Benefits - £1900 per month

I really do not understand this 'gaming the system' I'm reading about on this thread.

My brother has severe ill health and disabilities, both mental and physical, which mean he will never be able to work. He is always in pain to varying degrees. All of this is completely apparent from the first moment you meet my brother.

Despite all this, very regularly, his benefits are reviewed. This is a tortuous and extremely stressful process - always different, always prone to new interpretations and hurdles that we are not party to. If I was not there to help my brother there is no way he could complete the forms, interviews and processes required.

Every single time his first application is declined on some technicality. Every time we are back to the drawing board of evidence finding, forms, phone calls. Every time his benefits are paused in some way causing him and me to wonder how the hell we are going to manage.

Every time - on appeal - his benefits are reinstated and back paid....this is because he will never, ever not be in pain and never, ever be able to work or support himself.

If there is 'gaming' to be done I would damned well love to know the secret please.

Seems to me the overall problem are ones of accurate assessment, but often are multi-agency decisions when you look across the board. Accurate assessments cost a lot of money to do properly.

I dont envy the task of our law makers one little bit!

Sago....yes this is the scenario I'm talking about...

The above is true Willow but she has a Child will get 25% reduction for being single and depending on her condition will get financial assistance with the rest. Council tax was not discussed so I don't know whether she got the full amount.

NotSpaghetti.... Yes I'm aware of that..when I worked in supported living the clients couldn't drive so I would drive their car to assist them with living an independent life. I'm talking about parents having a mobility car for their child then not using it to take the child to school.

rafichagran

Louissa this lady would not have to pay council tax as she has disabilities, and recieved certain benefits, she would also get a disabled person's pass for her travel via buses and trains.

I don't know this lady, so do not know all her circumstances, but she was the only who categorically said she gets too much.

Only a very few "severely mentally impaired living alone" get 100% council tax relief,

others its partial
www.gov.uk/council-tax/discounts-for-disabled-people#:~:text=You'll%20get%20a%20100,or%20are%20full%2Dtime%20students

One not only.

Astitchintime

I heard that assessments are undertaken by agency staff, not the DWP. Makes you wonder just how thorough they are, or not as the case may be.
Could an individual assessor be open to bribery? Threat?
Might they favour someone they know?
The whole system cannot be considered a level playing field can it?

Assessments for PIP are farmed out to an agency and are very patchy. I wouldn't say dishonest, but undertrained and under great pressure and although there is a points system, there are grey areas, almost certainly decisions made by one that wouldnt by another.

Many claimants go to appeal and then get the award, which is very expensive for all.

Louissa this lady would not have to pay council tax as she has disabilities, and recieved certain benefits, she would also get a disabled person's pass for her travel via buses and trains.

I don't know this lady, so do not know all her circumstances, but she was the only who categorically said she gets too much.

Wyllow3

Sigh - the "example".

who can tell what goes on in his mind, for example, he may go to footie with trusted parent and under those circs only. I dont know.

But your overall narrative seems to be about some parents greedy for benefits, not supporting those in genuine need.

Indeed. I know one little boy who has autism and is absolutely obsessed with football. He loves to go to watch his favourite team play, but has to wear ear defenders to help him cope with the noise, and he can only go if both his dad and older brother go with him, take the exact same route to the football ground and so on.

I heard that assessments are undertaken by agency staff, not the DWP. Makes you wonder just how thorough they are, or not as the case may be.
Could an individual assessor be open to bribery? Threat?
Might they favour someone they know?
The whole system cannot be considered a level playing field can it?

Why 3 threads tho, FGT?
You've just put your view succinctly on this relevant one?

Why not propose positive ways forward on thread 3 instead of yet another grumbly "this country is going to the dogs type".
It is very difficult as in how to really well assess need, but surely more worthwhile than additional "Bad eggs" examples?

Its ways forward that we need.

Dorisdodar I'm sure you know this but having a car sat on the drive is not the same as being able to drive it.
3 people can drive your mobility car - they may be adults who don't even live with you.

They may be at work?

I think we on here would ALL support ‘genuine need’ in a heartbeat.

It’s the scrounges I can’t stand. Those who game the system.
We all know it goes on!

You can’t defend the indefensible.

FriedGreenTomatoes2

Sago i have just started a thread on this very topic - before I saw your comment on here!

I think 2 threads already is enough on the grumbling "parents these days/benefit cheat type POV.

You even started one yourself surely on cuts!

Sigh - the "example".

who can tell what goes on in his mind, for example, he may go to footie with trusted parent and under those circs only. I dont know.

But your overall narrative seems to be about some parents greedy for benefits, not supporting those in genuine need.

Sago i have just started a thread on this very topic - before I saw your comment on here!

The Labour Party are looking to decrease welfare benefits but it seems they are targeting people who they believe are able to work but may need extra support.
There are many young people who become used to being on benefits and hopefully some will be able to get off that treadmill and others who don't want to.
I sincerely hope cuts don't affect those who desperately need help.
I'm happy to pay my taxes for those people but not those who find a lot of excuses not too work.

Wyllow3

I'm perhaps more aware than many becuase I have an extremely disabled GD. almost no sight, learning disabled, cerebral palsy and epilepsy. She does of course go to a special school and gets transport there. The other children in the school all have extremely high levels of need and families need every bit of help they can get. Most of them will never be able to live even in a group home when they grow up.

So it does make me fed up generally when we get a series of individual stories of "how the system is exploited" without considering how desperately many do need help, when I know about all these children and the effects on the whole family life long.

Wyllow3. Your granddaughter and her parents are clearly entitled to government support and thank God it’s there for them.

However having worked in a school with young people I saw how many parents wanted statements for perfectly normal (naughty) children, they were determined their child was autistic, ADHD,ADD etc.

This was so they could get benefits and school transport.

One supposedly very autistic boy couldn’t have lunch in the dining hall because he hated crowds, he came in school one day in full Liverpool FC kit, he had apparently had a melt down when he was told he couldn’t leave home wearing it.
The boy told me he had worn the strip to a Liverpool v Man U game over the weekend, yes the boy who didn’t like crowds.

I'm perhaps more aware than many becuase I have an extremely disabled GD. almost no sight, learning disabled, cerebral palsy and epilepsy. She does of course go to a special school and gets transport there. The other children in the school all have extremely high levels of need and families need every bit of help they can get. Most of them will never be able to live even in a group home when they grow up.

So it does make me fed up generally when we get a series of individual stories of "how the system is exploited" without considering how desperately many do need help, when I know about all these children and the effects on the whole family life long.

Thank you for the details Dorisdodar. What strikes me is just how different people and situations are and it's clear some could manage without all that they are getting, but if you cut the whole benefit then many wouldn't get what they need. And a whole band need them very much indeed.

So it comes down to means assessment, and how the people and the time taken to assess the many details could be found and how much that would cost....

I don't envy the task of those trying to overhaul our systems.

My sisters grandchildren (4) get taxis to school funded by the local authority. Mother has a car but doesn't work . youngest one got a free nursery place when my grandaughters parents had to pay .I will gave mo more grandchildren as my son and his wife who both work can't afford any more.
The mother is currently on holiday in Tenerife.
The eldest children have Adhd.
My sister in law is complaining(quite rightly) as she is looking after the youngest. Her son is on benefits and not supposed to be driving as he is banned.
We really need a fairer system

Wyllow3...has a Support Worker I helped clients to live independently of their parents. It can be anything the client needs help with...washing, cooking, shopping. If the adult lived with parents or guardians transport was provided to go to local authority day centre. As a Passenger assistant I picked children up from home and dropped them at school and then did the return journey...most of the parents had a mobility car sat on the drive so could have taken their own children to school...some of the children only lived five minutes away from school and could walk there because they didn't have a physical disability but transport was provided.

rafichagran

This lady rang in yesterday as well, she is I believe a single parent with a daughter. She stated she receives £1900 after her rent is paid.

Just seen this update ...so that 1900 has to pay for bills, council tax, food and living expenses for the 2 of them ....its not loads is it? Well I don't think so

Ilovecheese

Having a comfortable living, even at a high standard, would never, ever, make up for having a very disabled child. I wouldn't begrudge a penny.

Indeed. Some people have no idea of the pressures some families are under.