Capability for work assessment scrapped

[Eightiesgirl]

I am a full time carer for my husband who has mental health issues. He has psychosis, GAD and severe depression and he is under the care of the local community mental health team. He is in receipt of PIP, ESA and UC and receives the extra Limited capability for work and work related activities payment. I'm concerned that the news is reporting that Jeremy Hunt is going to scrap this limited capability for work assessment in next week's budget. Does anyone know anything about this and have any idea how this would work? I realise it hasn't been announced for definite yet, but the news predictions for the budget are usually pretty accurate. Will all people on disability benefits and their carers suddenly be expected to find jobs? Will there no longer be assessments for ESA etc?

There won't be full details until the budget on Wednesday. Until then it's difficult to know what is fact and what is conjecture.

I think we'll be waiting a while to fully understand what's going to happen. I'm a single parent, disabled and claim esa, pip and uc and am also worried. I was given a public sector pension in my 30s stating that I'd never be able to work again but that doesn't bother the government they just want their figures to look good. Once again choosing a vulnerable group who will struggle to fight it. My hope is that Labour get into power before they've had time to make changes (there's so much backlog with disability assessments that need sorting).
I'd say try not to worry, but I'm in a similar boat and am also worrying but we have no options, if I could work I would work because loosing my job has been as life changing as the disabilities, its taken away my purpose.

Thanks for the replies. Yes, I realise nothing is confirmed yet but it's hard not to worry about what could happen. We both worked full time for many years until he became ill in 2019, when he lost his job and I gave up mine to be his full time carer. He's just said he'll kill himself if he has to go back into the workplace and I'm trying to reassure him that it won't happen but it's so worrying reading the news headlines as I'm sure it must be for many disabled people.

They way I've read what's out there is that the assessment that determines if you have to look for work or not is planned to be scrapped, meaning you can't be signed off looking for work on a long term basis by the DWP. No announcements tho on what that theoretically means for payments (they wouldn't leak news that bad...) or how people who aren't fit for work report that to the system eg are GPS going to be expected to issue fit notes rather than DWP making assessments. I'm speculating of course.

Realistically, as it's being badged as a "back to work" budget, things are going to get tough for a fair few people on UC with long term health problems one way or another. If they remove the extra money it will be a big cut to the benefits bill and they're looking for savings all over the place, and I wouldn't be surprised if cutting long term sick benefits is their plan to fund the increased childcare that's being rumoured.

@Polarbearyfairy thanks for that. Yes, I get the impression they are going to try and massively cut down the amount of people who are on disability benefits.

I think there does need to be some reform, especially as people are just going years without being re-assessed due to backlogs. Obviously there are some health conditions which are never going to get better and that is different, but many people are not being re-assessed until way past the date that they were due to be re-assessed. Also many being awarded LCWRA and then getting back to work full time and still getting the extra LCWRA being paid ( and potentially other things lie the work allowance which that brings for some who wouldn't otherwise get it ) and not being re-assessed for ages. It's all a shambles. It can also sometimes take a year or more to actually be assessed in the first place. It will be interesting to see what changes they are proposing but the system does urgently need reform.

There has been a massive increase in people applying for disability benefits since covid , possibly due to long covid and Mental health issues. I guess maybe they are panicking that it is unaffordable. Also, I help with helping older people to apply for Attendance allowance and there are huge numbers applying due to an ageing population and I also have found recently that a lot more people seem to be applying just because they are struggling with the cost of living. I've probably helped fill out 150 AA forms over the past few months and only 2 have been turned down. To be honest I have been shocked at some of the ones that have been awarded as I thought they would absolutely be turned down, but they don't do any kind of real assessment for it like they do for working age disability benefits.

I’ve recently given up work to be a full time career for dc as has dh we bother receive carers allowance will this affect us ?

I don't think the plan is to remove the extra money but to encourage people to get back to work and it not affect their benefits, but this already happens - people who have been awarded LCWRA on Universal credit do not get it stopped if/ when they start work anyway. So I'm very confused about what might change? I guess we will just have to wait and see.

I honestly can't see that they will stop carers allowance ? Then again people can claim UC carers element and have no earnings threshold so maybe they are going to push that more?

Yes that’s what I mean as currently as we are carers we won’t have to work or look for work but will that change ? We are on our knees with exhaustion and planned to take 12-18 months out as things are so awful but this would be a disaster if we have any requirements to look for work

@asdfamilyadhd that's exactly what I am worried about. I receive carers allowance and at the moment, there is no requirement for me to seek work, but is that going to change? The community mental health team have suggested my dh gets a social care assessment completed to perhaps pay for a carer. The ridiculous thing is it works out cheaper for the DWP for me to be a carer for my dh than if we have to pay someone so that I can go back to work. I'm very interested to learn of the governments plans.

@Babyroobs I was hoping you would reply, so thank you. As you say, we will just have to wait and see, but I can imagine this is extremely worrying for a lot of people.

I’m going to be devastated if it changes we are on our knees and desperate so planned this ‘time out’ while one dc has some treatment as we can’t manage things while working as more than one dc with SEN. We don’t even get more than 1 hour unbroken sleep at night we can’t function and we need this time to get things back on track if it changes now I’ll be devastated it’ll push me over the edge

@asdfamilyadhd it sounds like you are in an extremely stressful situation and certainly don't need this extra worry. Let's hope that any changes that are made in the budget don't cause us problems. Life is difficult enough as a carer isn't it? I honestly don't think these politicians have a clue about the reality of our everyday lives.

Hopefully it will be ok for us both. It really is stressful 😞 sorry you are going through it too x