Supporting disbaled people unsustainable?

[SantasMooningArse]

here

I hate this sort of uncertainty. I have trained part and full time for seven years now alongside two disabled kids to get to the point where I was hoping to train in social work in 2013- but if DLA vaniushes it will be unaffordable. I feel we have lived up to every Tory ideal, battling redundancy, my DH's illness and the boy's SN with constant battles to get back on line, and now I think I might just give up after all- can;t train until thenas no childcare means DH must be working from home to care and he dosn;t qualify until then, and we will need to move and cannot do so with the SNU realistically until 2013 (a SW trained where we are in Wales cannot practice in England but we need to get back to family badly for support and help, both for them as they age and us as we try and fit in work).

Working in tesco woudln't ever cover the huge costs of disability childcare.

I acknowledge that this is a left wing article, there's a thread on this in SN with a less reactionary letter from teh NAS C&P's to it, but is this how big society was meant to work? Sorry disabled people, there's no money- saldy when it comes to ds3 there's no cure either- can I never afford to die then? Will there be any care left for him?

Shit isn;t it?

And it doesn;t mean all are out to get you; we experience as much kindness as the opposite of course.

But I am unwilling (to DH's frustration) to give in and hand over my own sense of self worth which is largely built on my morals, I do however think I might do my boys a disservice if I raise them the same.

The idea that "call me Dave" and Gideon have any morals or human feeling except those that fit with their sordid politics is frankly laughable.

FioFio, this government needs to be dragged out and hung from a lampost :o

I've been helping DH with a study on the French Revolution today, I have a lot of revolutionary stuff coarsing through my mind.

And a good deal of the (non violent sections) quotes underlined as being as relevant today as when they are from.

It needs over turning but they passed a law IIRC against that, have to serve a full 5 year term (if they did not they are going to).

This is already happening for adults with disabilities - Some disabilties were 'reclassified' in July for Adult DLA, epilepsy being one of them. Until my renewal was due at the end of July, I was in receipt of DLA on the basis that I have, on average, at least a seizure a week (averaging 52+ per year). Now to automatically qualify for DLA on the basis of Epilepsy as an adult, I need to be having 104+ seizures a year (or 2+ per week). Because I do not meet the new criteria, I have lost my DLA.

The difference between having one seizure a week and two seizures a week does NOT make me any more employable, I could still have to take at least one day off sick each week, or go home mid-shift if I had a seizure at work, so still nobody wants to employ me, I'm hardly a model employee under those circumstances, but now I get no financial hel to make up for the fact that no-one wants to take a risk on an unreliable employee, even if that unreliability is due to a disability.

I am now £350 a month WORSE off, we are now struggling financially, yet I am now stuck in a limbo where I am to disabled to get anyone to give me a job, yet not disabled enough to get disability benefits. I can see for myself firsthand how bad things are going to get for disabled people.

I can pick up a pencil, so I 'passed' the fitness for work test, and in fact, the tester told me that unless he witnessed me having a seizure, in all probability, he would have had to pass me as fit for work. And of course, everybody with epilepsy can seize on demand, in front of the untrained assessors!

It's shocking how badly publicised all this is isn't it? I never heard about the epilepsy thing until after I heard you post about it.

TBH could you imagine if this was to a NT benefit- well we know don't we; the CB thing recently.

I am expecting on the basis of no evidence except instinct for AS to be reclassified as they have pulled a lot of employment support altely adn they won;t want those people claiming ESA etc.

Can't understand how the new assessment isn't discriminatory per the DDA. It's as if the assessment only gives points or whatever if the disability is clearly visible.

Unbelievable.

Riven - It worries me WRT children that have epilepsy TBH, as they may well qualify for DLA for their epilepsy when they are under 16yo, but then be told as soon as they hit 16 that they no longer have a disability. Does it vanish just because they are older??

Where did you get your information regarding epilepsy and DLA, Loudlass? I have epilepsy and on average I have less than one seizure a week and I have been getting DLA for the past seven years. The criteria for DLA is based on care needs throughout the day and night, which can still be high regardless of the number of number of seizures. I had a volunteer from my local support organisation to help me fill out the forms. I was awarded lower rate initially but I managed to get that increased after appealing.

I've been told that applicants often get turned down and given misleading information about eligibility but many charities can give support through the appeals process as well. Did you appeal when you were turned down and do you have a local org who would be able to help you?

I also get ESA so I can't understand why you've passed the fitness to work test. I was initially placed in the work group but was eventually placed in the support group after some persistence. My volunteer told me that the majority of new applicants get turned down. The govt assume that a certain percentage of applicants won't understand the appeals process or just give up, so they save money by denying eligible claimants who don't appeal.

Frankly, I'm fucked.

Am very very frightened.

You can tell the people making these decisions do not cope with any of the conditions that classify as disabilities. Maybe they should try it on for size for a little while, and then decide if "we" don't need the financial support.

I asked once about employment for the assessors role and was told I was probably over qualified.

Know what I am talking about more like.

Never mind, we have money for Trident, we can let Vodaphone off 6 million in tax and Phillip Green is a lot better off with his tax avoidance so it's not all bad

found it odd watching the bbc this morning, loads on adults having to pay to go to university.
then a small mention of the isle of white and their cuts, guess what one of the cuts will be... yes "huge cuts to adult social services"
no big story on that.
I guess that is happening all over the country.

Oh God my friend on the IoW relies on those centres, she has brian cancer and three under ten. Bastards.

Bastard Government. If we still manage to get back on track as a family we're donating ££££££ to non-coalition parties. And quite possibly our souls as well.

And this morning I had to brave the twat brigade and their petition against the (not actually proposed in any form) vague possibility of affordable housing in our town. The same don;t-care fuckers who turned out en masse to campaign when the coucnil refused to fund their Christmas tree- council funded tree now in situ (will be trashed by end of week natch), shortgae of 35 places in ASD unit remains.

Goodness I loathe people who can't see further than their own lack of pine!

Didn't you know Christmas trees are much more vital than disabled people?

We're only cripples, we don't matter.

I don't know whether to be outrageously angry, or scared shitless.

Surely just an ounce of common sense is needed when making these decisions? Yes, I understand there is a huge debt, and there need to be cuts, but how on earth is it fair to make sure that those who are struggling most in this country have to struggle more?

Clegg has sold his fucking soul.

"I don't know whether to be outrageously angry, or scared shitless" I am going for both

Yes :( I think most people are.

My DLA is up for review in March. Am so frightened it will be cut, or taken away all together.

Does anyone know when this is all due to start? I mean medicals etc?

Cameron is a cunt, as is Gideon.

Remember the Tories have never won an election in prosperous times and their entire ethos is about crushing the underclass (i really think they put disabled people in there too) - all this shit Daily Mail shit about dodgy benefits claimants makes me crazy and honestly i really fear for the future under their Government - keeping the poor even poorer is their game. Dla enables people with problems and their families to gain some sort of parity in society and helps them be more integrated - this further impoverishment with marginalise them further and it is a dreadful step backwards

Are people not jumping to conclusions here. The Government hasn't announced draft proposals of what they want to regarding this Personal Independence Payment so I think are being a bit too hasty in judging it.