Disability benefits should be cut

[benandoli]

OK so if a family has a child with a disability which results in that family having extra costs then they should have disability benefit and use the money to cover those costs. I am sure that many families in this situation should receive more. However, can someone please explain to me why a family who have a child with a disability, adhd or autism for example , where extra costs do not result , where the earning potential of the family has not changed as a result or indeed where the family never worked anyway should receive extra funds courtesy of the tax payer. Also why should parents in this situation receive a carers allowance and then work less hours as a result of the allowance rather than as a result of the caring that needs to be done? Many families are well deserving I know and they should probably get more, but many are working the system and getting their kids over diagnosed.

Posie

I think 'witch hunt' is a bit knee jerk. And for my part my indignation is that the OP should in theory need no education.

Joe Public coming on to ask why ASD would need DLA support is a question. A SENCO asking that is pretty fucking bad.
And as I said before, if someone is lying about needing DLA then that is benefit fraud and has nothing to do with DLA needing to be cut - which was the premis of the OP

Come on Pag, you've been here long enough to know most posters, even the ones with terrible judgement, usually are decent folk that make well disguised good points. Sometimes you have to tread through treacle to get there, but most people are nice but clumsy with words. The mere mention of SN or anything and posters go crazy.

the OP IS A SENCO, SO SHE SHOULD KNOW

I understand what you are saying, and I agree to a point, but I think there has been a certain amount of trollery which has made people wary. Add to that we are not talking about a group who are generally well supported and respected within the community so the sense of being picked on gets magnified.

And I would counter that whilst there is a section that is pretty quick out of the gates over any perceived attack on SN, intended or otherwise, there is an equally busy group who arive at those threads just to post ' oh god, why are all you SN lot just sooosss sensitive'

too true pagwatch(how do you always say the right thing?)

if only that were true....

Yes, I see what you mean.

there are LOADS fiddling the system on this issue - esp with regards to ASD children.

I have relatives where neither of the parents have chosen to work (one claiming SSP from his part-time job and has no intention of returning, so he's getting the 28 weeks SSP through his current job then leaving), and now they claim carers allowance and DLA money because their child suffers from ASD. They have no intention of working. Said child goes to a mainstream nursery so it's not as if he's needing two people to care for him. It makes me sick actually. They are just fiddling the system. Other people's hard earned cash.

OP I know where you are coming from on this.

why doesn't lovechocs post suprise me
there is always someone who knows someone who fiddles the system.
basically they know sod all

the couple I'm on about are relatives of mine. MIL told me the other day that instead of claiming JSA, the dad is going to be claiming Carers Allowance because 'it's worth more'.

Yes I'm sure there are many genuine cases out there and no one wants their child to have any disability but the reality is people will work the system to suit themselves occasionally and I do happen to know a couple in the family who are currently doing this. There doesn't seem to be any shame about it. Not sure why both of them need to always be at home considering both their DC actually attend nursery for part of the day.
I've also recently looked up how much carers are entitled to on the DirectGov website (checked the rates for Carers Allowance and also DLA). Turns out those two payments alone each month are earning them just as much as DH makes going out to work on a full time job. and that's not even including CTC and CB! Hoping the Tories radically change benefits system soon.

Just to point out the smaller things DLA can be used for

6 ties since the beginning of September @£15 each

new plates when he tried to help wash up

Petrol to take him to various appointments

special food that doesnt smell funny!!!

Washing powder that doesnt smell

4 cushions from getting frustrated

new duvets when he pulls his apart

numerous education stuff that gets lost daily

I agree me being up until 3 every morning then getting up at seven to go through the daily rituals to get him up for school, constant tidying up I havnt been able to sit and watch my tv for months and he smashed the last one we had !

I have another 2 children NT who also like to have some mommy time

and to top it off I am a single mom on benefits because my pathetic ex couldnt cope with my oldest son so I am a massive drain on your system

Find me someone who will look after him like I do week in week out I will go to work I would love to truely I loved my career but my sons 12 so where do you go

OP if your a SENCO please open your eyes my son is in a mainstream school very very clever and very quite so in your eyes I would be one of those people taking the piss

Come and live with me for a week then come back and post your statement because I would take a guess that my life is much easier than those who have posted far more eloquently on here and I still find each day very bloody hard

sorry for rant and breath

The OP and others have no idea what they are talking about. It would appear obvious to me that have a disabled child will incur additional costs in terms of specialist equipment, time of work etc and it seems only reasonable that the Government should help people and families that have to do this. Of course there will be a few who are swinging the leg but that does not justify what the OP is suggesting and her proposals would cause severe hardship on some of the most vulnerable people in our society.

I forgot about the tvs thank for reminding me peanutbear. Our last one had to be replaced because DS2 likes to rewind a lot. He does this by standing a few inches away from the tv and thrusting the remote at it.

Thrusting remote + flatscreen = weird modern art but no actual tv picture.

LMAO at carer's being worth more than JSA.

I was at a party today, one little girl with very evident problems was turned down THREE times because she was not disabled enough.

Yep, she was just fine, did most of the things the other kids were doing. Well as long as her mum was there to carry her around. Just like most 7 year olds

peanut dont let it get to you. They know feck all about your life. Anyone with real knowledge wouldnt think or say any of the things the OP does.

thefirstmrsdelve I don't think you're helping your case by saying you use your benfits on flatscreen tvs

Flatscreen tvs are smaller and no more expensive that big fat ones.

Arnt all tvs flat screen now? Apart from those horrible Disney princess and cars ones?

How do people fiddle DLA though, especially for a child?? Do you how much paperwork and form filling in you need to do?? I am still waiting for our decision, after sending in physio reports, paed letters, OT letters, etc etc and spending literally a month filling the form out. Would someone really be able to get that many professionals to lie, or spend that time filling in the form just to "live a jolly off benefits???"

In our case my son goes to mainstream nursery, on the outside looks perfectly healthy and no one would probably know he had a disability. But what they dont see is the level of him falling over, the bruises, the up all night when he's in pain, the lack of sleep, the unpaid leave for hospital appointments, the petrol and parking to get to hospital etc etc. And you'd want to begrudge us an extra £18 a week to help out with that? (when a pair of shoes to fit his insoles are £40+ etc) Really hope you arent my SENCO.

I dont know how they fiddle it smokin.

But apparently most DLA claimants do

AND they give out blue badges willy nilly to. Sometimes you just have to be overweight - I know its true, someone told me

MIL told me the other day that instead of claiming JSA, the dad is going to be claiming Carers Allowance because 'it's worth more'.

Are all the members of your family stupid then?

CA - £53.90/week
JSA - £65.45/week

philebas not everyone on JSA gets £65.45 a week, it depends on whether you are on contribututions based JSA or income based JSA. Income based JSA amount depends on your amount of savings with people on £6000 or less getting the full amount, people with more than £6000 getting less on a sliding scale based on your savings.

Just checked.

Argos do not sell non flat screen tvs.

Argos being pretty much the cheapest, most bog standard shop in the country.

Is it ok if I admit to having a flat screen tv now, even though I get DLA for DS?

thefirstmrsdelve I agree with you and I think that disability benefits should probably be increased not cut but there are some people who will see you spending money on a tv as an example of the state funding "luxury" lifestyle.

thefirstmrsDeVere you cant actually buy non flat screen TVs anywhere other than ebay and Heart Foundation 2nd hand shops anymore I dont think!!

I need my TV. Its the only thing that keeps my son entertained when he has subluxed a joint and has to stay still on the sofa all day. But to be fair I have a v.v.v. old big backed one

I dont care what those people think Hud. Flatscreen tv has become shorthand on MN and in society in general for 'benefit scrounger'.
Its a bit out date, cant we come up with something better

I only mentioned it was flatscreen because I think they are far less robust than the old style tvs . Your raise a good point but I will not be embarrassed into hiding the fact we have a normal tv IYSWIM.

There is also the assumption (very widely held it seems) that claiming benefit = non working, non tax paying, never worked, never will.

This is also crap. Me and OH both been working since our teens, still do, now in our 40s.

If I was living entirely off benefits there would be no replacement tv. Which for our family would be a fecking nightmare. Sometimes DS rewinding his Dr Who DVDS is the only peace we get.