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?

The Tories basically only want very very severely disabled people to get any help. People like myself will survive without any help. My partner looks after me, and we just accept that we have to spend more money on things like incontinence pads and taxis. But it does make life harder.

You're right, Fanjo. I didn't look at much online about other people's experiences til after it was done and sent off because I knew it was going to be scary. So whatever I do now can't affect the outcome, for him.

He is still blissfully unaware of the whole saga. Money and the lack of it is his biggest fear - if he even overhears us talking about a money worry, he goes ballistic.

"PIP is not about paying for the extra costs of having a disability. I am disabled, have bladder incontinence, and can only cook ready made meals. Does not matter, I do not qualify for PIP. PIP is about people who need a carer."

I've not seen anywhere that says this. Please can you tell me where I might find info on this?

joffrey with the greatest of respect scaremongering helps no-one and I believe is what contributes to people not applying

cleaty your doctor can refer you to the continence service for pads and pip Is for The extra costs incurred through having a disability. I'm not sure where you heard it isn't from. I suggest you put a claim in.

I end up buying pads anyway as the ones the nhs provide are crap and not enough. I'd spend the whole time washing if I had to rely solely on the nhs ones. I don't think the ones I buy are more expensive either (they are lille ones) and wasn't that another thing that call me Dave said wouldn't be affected?

I get pads through my Dr. The amount you get are limited.

Look at the criteria. People like me have extra costs, but can not get PIP. And yes I did put a claim in and got turned down.

Dh and Ds2 had lifetime awards under DLA. Ds was supposed to have his assessment two weeks ago. They cancelled at the last second, and yes I do mean that, not the day before, but at 9.30 a.m when we were to be seen between 9.30 and 10.30. I have to drive 250 miles again in a couple of weeks. Dh will be changed over to PiP in a few months. Only, it isn't just changed over, it's reassessed, despite lifetime awards.
Oh, and I got no points. I've already shit myself twice this morning, but still get no points. Wankers. With regard to my AS, I too can answer questions. Can't walk into a party, have trouble in restaurants, supermarkets, busy rooms, doctor/hospital waiting rooms, but hey, I can answer some questions. Silly cow kept telling me that my Doctor managed all my conditions. I really must let my poor G.P. know.

My son currently receives DLA as he is autistic. Currently at age 13 we are not a the PIP stage yet. I dread it though as he can appear very able but really is not. You wouldn't necessarily realise this in a 30 minute interview though.
In addition he has receptive language difficulties so won't necessarily understand what is being asked of him. Have already decided that when the time comes he will be going with an advocate who can ensure an accurate assessment is made.
This bastard Govt would do anything to avoid supporting people like my son and just leave him to flounder. It's the same with adequate education support too. I am a Tiger mother when needed though and able to fight for the support he needs. I pity anyone who doesn't have that support because they will be thrown to the floor and stepped over.

If you tick on the form that you have to get up at least twice a night to see to your child it increases your chance of getting PIP massively.
It appears to be the magic question, I was told this by someone who fills these forms in on other's behalf.

I also discovered, that for adults, saying you are frequently breathless is a magic answer as well.

I know I'm only on page 6 but I just wanted to say I know two just turned 16 DLA to PIP awards where they are indefinite awards yes they can be reviewed but it won't be in the same way.

The people at the top are all so rich they have no connection to the rest of us at all, we are only useful to them if we are working, doing all the shitty jobs they don't want to do and if we aren't capable of that we are a problem, a drain. The working and middle classes are allowed a tiny bit to shut us up, the people unable to financially contribute are fair game.

I claim pip under special rules which means I automatically get enhanced care. For the mobility I can walk but am in constant pain for which I take morphine etc. As soon as I said I can't walk a step without pain I got enhanced mobility. So for those that can get about but need painkillers to do so please advise them of this, meant I got the mobility part also.

DLA was assessed on day and night - I think PIP is just a vague 'over all the time'.

Years ago when I helped parents with disabled kids fill out DLA forms, someone who worked at the DSS or whatever it was called then, told me off the record, that your award went up exponentially if you established the problems were day AND night. It's now vague and no longer cut and dried.

Alfie you might recognise this description - a consultant paediatrician who helped my son get DLA told me that many people on the autistic spectrum have "islands of ability", so can in some areas, appear quite high functioning.

I still would like someone to explain to me how a random 'health care professional' with 3 weeks' training - who may have no professional experience of people with x or y disability - is more qualified than the top end, widely published, well known experts on autism and dyspraxia, (and insert your own difficulty here) who gave the info on my son's forms all those years ago. Talking about lifelong conditions here that are going nowhere.

If an assessor isn't aware that Downs Syndrome is a lifetime condition - what hope do people on the spectrum, who may look like most people, face?

The nighttime stuff is dreadful to claim for. My DS is a poor sleeper, I need to be with him at bedtime or he doesn't settle. From experience I know that putting him into bed before 10pm is not worth doing. After that it can be up until 2am before he falls asleep with a wake up by 7am. He also bedwetter so will frequently (most nights get up and need the bed sorting). Despite this he doesn't qualify for higher rate care as falling asleep at 2am means that is when the house settles for the night... I kid you not, they actually told me that.

So he gets middle rate care despite the fact that I have to often get up at night with him.

My friend gets Higher rate for her son but he does have a tendency to leave the house at night so that is understandable. However a 2am sleeping time plus another getting up to change the bed doesn't count.

In any case I am grateful that we do get something as the washing is horrendous.

Can I ask- which political party WOULD genuinely care about the disabled and vulnerable and actually DO something concrete for us?

Ukip? Labour? Libdems? Green? anyone?

who the hell do we actually vote for next time -ive NEVER voted cuntservatives BTw.

and whos the next leader of them? Osborne? Gaaah. shithead.

How long till we see Aktion T4 in place ? I make no apologies for the upsetting poster. At least we're alive to read it.

Alfieis did you appeal that?

Because I do believe whoever told you it doesn't count was talking nonsense and you could get that overturned.

The Tories wouldn't spend money on euthanasia they'd just leave us to starve!

The Tories wouldn't spend money on euthanasia they'd just leave us to starve!

And if they did, there'd be the usual suspects on MN defending it.

The Tories wouldn't spend money on euthanasia they'd just leave us to starve!

If you really want to study the economics of mass murder, C20th Europe is the place to start.

Oh I'm well aware of several issues in 20thc Europe, Hitler wasn't even the worst! What is terrifying is the current tory cabinet seem to want to replicate this!

Random healthcare professional? The training is extremely intense and thorough and all assessments are audited 100% to make sure we are being fair and consistent. I have years of knowledge working with people with asd and I am confident that I am fair and score correctly and also take into consideration their hidden difficulties.

two you might, but I posted about my experience earlier in the thread- because I spoke to the assessor and made eye contact (which I didn't, by the way, I rarely do) they concluded that I have no difficulty the majority of the time. They didn't take into account that DH was there for moral support, they didn't take into account that it was a professional, scripted relationship, they didn't take into account that my anxiety varies.

Apparently I also told them I am only anxious at certain times of the month, and I have no difficulty managing my meds- these are not true so either they outright lied, they misunderstood me (which lends support to my communication difficulties) or I did something like agree with a statement that was only partly true (again, this demonstrates some of my communication difficulties).

But because I answered questions appropriately, even if not truthfully, that means I scored zero points. That's akin to asking "what is the weather like today?" to be told "it's pouring with rain" when actually, it's a beautiful sunny day, and saying the individual has no communication difficulties (and this sort of response is common in ASD in my opinion, because the word 'weather' triggers a delayed echolaliac response that the individual doesn't necessary fully understand).

I will be applying again, making sure to record my interview next time, but I actually need my mental health to improve first because I couldn't handle the stress of applying!