Disability Benefits

[LIVVI1234]

Can someone advise - I keep seeing everywhere, Labour supporters saying Conservatives plan on dropping disability benefits - is this true?

I have never actually seen this anywhere? I understand they didn't have many changes planned to the current benefits we already have, which isn't great but I hadn't heard they were dropping them.

I haven’t heard this. The only changes I’ve heard was an end to the freeze. They can’t just scrap disability benefits.

They can carry on UC and pip.
They both punish disabled people.

Under the new Universal Credit system, disabled people are usually £100s of pounds a month worse off than they would have been on the old system (which had more generous disability 'premiums').

So they already started, as part of the coalition and in this last Government too.

They can’t just scrap disability benefits.

But they can, and have, arbitrarily made PIP harder to qualify for than DLA was. That roll-out is continuing, just as the UC roll-out is.

The current systems to qualify for them already makes it impossible for lots who need them.

The whole system is shocking with people having to fight fights they often aren’t well enough to fight just to get basic levels of support

Ignore them they are always making stuff up

I guess that’s just not my experience of eithe UC or Pips. Believe it or not, I’m actually better off for switching to UC and Pips were very kind when assessing me.

I was of course better off not being disabled and actually being able to work!

Well my daughter was on lifetime dla and has now been refused PIP so we are going to tribunal. So they certainly can just stop benefits

It's almost over.
We have undeserving poor again.
We've already watched while disability benefit has been cut to the bone so that people can't afford to live (survive but not live)
Now we have them on the edge, just surviving, it won't take much of a push.
The application process weeds out a few who aren't able to complete the form and appeals then the reverse medical exam cuts out a few more.
The mental toll of the process gets rid of MH claimants.
It's superbly efficient if the point was cut benefits.

In the society I want to live in we don't want to punish disabled people and carers. In the society I'd like we want people to have enough to live and if they can't earn it then society will step in.

@murinae that’s terrible! I have heard horror stories tbh of people who genuinely should be getting these benefits and don’t because of how harsh they system can be. I genuinely hope you get it sorted.

When I said they can’t just stop it, I was referring more to a blanket ban of benefits.

I asked on behalf of my mum who is very disabled (MS and early dementia). She is also currently fine money wise (she receives PIP, Housing benefit and ESA - no switch to UC yet as there is a clause for people who receive the severe premium with ESA that they can't be switched yet).

I just see everyone saying that the disability benefits will get cut etc etc and how bad the conservatives in relation to disabilities are but we just haven't had this experience. Perhaps she has just been 'lucky' that she's so severely disabled, no questions have ever been asked (we have to complete a renewal form every few years but shes luckily never actually had an assessment).

No changes would be fine for us personally, although I do dread the inevitable change to UC, but I am actually reading cuts will be made. and I just haven't seen this.

Just this morning I saw a post on a DLA group from a mum whose young daughter has cancer, is catheterised and tube fed, and has been refused DLA.

The tories don’t need to take the PR hit of withdrawing disability benefits completely.

We receive a very small amount of tax credits which is topped up by disability premiums for the twins. When we have to switch to UC for that - which we will - the amount we receive will be cut significantly as the disability premiums are lower.

2/3 of those affected by the bedroom tax are disabled.

A ridiculous proportion of refused DLA and PIP claims are overturned at tribunal.

There are plenty of ways to fuck over disabled people (don’t even get me started on the EHCP process).

@murinae how on earth can that happen? Surely if she was on a lifetime award previously, she must be very much in need.
I know PIP doesn't seem to be as fair in relation to mental health as it is physical disabilities.

@murinae how on earth can that happen? Surely if she was on a lifetime award previously, she must be very much in need.

That's EXACTLY how the Tory was on the sick and disabled is being waged; Make the criteria stingier, make the process harder, outsource to private contractors who get bonuses for turning down a certain percentage of claims. Then sit back and see if the disabled and chronically ill have the energy and resources to mount an appeal, go to tribunal, etc.

It's death by a thousand cuts.

Why are you so determined not to see it OP?

Very best of luck at the tribunal @murinae It is a horrible system.

The WAR on sick and disabled....^

DWP took five months to decide if my blind, severely autistic and mental age of a 18 month old baby 21 year old Son was putting it on or not...

@ChristaMSieland It's not that I don't want to see it, it's just it hasn't been our experience. I'm fully aware that some people have had a horrendous time getting their benefits awarded, and many have been rejected unfairly. I just hadn't registered that this is what people meant by 'cuts', I though they mean scrapping it all together.

LIVVI1234 I was on severe disability and got moved to U.C following a change.
Was told straight after that I shouldn’t have been (Due to severe payment) (also due to 3 children) but once I was changed they can’t change you back.
Felt very much like a trick then “oops we made a mistake” but too late

No.they can't just stop disability benefits ,it's not and never has been easy to qualify for them though ( possibly it was years ago?);My son has been on MRC since he was three and LRM since he was five ,I felt he qualified for higher levels as he's severely autistic and very severe learning disabilities and DLA disagreed ,however I took it to a tribunal on Monday and won, and he's been awarded HRC and HRM under SMI rules,

I just hadn't registered that this is what people meant by 'cuts', I though they mean scrapping it all together.

If a government decides that they will slash spending on disability benefits, IRRESPECTIVE OF NEED, which is what they did, of course that is 'cuts'.

Unfortunately, your DM will eventually be migrated too.

My understanding @sinkgirl that even though the disability premiums are lower under UC ,there will be a period of adjustment so that people don't just receive lower amounts?

@LIVVI1234 I think your logic is the same as mine to be fair. You hear the stories and wonder what’s going to happen, but go through the process yourself (or your mum in your case) and find the opposite impact.

After reading this thread though and of course knowing the history of stories in the press etc.. you can’t help but see that the system is a lottery and unfair in so many ways. It should not take a tribunal to be awarded benefits and how someone who is awarded lifetime DLA can suddenly not be entitled to PIPS is beyond me. How can that even be justifiable!

It was funding for special education that was reduced to zero in manifesto

@Justyou that you for that - something to be aware of. I'll know to look into it more when they try to move my mum over.

Congratulations X2 I hope it is a long award and you never need to through it again