DWP AND MONEY

[dawngreen]

One minute they say they don't have money. "This comes alongside the £250 million plan to get Britain working and the recently announced 1000 Work Coaches will be redeployed to offer intensive employment support to around 65,000 sick and disabled people - a ‘down payment’ on our plan to restore fairness to our welfare system."

Another scheme that means well. But the really sick ppl will still be too ill to work. And no amount of writing another cv will change the fact. That in a interview with fit looking ppl they will get picked not the disabled guy unless its some thing no one else will do.

Ha would love them to find a job for me. Epilepsy and narcolepsy. 20 seizures a week at least, loss of memory, inconinece, I lash out when coming round. Plus fibromyalgia. I am sure they will be queuing up to employ me.

incidentally I did work till about 3 years ago but after being let go from a third job due to my disability I now don’t work. No amount of work coaching would have kept me in them jobs

Get Britain working isn’t a bad idea is it though?
without workers the economy won’t work but as long as they pick on the people that can work but don’t want to and there’s an awful lot of them isn’t there.

From what I gather, these work coaches will be assisting people who have voluntarily come forward to look for work.

However, they can't magic up jobs or make employers take on disabled people. I think all the same barriers will still apply.

Where did the 250 million come from to pay these 1000 work coaches?

I would very much like a dedicated work coach for DD. She is intelligent, honest, lovely person … she also has Autism and ADHD, which means searching for jobs, and applying can be hard - and she’s not one who can shine in an interview (we are off to a Jobs Fair today, which will be painful as she finds it hard to answer questions, and “chat”)

I would like someone who understands Neuro Diversity, who can properly support her, and help her find her job .. as she’s desperate to work.

She doesn’t claim UC .. as I can’t stand the idea of some badly trained DWP person, making the whole situation worse, with cack-handed advice, and loads of pressure.

Many disabled people do work! Myself included but I wouldn't be able to work if I didn't have my mobility car. I believe Rachel Reeves could save a fortune if they awarded people who have genuine, progressive conditions a longer time between assessments they could save a fortune on hiring assessors. They need to make the process easier for these people

I agree that looking for benefits should go up as it's very low. But I'm one of the people that can't work due to ongoing multiple spine and back treatment. I totally get why people are scared of support going down. My physical problems started 4 years ago and its expensive, I need extra equipment to live. My local station has not step free access the other day it added 45mins on to my journey having to get a bus to the next step free bus stop. Even if I'm on crutches when was traveling in rush hour people do not let me on the bus as a priority so 3 buses before it's safe for me to get on.

Being disabled and on benefit puts my income in the bottom 10% when I last worked was about in 50% so they are not a reflection of themselves.

My autistic 19 year old son has just had his universal credit interview, they have promised him a disability job coach to help him find a job.

Totally agree. Less outgoing on the huge benefits nill and more income from PAYE/NI etc.
Public Services will be able to get back on their feet.
Hopefully the system can segregate then genuine people in need from the lazy pretending to be disabled. The latter I hope get a real wake up call.

Exactly. It’s a great idea. People need to work when they can. Hopefully they’ll pick up on all those too lazy to work.

@Katemax82 agree with you its horrible for people with autism. My son ended up having a panic attack in his job search interview

It is a myth that any considerable percentage of health benefit claimants are claiming for minor non-disabling conditions. To qualify for PIP and LCW/LCWRA in UC you need substantial evidence and a health assessment- the vast majority of claimants have disabling conditions and a poor quality of life.

Labour MPs in favour of these changes should be ashamed of themselves. Pick on the tax avoiders and evaders who deprive the country of huge amounts of money, not the poor and vulnerable.

You do know you can’t go to work with her?

im sorry to sound harsh, but don’t molly coddle.

I met with a mother, and her daughter ( adult)
The daughter, couldn’t possibly work, it would be too much for her, according to her mother, she had previously had. Part time waitressing job, but it was too much.

So much information from her mother, about how delicate she was, how they spent so long on a morning, trying to wake her up.

I met the daughter alone the next time, turns out she spends all night gaming, that’s why her mother can’t wake her up on a morning, and spends hours trying to do so.

And at the end of our appointment, this poor hopeless girl ( woman ) was off in the car to collect her Mother from her doctors appointment, and had dropped her off, before attending our appointment.

She was quite capable.

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2025/mar/13/cutting-benefits-wont-help-disabled-people-into-work

In particular

In the 1970s, when I worked as an occupational psychologist (OP) for the then Ministry of Labour, there was a much more humane and effective way of getting the long-term sick back into work than the current punitive sanctions and cuts. At industrial rehabilitation units those recovering from injury or illness spent several weeks in work-like settings being assessed by a team including an OP, a doctor, social worker and disablement resettlement officer, before being placed in appropriate work or training. This worked well, a bit like a proper prison rehabilitation scheme that cuts recidivism rates.
Enabling the disadvantaged to help themselves is much more effective, and cheaper in the long run, than simple “punishment”.
Michael Miller
Sheffield

We regularly speak to clients who are claiming LCWRA yet are able to look after multiple grandchildren at a time. There's loads that could work and just don't want to. Goodness knows what they tell the assessors and their GP's.

I receive PIP and I have a fluctuating condition (CFS) which means I am some days literally unable to move and other days I can do more. I am self employed and do as much work as I am able to, and by choosing when I work I am able to pace myself and prevent myself from having a worsening of my condition. For example today I have 2 hours of work at 3pm, so although I have not done anything physical today I am exhausted and about to have a sleep for an hour before I go, otherwise it won’t be possible for me to do those two hours work. I wish my life wasn’t like this, I would give anything to be better. For my own self worth I work as much as I can, and I wish I could do more. I can’t ever see an employer taking me on, as I can’t reliably be well enough to work on the same days/times each week, it wouldn’t last very long!

Taking my benefits away won’t suddenly make me able to work more, but it will put me into poverty.

You aren’t the person they are going to target, I believe, it’s the 30 year olds with Anxiety, who have never worked, but are out drinking and getting tattoos and generally doing nothing.

The 20-30’s who are just drifting as it’s terrifying to actually get a job and start living, it is terrifying to make that first step in a lot of cases, and they need support.

People who are genuinely disabled and ill, are the ones who want to and try to do some work if they can, there are a lot of people who don’t want to do anything and will appeal and appeal and try new ways of avoiding it.

I don’t agree with 65 year olds in ill health having to look for manual jobs, there are plenty of young people who could work, but choose not to.

Where would you place my autistic 24 year old son with crippling anxiety?

His special school placement failed at 15. He has only spoken to tutors and therapists in the last 9 years. He is practically housebound and can't deal with strangers visiting the house. I am DWP appointee and have POW as he is unable to function day to day.

On paper he is the ideal candidate to be helped/sanctioned into work. ND with anxiety.

In reality it would bankrupt us and he would likely take his own life. No exaggeration.

I am FULLY aware I can’t go to work with her.

The job fair went well, met a lovely woman from a local company. I did most of the talking to start with, until DD felt comfortable. She then became part, the recruiter was so kind and understanding, took adds name, and asked her to send an application in. They also spoke about how they would be able to support her.

Luckily seemed to have a greater understanding of ND that you, and even said they had learned something.

People like you, are the exact reason that parents like me want to keep their children away from DWP. You have no idea what that parent had been through, how hard a struggle they have had, and what has happened in the past.

We are the ones who have had to fight to her services, and diagnosis, who have had to deal with depressed, suicidal or self-harming teens.

”Molly Coddling” how dare you

Some people will be incapable of working, in any job, no matter how many work coaches etc that they may see. These people should not have to have their benefits reduced because of the incompetence of those in charge not targeting the right avenues. The sick, and disabled are low hanging fruit for them. It is shameful.