Steeling myself to watch back-to-back programmes about DLA tonight... .

[poppyknot]

Dispatches at 8 on C4 and Panoroma at 8.30. Both seem to be about disability benefits and I am not sure what the slant is, although I think the Panorama one might include the tough ESA ATOS assessments....

Did a quick look on google news and there are articles in the Sun and Telegraph about those 'DLA for life' and drug addicts getting benefits to enrage their readerships. Disheartened already. PIP is fast approaching.

Poppy knot ive started a thread on this on the "in the news" board (Dispatches and Panorama) ive got more hope for the dispatches doc as the bbc tow the Tory line especially when its anything to do with benefits.

I read an article today listing rashes, tiredness etc making it sound like short 5een issues or lazyness, when the rash may be a difficult to control skin condition and tiredness could be a companion symptom with all kinds of conditions or a side effect of cancer treatment. It's all in the way info is presented.

oh god, please don't let them be 'This is John Smith who's claiming DLA and here he is on the golf course' type. That just gets the hard of thinking all fired up in best DM frothing style.

Or it may be the disabled bus driver who uses walking sticks and used her worst day on the dla form and got labelled a cheat.

The sun article has a short (very short) bit by IDS about DLA

^DISABILITY Living Allowance is not working as it stands.

What troubles me most is the chaotic structure of the current system. Some people get paid who no longer need it and others are overpaid.

An astounding 71 per cent of current claimants have been given lifetime awards ? which mean they will NEVER be reassessed regardless of changes to their conditions over time.

The Personal Independence Payments we?re introducing next year will involve face-to-face assessments and reviews to ensure we?re only supporting those in genuine need. ^

It's the genuine need description that comes up again and again as if to suggest that those that don't make the grade are de facto faking it. Use of language quickly does thier job....

Yeah, that makes me laugh.

changes to their circumstances like their legs growing back, or their eyesight coming back or their head injury healing itself or their autism clearing up...

All part of this government's plan to keep the people looking at each other.

Divide and rule.

While we're blaming each other (and mostly our most vulnerable) we're not looking where the blame actually is...

I'm delighted to be able to prove I use a wheelchair, otherwise I might forget. So long as I really need that £100. Didn't Bob Diamond get £2 million? Not enough! He eeds every penny!

And you might just be too competent at that wheelchair use.........as after all wheels are just as good as working legs.

Dxc

In defence of DLA indefinitely, many many people are born with life long disabilities. Sadly my 5 , 3 Downs, 1 deafblind and 1 Emanuel syndrome will not get better ever.