Welfare reform - IDS interview this morning

[ISNT]

here

Reading the the report (I didn't see the interview live) one thing jumps out at me - the statement that "If you as a parent, in a family, point blank refuse to take work - and, by the way, this could be work tied in with your caring responsibilities, they have the discretion to do that - then the answer is you will be losing some".

Does anyone know what he means by work "tied in" with caring responsibilities?

A lot else to talk about in the interview, not least that people with a child/ren aged between 1 and 5 can have their benefits cut by up to 40% if they don't attend a work-focused interview, with no ability for the advisor to show leniency for "good cause" (which they can do in other situations).

I think the interesting thing is that this proposal will impact heavily on a group who are statistically more likely to be suffering from a range of low-level & undiagnosed mental health problems.

To "show them no mercy" and cut their benefits by 20% / 40% when they have very young dependent children with no outside assistance (eg no free school meals) is harsh in the extreme.

So no-one is ever allowed to make a mistake ever? My family are all doctors, I knew how wrong what I did was. It has never happened before and I hope will never happen again. Should I call and take myself off their books? I have not made any appointments since as I understand that they will be angry with me.

No why should you remove yourself from the GP, as soon as the fine was paid the matter would be settled and that would be the end of it.

If someone were hit by a car and so medically unable to go to then of course they shouldn't their benefits cut but they would be able to prove it.

I still feel terribly guilty about it, obviously.

Vixel how on earth do you prove that you've been hit by a car, or that your child is ill.

I have not paid a fine to my GP. If people couldn't afford the fine should they be disbarred from NHS treatment.

Of course people make mistakes, we've just got to make sure that you atone for them as best as possible

On balance maybe I shouldn't remove us from the GP, that might be a bit silly. I am not entirely over my post-natal problems TBH (although they are a lot better now).

I don't know what more I could have done to atone though. I rang and apologised profusely, and I haven't darkened their doors since.