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Original poster

Disability benefits should be cut

327 replies

benandoli · 06/10/2010 08:45

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.

OP posts:
Spinkle · 06/10/2010 18:05

Just read the OP.

What a nugget.

I have a 6 year old with HFA (since you're a SENCO you should know what that is). I actually cannot work full time because of my sons anxiety levels. I manage to do 2 days a week as a teacher. We cannot afford holidays.

Days out are costly for us because we cannot guarantee that my son will be OK all day. Recently we went to the cinema, which cost us £30. We stayed 10 mins before he freaked out.

Now, without the DLA we wouldn't be able to even contemplate that trip, because we couldn't afford to piss away £30. Why should we be prisoners at home? My son needs to get out and about and practice being with people, doing normal things. Why should he be denied that because of his disability?

Maybe we should lock 'em up in instutions and bollocks to 'em?

You should know ASD kids can and do make progress but that it takes time and money.

We paid for private SALT for 3 years because the NHS provision was pitiful. Without language my lad would be nowhere as sociable as he is.

I'm embarassed for you.

And you a SENCO.

Shame on you.

asdx2 · 06/10/2010 18:16

Spinkle look
here to cut down your costs.
OP so shoot me Grin

jellybeans · 06/10/2010 18:21

I don't judge her but hear others doing it all the time. I think she has the right to have as many children as she likes and think it must be very hard to have that many children including a disabled child so she is rightly entitled to state help. I know her situation as I talk to her quite alot. Was just saying that alot of people do judge including her own family for the fact that both have never worked. Apparantly the job centre told them neither of them would ever have to work as being so many children would be too difficult so not really their fault if the job centre haven't helped them but people don't see that.

It is very difficult to say that one or both parents should work in this case as it must be hard work for one person. But people do judge by what they have, I hear it all the time. But as someone said, it could be that they have been getting into debt to pay for it, it may not be that they are actually getting that much. Even if they do get alot i am sure they probably need it for the extra expenses involved in caring for their child.

So my point, which was made badly, was that i do not judge but alot of people do and I hear it all the time.

jellybeans · 06/10/2010 18:32

'why a family who have a child with a disability, adhd or autism for example , where extra costs do not result , '

I wouldn't be too sure that there are no extra costs involved. I have a friend who has a son on the autistic spectrum and she pays for alot of specialist activities for him aswell as had to give up her job to take him to various appointments etc.

pagwatch · 06/10/2010 18:40

good grief, i really thought this op was troll but i am now not sure...

Shock

fucking nora... people working with our DCs are this stupid .

herbietea · 06/10/2010 18:51

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

2shoes · 06/10/2010 19:05

jellybeans you did judge her.
people can work with 6 or more children, I know a family where both parents worked(mum nights/dad days) but...... add in a disabled child and it aint so easy

sneezecake · 06/10/2010 19:08

ARE YOU FOR REAL? if you are seriously you need educating, go on a few more courses if you are a senco!

my ds has cp - yes physically disabled, and now recieve HR DLA, I'm a qualified intensive care nurse - very stressful.
I have to work hard with ds's physio everyday, do I want to - NO do I have To - YES this means I have to work less and hence earn less, the DLA enables me to keep a roof over our heads!, appart from child benifit it is the only benifit we recieve.
It's people like you who question why we need a disabled parking space when he's only a child and 'doesn't look disabled' IT'S NONE OF YOUR FUCKING BUISNESS!!

I suggest you read the disability discrimination act.

ouryve · 06/10/2010 19:10

This family with 2 kids with ASD has gone form having 2 professional full time working adults to one. Our earned income has been halved because one of us needs to stay at home with kids we cannot get childcare for and who need very predictable routines.

Both of these children are incontinent, so we have to buy nappies to top up the few we get form the incontinence service and our washer-dryer is working all day every day. We're on our 3rd since my 6 year old was born. We have endless appointments to get to and have had to buy equipment such as special car seats and harnesses. Travelling with these boys is a mammoth feat of organisation and planning.

Things in this house don't last very long. A £40 blackout blind (DS1 can't get to sleep when there's any light at all) was ripped to shreds in a couple of weeks, for example. We buy endless bits of equipment to help the boys with their sensory and motor difficulties (yes, many people on the spectrum do have some level of physical disability related to poor motor planning skills), toys and equipment which help to develop newly emerging play and language skills and foods which cater to palates limited by sensory and oral motor difficulties.

That's not exhaustive, but I'm not going to make my fingers ache any more for someone who obviously wants to be inflammatory.

ShadeofViolet · 06/10/2010 19:23

Well said ouryve

ShadeofViolet · 06/10/2010 19:26

I thought it was a troll but the OP has been around for ages.

Fucked off now though hasnt she.

unfitmother · 06/10/2010 19:32

I'd be disapointed to hear this from any teacher but a SENCO?

Are they letting anyone into the classroom?

pagwatch · 06/10/2010 19:34

and actually her fucking off makes it worse for me

If she had posted, seen the reaction and had the good grace/intelligence to come back and say 'I realise now that I am not sufficiently well informed in this area. I need to reconsider and think about this..' it would not be so bad.

But she just shat and ran

5inthebed · 06/10/2010 19:37

It is worrying that a SENCo thinks this way, especially about a SN my DS2 has. Very worrying indeed.

As if us parents weren't paranoid enough about our DC attending MS school.

sneezecake · 06/10/2010 19:40

This threat has really shat on my night, ok ds isn't at school yet, but we are assuming he will be attending MS school, and as if worrying about him being teased about his disabilities isn't enough I now have waning faith in the authorities which are supposed to be helping him Sad

want2sleep · 06/10/2010 19:41

If this is a SENCO she needs to be sacked for her incompetence and discriminating judgemental views. Bang out of order.... Thinks she is a professional? Tut tut(nodding no). We are paying tax to line the pockects of a useless, clueless gobshite!

unfitmother · 06/10/2010 19:45

I agree I'd be less angry if OP had the grace to return and explain and/or apologise.

jellybeans · 06/10/2010 19:47

'jellybeans you did judge her.
people can work with 6 or more children, I know a family where both parents worked(mum nights/dad days) but...... add in a disabled child and it aint so easy'

If it sounded like i judge her it was just badly worded I was trying to explain why others judge her, usually they are ignorant and have no idea what her daily life is like. I am often sticking up for her when people are talking about it. Often people judge wrongly by what material possesions someone has. Like I said I think she is entitled to state support and to choose the number of children she has. I totally agree though that adding in a disabled child makes things very hard especially if there are other kids to consider.

asdx2 · 06/10/2010 19:49

It's sickening and what's worse when you have experienced so called professionals that you suspect have similar views, you beat yourself up because you think that they have knowledge and insight and it's you that is judgemental Sad
From past experience suspect that her views in that role aren't unique

thefirstmrsDeVere · 06/10/2010 19:51

jelly I dont understand that.

I was on incapacity benefit for about 18 mths after my DD died. It was stopped very suddenly after I had a 'medical' (hollow laugh). I had to transfer to JSA (all this after working since age 16 so had been paying taxes for a loooong time).

I have a disabled husband, I have a disabled child, I had a very young baby as well as an older child. No one told me I 'didnt have to work' because i am a carer for two people and had a little baby.

I still had to prove I was looking for work and apply for two jobs a week. This was in the middle of a recession and they knew my hours were severely limited by school runs (OH cant do them) and appointments for DS.

Is anyone exempt from working?

onagar · 06/10/2010 19:54

benandoli, fuck it. We're all going to save money by coming to live in your house.

It will do you good anyway to learn that the poor are actually people.

LucindaCarlisle · 06/10/2010 20:04

This SENCO is typical of the prejudiced attitude of many teachers towards children with disabilities.

Many teachers do not recognise many anxiety conditions as genuine disabilities.

jellybeans · 06/10/2010 20:32

Mrs DeVere, so very sorry you lost your daughter :(
Your situation sounds so unfair. That's what worries me with this government, some people have a fulltime job being a carer and shouldn't be forced to also work outside the home. There should be exceptions for carers.

In the case I was discussing, I was told it was because if the disabled child was ill and a parent was staying with them, who would look after all the other children. I can understand that in many ways. It must also be exhausting for one person to do it all on their own.

SanctiMoanyArse · 06/10/2010 21:29

Thing is though if someone wants to cut my benefits (CA, te DLA belongs to the boys- having that would need to = a cure frankly), then OK

IF they help me sort childcare in time to sort out the SW conversion for next year, otherwise I ahve to wait for Dh to be free to share daycare agin a year after.

Actually I am trying to work but I live in one of teh more economically ndepressed areas; 650 people going for jobs at the local Spar. FT work is simply out oif the question (I asked ds1 if he would try daycare after school and he said no as he is scared he will kill someone) so even the jobs I can go for are limited.

Anything mroe would have to be good enough to cover a Nanny who could be home based; that's not going to happen without the top up to my degree.

Of c ourse I did suggest to my MP that what I actually need is agreement that I could spend a student childcare allowane on a Nanny instead of the usual CM or nursery- same amount, just different for SN kids.

He didn't even reply.

2shoes · 06/10/2010 22:06

jellybeans I am glad I misunderstood. sorry