I suppose short term it may be seen as having your benefits cut but long term it may be a way of preventing long term benfit fraud that way more money will be available to help those wh oare genuine cases. Lets be realistic the funding has to come from some where and at the momnet it is the tax payers who provide the revenue and we are all struggling with the financial climate are we not.
The flip side of it is that short term those who are in desperate need of financial support need to have their benfits secured so they are not struggling.
It's got to be an improvement on the current situation. At least people will get more personal attention and not be left to stagnate. Obviously it can't cost much more than at present..there isn't the money.
My Partner has already been for his WFHRA it was a joke the Medical Practitioner said that she would not be doing a medical on my partner as she could she that he was to ill. My Partner suffers from Emphysema and he has a cruhed disc and narrowing of the vertebrae he is on morphine and two lots of strong painkillers. In the summary it says: His condition can only get worse and this precludes any return to work He needs help in his every day life constantly. In the return to work section it says: In my opinion a return to work could be considered after more than 6 months. He gets higher rate of care and higher rate of mobility dla. How do these people come to these conclusions?
Fraud on incapacity benefit is only 0.5 percent according to DWP and NAO statistics.
Mistakes/Errors etc by the DWP cost more than benefit fraud - again official statistics.
ESA has removed most of the exemptions that were present in IB for the most serious cases (as there was
no need for a medical in these cases, so need to waste time/money and cause distress to claimaint.)
One such exemption, for example. is claimaints in a 'persistant vegatative state', obviously no need to re-assess them
if a specialist or Gp can confirm their condition has not changed.
However, that exemption (as well as virtually all the others) is removed from ESA and they will need to be assessed to see if they are cabable of working.
How can anyone say this is not a cost cutting excercise?
It was brought in specifically to help meet the target of 1 million of incapacity benefit.
Genuine claimaints are the ones who will suffer - and the tax payer, due to cost of appeals and knock on effects where people are unfairly assessed.
Will the DWP be allocating trained disability employment advisers to give support to all the claimants.
Many IB claimants have been on it for more than 10 years. There have not been sufficient qualified advisers in the DWP to assist them to find work.
It is a typical government "new initiative" All Spin and it will not be effective.
Lins: I suppose short term it may be seen as having your benefits cut but long term it may be a way of preventing long term benfit fraud that way more money will be available to help those wh oare genuine cases. Lets be realistic the funding has to come from some where and at the momnet it is the tax payers who provide the revenue and we are all struggling with the financial climate are we not. The flip side of it is that short term those who are in desperate need of financial support need to have their benfits secured so they are not struggling.
Can you please explain how exactly it will prevent benefit fraud?
ukbix: Fraud on incapacity benefit is only 0.5 percent according to DWP and NAO statistics. Mistakes/Errors etc by the DWP cost more than benefit fraud - again official statistics. ESA has removed most of the exemptions that were present in IB for the most serious cases (as there was no need for a medical in these cases, so need to waste time/money and cause distress to claimaint.) One such exemption, for example. is claimaints in a 'persistant vegatative state', obviously no need to re-assess them if a specialist or Gp can confirm their condition has not changed. However, that exemption (as well as virtually all the others) is removed from ESA and they will need to be assessed to see if they are cabable of working. How can anyone say this is not a cost cutting excercise? It was brought in specifically to help meet the target of 1 million of incapacity benefit. Genuine claimaints are the ones who will suffer - and the tax payer, due to cost of appeals and knock on effects where people are unfairly assessed.
They could have tried other constructive ways of getting people off IB and into work. But they have not employed sufficient Advisers, they have not given claimants enough regular support previously.
lionel:Anyone claiming benefit because of limited capacity to work due to ill health or disability will have to, from 27 October, claim ESA. The government hopes it, with its accompanying assessments, will help more people get back into work. Critics view it as a benefit cut. Which is it?
Are the DWP taking on extra staff and giving them appropriate training to be able to deliver a quality and effective service?
The short and truthful answer is "no".
any change to the benefits system is a good thing. so many have milked the system fraudulently for years. benefits are supposed to be a safety net, not a choice of lifestyle.
genuine claiments unfortunately have to be 're-tested' from time to time due the fraudsters, that is unfortunate but nescessary to save the taxpayer money and get the workshy back to work/college.
titchmagoo: any change to the benefits system is a good thing. so many have milked the system fraudulently for years. benefits are supposed to be a safety net, not a choice of lifestyle. genuine claiments unfortunately have to be 're-tested' from time to time due the fraudsters, that is unfortunate but nescessary to save the taxpayer money and get the workshy back to work/college.
It is totally not true that the system has been milked for years.
On the contrary, the DWP has cheated Incapacity Benefit claimants by not assisting them find work.
Smokey: titchmagoo: any change to the benefits system is a good thing. so many have milked the system fraudulently for years. benefits are supposed to be a safety net, not a choice of lifestyle. genuine claiments unfortunately have to be 're-tested' from time to time due the fraudsters, that is unfortunate but nescessary to save the taxpayer money and get the workshy back to work/college. It is totally not true that the system has been milked for years. On the contrary, the DWP has cheated Incapacity Benefit claimants by not assisting them find work.
your living in cloud cukoocooland if you belive it is the fault of the dwp that thousands have ripped of the state.
Titchmagoo, Do you get ALL your "facts" from the Daily Mail?
Smokey: Titchmagoo, Do you get ALL your "facts" from the Daily Mail?
no, my education and working in a cmht for the last umpteen years.
there are hundreds of thousands of benefit fraudsters who have cost the taxpayer billions.
further to that, the fraudsters make life much more difficult and anxiety provoking for genuine claimants.
titchmagoo: Smokey: Titchmagoo, Do you get ALL your "facts" from the Daily Mail? there are hundreds of thousands of benefit fraudsters who have cost the taxpayer billions.
i'm talking about benefit farudsters in general.
and here in glasgow there is a well documented and massive problem with IB.
The government has not given the DWP sufficient staff resources.
Smokey: The government has not given the DWP sufficient staff resources.
can't argue with that.
more staff to carry stringent benefit tests, more benefit fraud investigators and more staff to do spot checks.
that would go a long way to sorthing these criminals out.and saving tax dollars in this difficult climate.
titchmagoo: Smokey: The government has not given the DWP sufficient staff resources. can't argue with that. more staff to carry stringent benefit tests, more benefit fraud investigators and more staff to do spot checks. that would go a long way to sorthing these criminals out.and saving tax dollars in this difficult climate.
Do you live in the United Kingdom? Our currency is Pounds Sterling. More staff to assist genuine people.
Yes, there is a desperate need for more staff, properly trarined to ensure that people get the benefits they are entitled to and that they get the best opportunity for entering employment where that is possible.
Smokey: titchmagoo: Smokey: The government has not given the DWP sufficient staff resources. can't argue with that. more staff to carry stringent benefit tests, more benefit fraud investigators and more staff to do spot checks. that would go a long way to sorthing these criminals out.and saving tax dollars in this difficult climate. Do you live in the United Kingdom? Our currency is Pounds Sterling. More staff to assist genuine people.
yep can't argue withthat, more staff to aid genuine claimants and that free's up staff to hammer the criminals.
ESA may help people back into work who are eligible to stay on this benefit, in some cases it may even force those who may not be ready and aggravate their condition.
However, those who are rejected after the gruelling task of claiming, attending assessments and interviews are left in a "catch 22"! Unable to claim job seekers as they are regarded unsuitable for work due to still being signed off sick by their doctor?!
This has led to a dramatic rise in appeals (with all of the costs that are involved for the DWP).
titchmagoo:any change to the benefits system is a good thing. so many have milked the system fraudulently for years. benefits are supposed to be a safety net, not a choice of lifestyle.
agreed, how did we let it get to how it is
Hatgirl: titchmagoo:any change to the benefits system is a good thing. so many have milked the system fraudulently for years. benefits are supposed to be a safety net, not a choice of lifestyle. agreed, how did we let it get to how it is
i have no idea but it's a big (lazy) mess.
Its the best way of keeping "the poor" quiet!
surfer: Hatgirl: titchmagoo:any change to the benefits system is a good thing. so many have milked the system fraudulently for years. benefits are supposed to be a safety net, not a choice of lifestyle. agreed, how did we let it get to how it is Its the best way of keeping "the poor" quiet!
well, 'the poor' are not quiet round my way most nights of the week. drunk and disorderly, car crime, bop etc. etc.must be that moonshine they make and for food they don't phone out for pizza but have microwaved gravel.
surfer:Its the best way of keeping "the poor" quiet!
I thought that was what the prison system was for, that and keeping the unemployment levels around 80k people lower
Hatgirl: surfer:Its the best way of keeping "the poor" quiet! I thought that was what the prison system was for, that and keeping the unemployment levels around 80k people lower
hahahahhahahahha, send the poor to prison. it's like blackadder!
No, that's far too expensive. Benefits are much more cost effective for "keeping the proles docile".