one year limit to benefits

[budugs]

is it right to stop the benefits to people sick and disabled after one year.

the question was asked by ed milliband in yesturdays prime ministers question time in relation to those with cancer, mr milliband stated approx 7,000 people would be affected.

what he failed to say this policy will affect approx 80,000 by the government own figures claimants of sickness benefit which include people with such conditions as strokes, ms, parkinson, severe mental illness ect.

is it fair that the sick and disabled found capable - using the a medical assessment reffered to as "not fit for purpose" by groups of charities - of some sort of work in the future lose the nearly £100.00 per week and be left with no means of independant support.

this could leave sick and disabled who have payed into the system for all their working lives dependant others in the household who have income, a partner who earns more than £10,000 per year, a spouse, a son or daughter, saving accumlated over many years, pension, private illness cover and more who exempt all those from reciept of this means tested benefit

It's not as straightforward as he made out.

ESA is split into two catagories..

There's a support group for the terminally ill and serverely incapicated who receive the benefit indefinately ie for life or until they are fit and able to return to work and this is not being changed.

Then there's a work group who will receive the benefit regardless of their circumstances for 12 months after a doctor has said they are ready to return to work and after that 12 months it becomes means tested.

Labour aren't actually objecting to the means test and assessment process but the timeframe. They think it should be 2 years rather than one year and that's what yesterday was really about.

Personally I can't understand why a doctor would say they are able to work if they still need a year or more to recover before being able to return to work.

leetay the procedure will be that a person will be placed in either the support group or the work related group

the support group will have no conditions placed on them and their benefit will be paid indefinately.

those placed in the work related group contributions based will recieve esa for 1 year from day 1 of start of their claim. group placement is decided by dwp decision maker not a doctor, the decision maker will take the medical practisioners own (not always a doctor) advise but they have the final word. there is no actual target for returning to work only that prepartion is made for a return to work, there are no hard and fast rules with the government agreeing some people will need years of support to move them into work.

the problem is that many are either being denied esa altoghter or are being placed in the wrong group, there are many people coming forward with expeirence of degarative and nurological disease being told they are either fit to work and being placed on jsa or being put in the work related group when clearly they should be in the support group.

what would happen if someone with parkinsons or ms should attend a initial medical and be placed in the work related group, when they next go for a medical three years later and their conditions has worsened to such an extent that they should be in the support group but by this time they have exhasted their right to entillement because they have not paid enough national insurance contributions.

then how do you think a couple earning £10,000 or £12,000 could live and pay their rent, morgage, bill ect, ect, pensioner couples min income is estimated at around £16,000 plus reductions for council tax, water rates prescriptions, free eye test ect, whilst those disabled people a working partner with the extra expenses incurred by disability will be required to live on less than half of the national average weekly wage £24,000.

i would sugest homlessness and debt will be the outcome for those no longer entilled to finacial support for disablilty which is not of their making.

i think leetay you will find that labour has shifted its postion, yes i know they prevously put froward an admendmant for 2 years but if you read the debates on welfare reform which took place on monday and wednesday of this week they are calling for a pause in the welfare reform bill and further consultion and a complete rethink of this regulation.

the figure of 80,000 comes from the con governments own estimate i have forgotten with document at the momment (the figure may even have been 800,00) but if i remember i will post it, those being transfered from ib to esa will lose their entillment to conbutory esa immediately if placed in the work related group

Tbh i thought it was a bit daft that someone i knew got incapacity benefit when their household income was 6 figures. Better spending the money on those who need it.