they've just cut her benefits too, scumbag tories.

gertrude first step, change doctors.
Second step cot act a national charity that supports ASD (NAS?) and ask if they have a welfare officer.
Social care assessments happen at home. Agencies like creative support and so on can provide personal assistance and advocacy in these matters. In fact ask your local authority about Independent Advocacy. That's all I know, sorry.

i wonder by the way how much money the Tories are costing taxpayers by having so many unnecessary re-asessments

It (like the bedroom tax) almost certainly exceeds any savings made.

But that's OK, since saving money was never the issue. The whole point was to send a message to the lower orders. On the basis the message has been received and clear, it's been a great success - and probably cheaper per person than other methods.

Yes it's an ideology thing.
I must prefer Corbyn's ideology

Gertrude yes change of GP is essential and your sister should run it past the new practice before she joins, to make sure someone will come out.

My son has atypical autism and just got PIP (he did have DLA for life) without having to attend a Face to Face interview/medical, at all. But for your nephew to do that he's need a GP who could back him up and write to them saying either a home assessment or better still, a paper based review.

I have heard of people getting them - so long as they have as uch info as possible to back their claim - after ringing the DWP, insisting on speaking to a manager, and explaining the situation.

So it may be possible to get PIP without a face to face interview - it is very rare, my son got lucky, I know. ESA I'm not sure about but from what I read online, the process is similar to PIP.

Sounds like your nephew's GP has failed on more than one front - not just the lack of home visits, but they should have advised your sister many years ago, to apply for DLA. I only ever applied in the first place because a Dr told me about it.

This is a true account from someone I know re her adult daughter (C has very severe physical and mental disabilities and totally unable to do anything for herself) and her mum is a single parent with no other support:

As you all know C is disabled (Cerebral Palsy & Epilepsy) which means she has severe learning/ physical difficulties & cant do anyhing for herself, and so is entitled to certain benefits .
Now the goverment have started this process where if you disabled you have to have an assessment to see if you could do any type of work( lets get all disabled back into work then we dont need give them benefits, whch by the way they are trying to cut!!!)
And yes there are people who are conning the system.
But C is never gonna to work.
So about month ago we had to go to place in A.We get there & man sees C in wheelchair & says we cant see assess her here as not suitable for wheelchairs
You will need to be assessed in B (25 miles away) and they will send you a new appointment.
Fast forward to 4oclock a month later, get phonecall saying about C has an appointment tomorrow. I said got no letter but lady says YOU HAVE TO GO THEN OR Cs BENEFITS WOULD BE STOPPED(she was quite firm about that) so i had to call work say I wont be in and tell care centre that C will not be attending.
So daytrip via train to sunny B yesterday only for the folks there have no notice of Cs appointment or nor have her file or even have suitable doctor in the building(only nurses and they cant do C)
Must admit woman on reception was really good & on the phone to DWP in Wembley for ages cos it was Wembley who do the appointments & so would of rung me day before.
But they kept passing the buck & at one point even said they have lots of new staff working & one of those most of phoned me(receptionist & i both rolled our eyes at that excuse)
So who phoned me & insisted C HAD TO BE IN place B AT 1.30pm!!! OR HER BENEFITS WOULD BE STOPPED!!!
So C still hasn't been assessed ....
And will have to go back to place B again (When i have no idea)
SO yes yesterday i was more pissed off then i have been in a very long time, The staff in place B i will say were actually really nice & apologetic (it is Wembley who ** up) They all said unofficially that C shouldn't even had to go to the assessment .
There was 1kinda good thing (if i can say that) was if you travelled to place B you could claim your money back so will be getting train fare back in account soon.
Still lost a day's pay from work!
**
Next Day: YOU WONT BELIEVE IT, I just opened my mail & they have only sent C another appointment BUT IT WAS FOR YESTERDAY & IN place A (with no wheelchair access) !!!!!!
I phoned the number & had a moan to guy on phone in call centre in Newcastle.. He's going to contact Wembley for ANOTHER appointment NOT IN place A & make sure the put her file on the system.

The words "Piss up" and "brewery" come to mind.

There is a form ESA? which your GP can complete, which advises the DWP that you are unable to attend an assessment. I researched it when MrsLH was invited to apply for ESA. But since she was never called, it was never needed.

I drove 167 miles recently for an assessment. They cancelled.
Fortunately, they turned up this week. I get no expenses for this.

Ah yes, the disability assessment centres with no wheelchair access.

You couldn't make it up.

disability assessment centres with no wheelchair access.

Unbelievable!

The one attended today had a very inaccessible foyer. Revolving door, very narrow. Another ordinary door but with a keypad high up in the wall. So inaccessible and you'd need a code. I did see a customer with a mobility scooter so they must have been a way to do it but it wasn't obvious and very daunting.

Yip.

In 2012, by ATOS's own admission a quarter of their assessment centres weren't wheelchair accessible. It's now a different contractor, but in my experience they often carry on using the same buildings, so I don't know what the percentage is now.

JobCentres are much the same: mandatory sessions or you're sanctioned, but you can't actually get in the door.

I notice the DWP keeps trotting out that people can be seen at home - but actually they don't do this just because of the assessment centre being wheelchair inaccessible.

Unless you're housebound, they simply expect you to travel even further to use another office. Hence Elinor's post above.

well if my dd has to have an assessment(I am hopefull she won't as we didn't have to have one for ESA) i will take my adult son with us. and we will carry her in. he can the vidio the whole thing