AIBU for worrying about the removal of WCA for benefits?

[XenoBitch]

According the Budget today, the Work Capability Assessments are being scrapped.
Initially, it sounds good. When you read into it, the only people who will be found unfit for work are also those who are disabled. To claim the 'health element' of UC (which would be the current LCW/LCWRA groups), you will need to also be in receipt of PIP.
Anyone who has tried to apply for PIP knows what a gruelling and undignified process it is. Many try, and give up. Many don't bother at all.
The weird thing here is that you can claim PIP, but also work. So how can PIP be the gateway benefit to claiming out of work benefits? It makes zero sense.
I am wondering what the various disability/mental health charities will make of this in the coming days.

For those of us who are in the ESA support group, or UC LCWRA, and not on PIP, this is a worrying time. With Hunt also saying there will be tougher sanctions on benefit claimants, the new measures will be causing a huge amount of stress.

@acrimoniousone thanks for those links.

You are very welcome, they helped me calm down.

The most important takeaway at the moment is that it's likely to be - at the very least - 6 years before existing UC/ESA claimants are affected."

Just repeating this important bit.

Thank you. My mind just jumps to the immediate worst.

Mine too. Even with that reassurance I’m reading “likely” as not definitely. I’ve been in such a panic all afternoon.

I work part time 22.5 hours week and get PIP too but could not work full time for several reasons. I enjoy my job & would work more hours - if I was well enough but I'm not!
I struggle to work even pt as I have Schizoaffective disorder and get very paranoid about my colleagues, 4 of the meds I take for the disorder & for epilepsy make me very tired all the time too.

I get PIP for the Mobility component only as I struggle with traveling as I have (currently unstable) photosensitive epilepsy.
I'm awaiting a reassessment for PIP now. I cant financially cope without it.
I can't get ESA as I work too many hours but I really don't want to work less hours unless I really get unwell. Saying that, I'm currently off sick with my mental health. I struggle to even get a shower & prepare a meal right now.

It's so stressful to worry about what the government are going to do next.

Apologies about the insistence you can't get ESA in full UC areas. It was not contributions based I was applying for (and I would not be eligible anyway). For those that said you can still get it, you are right.

Anyway, this site breaks down the new proposals into a manageable FAQ

www.benefitsandwork.co.uk/universal-credit-uc/uc-faq/what-is-the-uc-health-element

The bottom question is worrying....
Can I be forced to do any work-related activities if I get the UC health element?
Yes you can.
If you are receiving the UC health element you may be set both voluntary and mandatory work-related requirements by a work coach and you will be subject to sanctions if you don’t meet the mandatory requirements.
The DWP say they will introduce new “more personalised levels of conditionality and employment support, with the aim of helping people to reach their potential and live a more independent life”

Also, what about DLA? I was discussing this with a friend today who is on ESA, but is on DLA, not PIP.

Also, what about DLA? I was discussing this with a friend today who is on ESA, but is on DLA, not PIP.

By that point all adults on DLA will be migrated onto PIP.

@XenoBitch Thanks, just read that and the last question and answer is extremely worrying.

It's always best to send evidence form specialist mental health team if possible.

I really can't think there are many people under pension age left on DLA ? Surely they can't still be migrating them over to PIP ? It's mostly older people still on DLA who can't be switched.

There’s far more than they’d planned to have left on because they had to extend the covid pause because of how many PIP claims they had.

So they paused the migration again, only change of circs people were moved for ages. That was Nov/Dec time so I don’t imagine they’ve got through loads since then.

I think like a lot of things there are a few playing the system which then makes it difficult and stressful for everyone else;

Also with all this money they're throwing at childcare they need to find it from somewhere but taking off people too unwell to work to give to parents to be able to work (providing childcare) all seems to be the wrong way to go about it

It’s not actually the few (and the governments own figures show the number of people fiddling disability benefits is tiny - far less than the number entitled who don’t claim) that are the main problem imo. The main is the governments focus on that, and how well they’ve been able to convince/con people that it’s a much bigger issue than it is which one then has given them the opportunities they’ve had to attack.

I still can't understand how anyone can "con or cheat the system" when claiming disability benefits. In my experience they are very hard to get, just ask anyone who has ever tried to claim PIP. All the evidence you have to submit, how can you possibly fake it? Care plans, prescriptions, names of medical professionals willing to discuss your case, interviews, assessments etc The same with ESA and the work capability assessment, it's hard enough proving you aren't well when you genuinely aren't, so how on earth does someone fake all that? The people on benefits they should have targeted are the younger ones, not claiming disability benefits, just on UC, who aren't taking part in training courses or actively seeking work. Although, from what I understand they already impose sanctions on them anyway if they don't comply with their commitments. It's just too easy to pick on people on benefits. Has anyone who criticises us ever had to live off them? We aren't exactly living in the lap of luxury. It's a very low blow of Jeremy Hunt etc to pick on/bully sick and disabled people in this budget.

I have a client who has really exaggerated the truth recently even at appeal and whilst it's my job to support him, I was cross as I have known this person and supported them for well over a year and they hugely over exaggerated their mobility issues. The appeal panel saw through it and awarded nothing for mobility, just stuck with the daily living award and they usually make fair decisions. The appeal panel went through things thoroughly for 1.5 hours, so yes it is hard to cheat the system. You need to have medical evidence, this person had none.

@Babyroobs that's terrible. It's people like that who have caused this distrust of disability benefit claimants. It's appalling that he didn't have any evidence but I suppose that sorts the fakers from the genuine cases. Thank goodness the panel saw through him but what a terrible waste of your and their time and resources, that could have been spent helping genuine claimants.

Just reading through this, worried about it all.

I'm in the cont based ESA support group, told do not need any further assessments wonder what will happen to those like me.

Before ESA it was incapacity benefit, I suppose will have to see what happens

There is no point in worrying. It's implementation ( if it ever happens) could be years away.

@Orangesandlemons77 Me and my dh are concerned too but, as @Babyroobs stated, it could be many years before anything changes, if at all. We are hoping these new rules are never implemented and that there is either a change of government or this white paper doesn't get passed or is amended. I know it's hard but please try not to worry.