Ah, the disabled benefit cheats at it again

[bialystockandbloom]

So the govt about to try to push through £2bn cuts to DLA. So, the govt spin puppets DM run huge front page feature on the "cheats" again.

All the usual bilge designed to convince the ignorant masses that disabled people are at best a burden to the "taxpayer" (as if disabled people never pay taxes), and at worst money-grabbing cheats who are almost single-handedly solely responsible for the financial mess the country's in. To pave the way for a resounding silence from the media and public when huge cuts are made to disability allowance, services, education and support.

FYI Daily Mail:

1. DLA is not a 'benefit'. It is a direct payment to provide assistance to people with disabilities who struggle as a direct result of those disabilities. It has nothing to do with whether you work or not.

1. One glaringly obvious reason why a % of recipients get it without 'attending an interview' is because they are children.

1. Another is that they provide medical evidence of their disability.

1. Ian Duncan Smith: "At the moment, hundreds of millions of pounds are paid out in disability benefits to people who have simply filled out a form." I simply filled out a form today (for a loyalty card at a local shop). Where the fuck's my money then?? Oh, that would be because the 100+-page DLA form isn't quite the same as simply filling in your name and address.

1. "More than 70 per cent of existing claimants are on DLA for life without facing any regular checks." Hmm, would that be because they have disabilities for life perchance? Blindness, deafness, CP, chromosomal conditions, autism, learning difficulties, ataxia, and all the other hundreds and hundreds of lifelong disabilities.

FFS I have never linked to a news story on MN before but am so spitting mad about this.

Mumsnet is there any chance of getting Ian Duncan Smith and/or DM editor (is it still Paul Dacre?) on for a webchat?

Apple
I received ESA until the summer when I had an assessment
They told me I was able to work as among other things I can
Lift one had above my head
Leave the house unaided
Understand simple task and carry them out
Use a computer
Am in control of my bowels

However to get to that appointment
My DH had to drive me
I had a migraine that made it impossible for me to lift my head half the time
I spend at least half of every week in bed
I can not predict when I will be able to get out of bed
If I am active for an hour I need an hours rest
I need a wheel chair for anything other than a short walk
I am unable to cook most family meals or do the washing, cleaning etc

Would you employ me?

I am eligible to apply for job seekers but have not had the strength to get to a Job C. I could challenge the decision, but again, it is too much of an effort.

My previous Employer has retired me on the advice of my GP

Thank You Government for your questionable view of who is capable of working

eminencegrise Fri 11-Nov-11 15:41:43
You might be willing to sit and watch it happen, AppleCider, but plenty of us won't. Why should we? Why should we slave for the folly of others and saddle our children with a debt for no good reason and no jobs or decent future? Bollocks to that if I'm going to just take all that lying down. I actually care about this place and its people.

Good luck then

Since you are (a), AppleCider, how do you feel about the plans to cut overall DLA payouts by 20%, when fraud rates are 0.5%?

Nope, no regular checks for DLA because if you have a lifelong degenerative condition with no known cure, then there's not much point is there?

Oh and if someone would like to go and visit my sister in hospital to find out if she's still got cystic fibrosis, be my guest

Ah, but ATOS will be paid to do the regular medicals for the degenerative condition, ChristinedePizanne.

And no doubt costing the country just as much as the 'fraudulent' benefit claimaints - I bet ATOS charge a fuck of a lot more than £70 for carrying out every check

Just catching up and it seems at least ONE person (and probably many more) have believed the crap about parents of children with ADHD getting "a free car".

Applecider - my son has ADHD - he also has autistic spectrum disorder, dyspraxia, hypermobile joints and learning difficulties. Last time I checked there was no "free car" on my drive. My car is paid for from my salary thanks although if you could point mne in the right direction I wpould love a free car. What do you mean you can't? Oh you read it on a DM friendly site - must be true then

In fact a giant fuck off to anybody thick enough to believe the propoganda.
Off to write IDS (shithead) a stinking letter which he will no doubt ignore - after all - people like me and any others who RELY on disability payments are obviously lower than the low and not worth his bother.

The Press in this country need reigning in - starting with the Mail. This is NOT news, it's propoganda pure and simple and it's utterly hateful.

Ahh yes the postcard-style DLA form. Used by so many to strip the country of it's financial assets.

Do you know, I typed DD1's DLA form and stuck the answers in...then added extra pages where I ran out of space. She's a complicated little thing, so it's not as simple as saying 'she can't' it's more 'she can only...she needs help with..etc'

At the end of the final question, I did a word count. 11471 words to explain why DD1 qualifies for DLA.

My dissertation for my degree was only 10,000 words

HMG are spreading bias against disabled (IDS says hes a Christian) OMG

John Humphries is doing a charity fundraiser, He has shaved his head and does impressions of Duncan Smith.

dilly I absolutely utterly agree.

Hateful, hateful propaganda. Not so far removed from Nazi propaganda of the 1930s - a govt assisted by media successfully making people believe that a (already vulnerable) group are responsible for society's ills.

I wish they would just be honest and cut the spin. TBH I would have more respect for the govt if they just simply said:
"Look, we've decided we want to spend less, and we're concentrating money on people who contribute financially to society. The disabled don't contribute, so they're worthless and a good thing to cut. Sorry, but that's how it is."
At least then we would know where we are and cut out all this smoke and mirrors 'compassionate conservatism' crap.

I do actually mind being told I'm a genuine claimant. I already know that. Why do I need to be assessed by Atos (£?) in their building with no proper wheelchair access or fireescape to save the Coalition £100 p/w? MS is incurable, it only gets worse or stays the same. 20% of us won't get better to save those vital pennies.

Atos have a £300 million contract and expect £100 million profit. That's public spending, btw.

God am so sick of this country sleepwalking into a place I dont want to live - this and the NHS stuff is just sickening. What are we going to do about it?

coalitionofresistance.co.uk anticutsprotests.co.uk falseeconomy.co.uk
WhatIsPi you might get some ideas of what we can do about it.

I am in the middle of preparing an appeal for DD's DLA. I dont want to put on here why i think she should be awarded it. She has had highest rate mobility and middle rate care for the past 3 years. As from 1 weeks time I will still need to do everything for her as i have for the past 3 years, but all her payments will be stopped. She will be housebound, if not bedbound. She's 17! I feel like giving up because I am so broken by all this, but I cant, for her sake. Is that fair???

Oh Positive :( I am so sorry. You must be exhausted by it. Why the fuck do they target the most vulnerable and the least able to fight? Well I know why they do, because people with disabilities and illnesses are just used to getting on with it.

But it's appalling

I( don't know enough about how it all works, but did read the other day that one can get a mobility car scheme if you have a child with adhd, just by filling in a form.

IT WAS A LIE. The Daily Mail printed an apology for that one.

And it was obviously written by some git who'd never spoken to anyone who had tried to take a kid with adhd on public transport.

positive does your council have a disability benefits advisor? Failing that, does dd have a specific charity (like MS Society) that offer that service? Or Carers UK? Hope you get some help.

Positive that is truly shit I wish you lots of strength and success for your appeal.

Juliascurr thank you for those links. That's one of the worst things: feeling so powerless to do anything.

This govt does not seem to have heeded warnings does it - within 18 months of taking power there have been two major demonstrations by students, the current occupations, a large demonstration for disabled people, and of course the riots. What is it going to take for them to realise that people are actually not that stupid or easily swept aside with meaningless platitudes of a 'big society' (whatever the fuck that means).

Would love IDS to come on for a webchat - seems quite an appropriate time. Mumsnet HQ what about it, eh?