To see benefits as a safety net, not handouts?

[ForGreyStork]

It’s the way benefits are talked about. To me, they’re part of a social security system -a safety net that people may need at different points in life, rather than “gifts” or handouts.
I also wonder whether increasing conditions and restrictions risk undermining that safety net over time.

AIBU?

For some people, that is all they can manage to to being disabled, or looking after someone who is disabled. Or being a single parent.

No one fit and able to work that has no children or caring responsibilities can get away with working 14 hours. The Job Centre pushes you to do more to get you out of their seats.

There used to be a tier between standard UC and LCWRA for people potentially able to work in the future. This was removed.

Also removed from UC was the 'Severe Disability Premium' which you used to get if in the ESA Support Group and receiving any level of PiP. £300 or so IIRC, it's why everyone transitioned to UC has 'transitional protection' which protects the previous income but is frozen until regular benefits catch up.

No, it was about £158 if you were in the LCW group.

Yes, there is no LCW anymore for new claims.
Were people in the old ESA WRAG group moved to LCW when they were migrated?

Ok I am not familiar with all this, but the changes I was first reacting to in my initial response was the reduction of LWRCA from £430 to £217 for most new claimants that took place in April of this year.

Hence I said MOST new claimants.

Did you miss the SEN child bit?

What happens when disabled teenagers come off their parents claim and can claim in their own righr ?
My son is 16 with severe autism and learning disabillties hes non verbal and will never be able to work
We currently claim for him but when hes 19 he can claim in his own right .o

Yes my understanding is that it will be very difficult to get the higher LCWRA unless terminally ill. You will literally have to prove your condition is progressive with no chance of improvement. I imagine we will see a surge in people asking for MR's and appealing being awarded the lower rate which will clog the already overloaded system up further.

Yes. We recently went through the mandatory reconsideration process for my son and the wait was months and months long. In our case, if the assessor had done their job properly in the first place, ideally it wouldn’t have gone to MR.