Upset by way govmt is managing disability benefits change

[Rosie8880]

The narrative government is sharing about disability benefits changes is upsetting. They speak about the ballooning of claims & how this is unsustainable. Isn’t this connected to the collapse of NHS, waiting times and people awaiting for diagnosis, unable to get treatment. The most vulnerable people in society are being impacted and there are other ways to bring in income // reduce spending (Tax wealth, and by wealth mean multi millionaires/ rather than poorest in society). This is not the way. Like to hear about those that are impacted.

I feel this too. I know people will flame me for saying this but I help a lot to claim and do a lot of renewal forms am amazed by how some keep getting awarded it. Fortunately the ones with severe disability usually get awarded it correctly though.

The cuts are bad enough but messaging is even worse. They’re effectively endorsing the most horrible ableism.

The documents for the consultation aren’t even available in accessible formats.

Also anxiety and depression are over diagnosed.

People that have SERIOUS issues are being told they have these (I'm one of them) when there are a lot of other complex things going on but GPs dont have time or the inclination to properly diagnose. Its an easy 'get out'.
Then the people who need other tretament and support arent getting it because they arent being diagnosed properly so it seems like everyone is staying home with 'mild anxiety '

You dont get PIP for mild anxiety

So sorry to everyone faced with this stress and uncertainty. DH tells me that our DC once adult would not qualify for most support under the new rules. I haven’t looked closely at the specifics myself because I’m burying my head in the sand, but we’re talking about a genetic condition where adults are nonverbal, cannot be left home alone, need help with every aspect of personal care, and are functionally like toddlers at best.

If my DH is right about this the mind boggles.

I do wonder how many people who are on full disability benefits are saving money that would have previously have been spent by the state in looking after people. So many people are now carers for loved ones and are in poverty because of that. If this was really about getting disabled people into work they would have set up the infrastructure first and then made the cuts. It’s all v sad in my view

Costs ARE ballooning and it IS unsustainable. Would you prefer they just pretended that wasn’t the case and did nothing about it?

There are limited options as to what can be done - the pie isn’t growing so we can’t just fiddle around slicing it up differently and expect it to pay for ever more benefits.

I’m sorry this is happening to you and a big hug firstly. That’s my feeling - the rise in claims is linked to many many people awaiting treatment/ backlog in NHS. And also, let’s not forget COVID aftermath. I’m middle aged but the impact on younger people I feel is a huge, hardly acknowledged complex issue. Cutting disability benefits trying to get people to work to save money… the money they are seeking to save could be found by taxing the very wealthy more. The argument of wealthy leaving due to potential of increased tax… the very wealthy aren’t paying hardly any tax anyway! The highest earners pay 50% via income tax. The wealthiest pay under 10% on non income based wealth, some less than 1%. That is what is needed to be reformed asap that could deliver £100millions.

The top one per cent pay 30 per cent of all income tax revenues: a higher share than at any time in past twenty years. In other words, three in every ten pounds that the government receives in income tax is paid by just over 300,000 individuals.

They’re not going to be taken away overnight. People will be assessed under the new criteria at the point that their award is due to be reviewed

Yes so they could lose £1k+ overnight when that review happens if they lose their PIP ! One day they have PIP, LCWRA, carers allowance etc, then that decision letter drops through the door and all benefits will stop pretty much at the same time .

I was speaking today with someone who had managed to get their daughter into supported housing. It took 5 years of gradually moving. The parents have only her as a child so they are very aware that she needs to be independent before they die. Now they are terrified that with the cuts she will have to move back home and all their hard work will be for nothing. If they were to die the stark reality would be that their child would be looked after by the state and this would cost far much more than the current benefits.
cuts may be necessary but labour have admitted they have done no impact analysis on this

When is your award due to be reviewed? Is there anything practical you’re able to do in the meantime to prepare yourself for work?

Yes I see what you mean. I thought it was meant as overnight I.e with no prior warning

Correct. Cruelty is all it is. Why?

Do you really not know why changes need to be made?

Hi I’m Finnish. This is true, but I will say - Finland is three times larger, geographically than England & has a 5.5m population compared to 65m in UK. Helsinki, it’s capital, has same population (500k) as 1.5 London boroughs ( London has 32 boroughs). We in Finland have a much better quality of life than UK due to welfare system being structured using socially progressive principles plus 50% tax for most people. BUT. The welfare benefits are huge - free public transport for families with children uo to age 3, 1-2 years paid paternity / maternity leave, if you are homeless you aren’t means tested - you are given a home…everything works public system wise etc. it’s a very different place and has benefit of no monarchy, it’s a republic, (meaning land is in main owned by its citizens/ companies not via heriditery / aristocrats as it is in England). Housing is of a high quality, it’s viewed as homes not investments, again differing from England. Pensions are generous and not reliant on assets/ investments/ housing/ property as in England. Education is from 7-18, is very high quality, with a totally different system than England - there isn’t the strange, sadistic testing testing testing of young children to produce performance reports to provide evidence for funding levels of schools etc. England can learn from Finland but England fundamentally has a different ideological system. Also England has the legacy of empire, incl commonwealth which obviously Finland does not. What’s sad is England has the wealth to not penalize the most vulnerable, and actually reverse the economic emergency/ crisis we are in. We just do not go to that wealth - mainly due to it being sovereign wealth plus the ideological stance we take.

I think in 3 years

Exactly this

Like a lot of other changes could be made, where else are they spending money / sending it, why cut disability benefits like this ?

That’s the theory but… in reality the very wealthiest do not pay their fair share. I’m a high earner and pay 50% tax on income. On non income based wealth I pay less than 10% - this is not fair. Then the very wealthy pay under 1%. The threat of HNW leaving uk .., considering the minimal actual tax paid … under Thatcher (not endorsing her…) income and wealth tax was much much higher. Unfortunately, we have had such a low rate of tax for the wealthiest we must rebalance it - if we continue to place this pressure in vulnerable, working and middle classes there simply won’t be the money in economy - all monies will as they are now transfer to the wealthiest and our economy, as it is now, will get increasingly smaller/ unproductive. If we continue to cut education, welfare, health, our people will be less able as we are seeing now, to work, costing state more. We have no option morally as well as fiscally to tax wealth not wages. The wealthiest - many want to live in uk/ London for the culture, social, lifestyle benefits that we have here. Some will leave for tax reasons but they just aren’t paying tax now so the loss isn’t as severe as reported…

The stress this must be causing for those impacted must be huge - I really feel for them

When you get your next review appeal if you think you meet any 4 point areas. I found appeals gave me the higher point scores.

But why should someone who requires carers be forced to into work if they are unable to do so? If someone wants to that is different.

No such thing as “over diagnosis” by doctors.
Very sad people are falling for this.

My award is till summer 2027 I think.

A lobotomy maybe?