To think benefits need to be cut to fund increased spending on defence

[Viviennemary]

This is absolutely necessary. Keir Starmer shouldnt have backed down the last time. But now with the current situation with Russia drastic steps need to be taken. We simply can't afford to sustain the current benefits bill with the armed forces so depleted. The money is needed to increase defence.

I haven't wrote disabled people should live in poverty at all. That is a misquote.

Disability support in the community isn't afforded to some of the most vulnerable in society because it costs too much. It is still a luxurt that some of the most disabled don't get and yes they are still locked up and treated worse than some prisoners, not all institutions (hospitalisations for disability) were abolished.

Maybe i'm the wrong person for you to lecture on disability rights or is it only the rights of those who aren't so disabled that they can advocate for themselves and cost relatively less to the LA's that you care about? Yet some of the most vulnerable can stay locked up?

You've just judged me and given me opinions which I don't hold to appear to virtue signal. Your argument above isn't strictly true, there are many very vulnerable people still in institutions. If it was a chice to fund them to live lives in the community given that they've done nothing wrong apart from being severly disabled and strip benefits to others who get lower rates of dla/pip i would in a heart beat- ultimatley as another poster pointed out what we are discussing is how we wamt our taxes spent.

I haven't said that, I pointed out support was available and that disabled people can attend uni.

I don't begrudge it, i pointed out that it is available. That's you reading something into it that isn't there.

I would agree.
To ensure competency of checks done, it does mean that you need a good quality of staff. There will be some that are. But there will be too many that are not. Or have not had the imagination or drive to change the policy, process and system.
The qualifications for entry into the Civil service needs to go back to the old entry requirements of the equivalent of 5 old style 0 levels. One to be English.

Whilst looking at benefits, and they are an easy low hanging fruit for people to pick on and point at, I would without question go all out for the tax defaulters. People named and shamed on a list by the HMRC. And make them cough up the money owed to the public purse and pot.
The amounts are horrendous. Businesses that pay not a penny in tax. That just obviously think ‘nah’ not going to. And assume and hope they will not be chased for it. That they won’t have to pay. I would seize their assets. No problem.
You cannot have such a list and such defaulters and then do nothing there and only talk about benefit abuse.

I’m not talking about sunflower lanyards - they mean sod all. And l didn’t mention the new SEND system, but since you ask, it’s aimed at increasing support in mainstream state education, rather than private, so more children will benefit. And yes there is a SMI -severe mental impairment test for child DLA - but it’s only applicable to the mobility component of DLA, where the child’s disability is so severe that it impacts their mobility and safety outdoors. The child has to meet all five of the criteria to qualify. Which kind of negates your argument that these benefits are not adequately assessed.

And what does the earnings threshold for carers have to do with anything ? You are the one advocating for tighter controls on caring hours, despite the fact that the qualifying benefits for the disabled people they are caring for already assess for that. If you qualify for the standard or enhanced rate of care then it’s likely you require a substantial amount of care - including supervision through the night.

And in an earlier post you questioned whether carers worked full time hours as well as caring duties. Well in the real world l was a disability support worker and benefits advisor, and l can tell you that that was exactly my experience. Parents working full time and caring for their disabled kids at every other hour of the day, including taking turns through the night. Single parents doing the same thing with little other support. That’s why we have carers assessments - to make sure that carers get the support they need before they burn themselves out. You are effectively demanding more conditionality and checks on carers who already save the state an absolute fortune in local authority care costs by doing what they do for the grand sum of £3 an hour. Doesn’t that make you feel ashamed ?

You keep quoting all of these benefits and concessions but you appear to have little knowledge of how they work. Which is not a basis on which to advocate for their removal.

No, it's discussing why people are starting to begrudge people on benefits. This all plays into it. It's interesting that I'm duscussing benefits as a whole and have made comments on other areas and you focus on disability.

It's also interesting that you ignore that i've written where some disability benefits should be increased and just focus on where i've wrote that they could in my opinion be removed as part of bigger general reforms, ignoring that i've wrote as bigger reforms.

It's also interesting that rather than debating you resort to insults.

It's very difficult to get any job these days but people try and do get them.
Is there an actual reason why people with invisible disabilities who sit on the internet half the day can't do those jobs?

I would answer, but don't believe you are asking in any sort of good faith.

I’m focusing on disability because that’s the basis on which these benefits are paid. There is a real live person on the end of each benefit claim who will be impacted by reform. You seem to forget that.I’ve debated with you plenty. To the point where it’s derailing the thread, so l’ll stop now. Not least because it’s pointless.

And there hasn’t been a 55% increase in claims over the last year, or anything like it. The number of people on UC grew by about 1 million, to 8.4 million, approximately 40% of whom are working. The 55% increase is the figure for the growth of specific out of work benefits and health benefits such as Employment and Support Allowance and UC health elements since 2019. Seven years, not a single year.

Regarding the 55% claim, critics always ignore the fact millions were forced to transfer from ESA to Universal Credit which explains most of it. The current welfare budget is less than other European countries and as a proportion of GDP the numbers are pretty stable historically.

Not to mention that throughout the migration from ESA to UC, often claimants were counted twice. Something that was reluctantly admitted as a result of a FOI request.

You said i was giving false info.... i wasnt as with the exception of schools you agree with my posts where i've given nom opinionated posts.

I was talking about tax thresholds in a general benefit sense as they haven't risen where benefits do. This was a previous post i made but i guess you only care about the disability ones?

As for no knowledge about the subject; a carers assessment is seperate to awarding carers allowance and doesn't play a part in it's award. Carers allowance is awarded to anyone who provides or claims to provide more than 35 hours of a care a week to somebody who claims a qualifying benefit if they don't earn over £204 a week after deductions. Hence it is very hard to claim carers allowance and work full time unless you pay a lot in a pension. Carers assessment is a completely seperate thing and assesses the needs of carers regardless of hours worked.

Not all benefits are disability related and the thread is about benefits in general not just disability.

CA is worth about £3 an hour. Checks on whether the required hours are being met would add hugely to the overall administration costs. Of course there will inevitably be some who don’t provide the full hours but to effectively do something about it you would need to uncouple the relationship between PIP/DLA and carers allowance, because it’s the assessed needs of the person cared for via these benefits that is the qualifier for CA. And when you consider how much these carers save the state in formal care costs l think it’s a bit off to chase down every last hour of care. I was a disability support worker and my experience is the other end of the scale. Single parents coping alone with significantly disabled children. Parents who worked full time and devoted every other hour to the care of their children - taking turns to provide care during the night. Care is 24/7 for some, let’s not forget that.

It’s a benefit bashing thread disguised as something else. It was always going to have a go at the disabled. It’s practically de-rigueur on threads like these. And your own posts have mainly, if not exclusively covered disability benefits.

The problem with focusing on disability benefits or other specific benefits, in isolation, is that it distracts from the bigger issue. We have an economy that has barely grown for years, yet politicians and commentators keep arguing over how to divide the pie rather than how to make it bigger and more sustainable.

Ideology and tribalism are becoming the death of sensible debate. Too many people care more about defending their side than finding solutions. Without growth, every spending decision becomes a fight over a shrinking pot, and everyone who feeds that mindset shares some responsibility.

The reality is that spending cuts are going to happen. Rather than arguing endlessly about them, we should be focused on making the best of the situation, protecting the most vulnerable where possible, and creating the conditions for growth.

I didn’t say carers assessments played any part in the award of CA. I said that the burden of being a carer was why carers assessments were available, to assess their needs before they burned out. Nothing to do with carers allowance awards. And you are providing false information in that you’re discussing benefits like PIP and DLA without much knowledge of how they are actually assessed - evidenced by your statement that you can simply rock up to an assessment with a letter from a relative saying you’re disabled, and bingo - here’s your award !! And no, l don’t agree with any of your posts. A lot of them don’t make sense.

Couldn’t agree more. Very well said.

I think she is fully entitled to claim those benefits if she wants.

Extra time in exams doesn't cost money. Not sure what you mean by "hall allocation" but university halls aren't cheaper than landlord accommodation and certainly aren't supportive. DSA is very limited.

Unbelievable that you think that disabled people have a "better standard of living " than healthy working people.

No, my intial posts were not. I've directly answered posts that have quoted or tagged me. Mainly disability posts because that is what people were asking me about.

This thread didn't have to be centred on disability. For the main most posters have advocated and continually wrote that severly disabled people should be supported. There is a reflection that people irl see an increase in disability and are questioning whether all claiments are genuine or could be supported in other ways. I think many posters who claim pip have come on to defend why they claim.

I have also been misquoted and targetted with insults numerous times including by you but have refrained from doing the same. I was also accused of spreading mis information which I haven't done however your post conflating a carers assessment and carers allowance is mis information.

What we need is a wealth tax of 2% on all wealth over £10M

There is already huge wealth inequality which is ruining our society. We don’t need to be making this worse. I imagine the reality will be to squeeze the middle classes more which is also a very bad idea.

What is your definition of "severely disabled" ?

You directly referenced me and refered to carers working full time for £3 per hour. It is very unlikely that you can work full time and claim carers allowence.

I have not said anything about parents or anyone else working full time and not caring, i'm well aware people do and have to, all i've said is that they cannot do this and claim CA.

I also didn't say people could rock up to a pip or dla assessment with a witness statement, letter or diary and get a claim. I've wrote that they can be used as evidence for a claim and in my opinion only medical or social care evidence should be used. You are deliberatly mis representing what i've written.

I am very surprised that if as you say you are an ex cwd sw that you support the send reforms.

You have given false info when you declared that all care of disabled people was now done in the community and institutions have closed.

You have continuallymis represented my views and used insults to reply rather than debate, i'm guessing to try to shut down debate.