DWP

Patrick McLoughlin did not see the irony, on Marr's show this morning, of saying that Theresa May has shown that the government works for all sections of society, while at the same time saying that it is necessary to take money away from the disabled because we pay too much to them.

It's amazing that they feel they pay the disabled too much. It makes it sound like we get huge amounts of money. Whilst I admit it is more than the basic unemployment benefit we're not in the same situation as someone who could go to work. I didn't choose to be ill. I last left the house alone on 14th November 2011. A mental illness can be just as debilitating as a physical illness.

I've tried to find out what the changes are all about and it isn't just people with mental health conditions who will be affected.

Am I right in thinking that the changes apply to PIP and not to ESA?

I'm just trying to find out what the changes are all about, because (as usual) MSM journalists don't explain it very well.

Yes, to PIP.

speye.wordpress.com/2017/02/26/tories-admit-pip-assessments-are-a-meaningless-charade/

I wish there was a way to induce anxiety in a way that these people could feel the way I and many others feel. Maybe then they'd be less dismissive of us.

There might be. This might be just the start of a kinder Conservative government.

www.theguardian.com/society/2017/feb/25/housing-benefit-cuts-for-young-people-may-be-scaled-back

The problem is that they refuse to do financial risk assessments most of the time. Here they have realised that if they take away housing benefit they will have to pay for them in homeless hostels.

It's all knee jerk stuff. Instead of thinking things through they say, 'ooh we can reduce/stop the benefits of these people because they have no power and won't be Conservative voters anyway.'

I agree, vampiequeen. The link to the article asked who else they were going to attack instead.

Listening this morning to radio. Some Tory backbencher are clearly very uncomfortable about what is proposed and they may well be facing a rebellion.

Sorry, vampirequeen. I didn't mean to call you vampiequeen.

www.disabilityrightsuk.org/news/2017/february/mps-launch-inquiry-benefit-cap

An enquiry has been called into the consequences of the benefit cap. It finishes in a month, so anyone affected by it should respond now.

The Liberal Democrats have tabled a motion in the House of Lords to kill a Government bill that will severely restrict disability benefits.

www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/disability-cuts-pip-payments-mental-health-department-work-pensions-liberal-democrats-penny-mordaunt-a7599636.html

Fingers crossed for you vq and all the others affected.

It's being 'spun' on the BBC as only giving money to the most severely disabled. The implication is that others don't deserve it.

It seems that the Tory advisor who said that benefits should only go to really disabled people has had his wrist slapped:

www.theguardian.com/politics/2017/feb/27/may-adviser-george-freeman-regrets-benefits-disabled-people-anxiety

It shows how they're trying to split us. First we had those who have fallen on hard times and need the benefits safety net for a short while and the benefit scroungers i.e. the deserving and the underserving poor. Now they're splitting the disabled into the 'really' disabled and the 'not really' disabled.

Indeed! It's also an attempt to harden the general public's attitude.

voxpoliticalonline.com/2017/02/27/will-the-lords-kill-pip-eligibility-cuts/

Interesting times ahead. I do hope it happens.

twitter.com/Freeman_George

I bet Freeman wishes he wasn't on twitter.

It's hard to convince many people that mental illnesses like depression and anxiety are real illnesses anyway. This will just feed into that lack of understanding and make our lives even harder.

But, hey, the government won't care. In fact if we get so depressed we finally take our lives they win again as we no longer need any benefits.

Not only mental illness, vampirequeen.

blueannoyed.wordpress.com/2017/02/27/when-the-dwp-decide-you-are-just-not-sick-enough-even-though-you-are/

I thought ATOS was no longer doing these assessments. They oughtn't to be.

It says on here that ATOS can miraculously heal people!

www.hackneygazette.co.uk/news/politics/government_to_repay_hackney_man_with_no_legs_whose_benefits_were_cut_because_he_could_climb_stairs_with_his_arms_1_4908497

I think ATOS are working to the end of the contract...whenever that may be.

I love the way that whenever they're challenged and lose the DWP blame the original decision on a clerical error.

www.independent.co.uk/voices/rosa-monckton-disability-minimum-wage-charity-spectator-a7609231.html

1.4 million people with learning disabilities in UK.
1.3 million of them are unemployed.

Anyone else disgusted with the DWP trying this on?
They don't use their own money. They use tax-payers' money to go to court, even though they know it is expensive.
Why can't they just accept the decision of the supreme court?

www.politics.co.uk/news/2017/03/14/bedroom-tax-couple-in-court-as-dwp-try-to-block-future-appea

Not just in England. This is in Dundee.

scottishunemployedworkers.net/2017/03/19/youre-better-off-in-jail/

It's sad that people think they are better off in jail than claiming benefits.

George Osborne still punishing the poor.

politicalscrapbook.net/2017/03/osbornes-legacy-welfare-cuts-worth-2-billion-begin-tomorrow/