Billions to be cut from welfare services

Let's look at it this way, how many people from Rwanda have come across in boats to claim asylum, yes only 40, since 2020. Or do we have to have nil asylum seekers from a country to declare it safe. Albania, some still claim asylum here, most are sent home. Is that safe. Funny old world.

DaisyAnneReturns

Dinahmo

yellowfox

About time some of the lazy people in this country were made to earn a living.
I'm on a pension and still paying tax to cover for some idle people who have no intention of working.
Yes, there are some people who through sickness are unable to work bot they need to be sorted out and treated appropriately.

The latest figures available (ONS April 2023) show that 1.54 million were claiming benefits. Some of those may be work shy but many will be unable to work. At the same time job vacancies were less than 1 million which means a gap of around 500k to 600k for whom there are no jobs.

If you are paying tax and are a pensioner then you must be receiving more than the personal allowances. Unemployment benefit is not that high.

The percentage of fraud is very low. However, whatever it is, is this a reason for governments to plan to kill people.

We seem to have a government determined to mimic the forced Labour of the nazis in 1937 and later, Idi Amin's treatment of the disabled.

Oh dear, over reaction at its best. Slanderous too.
Never mind, if your beloved Labour gets in,the benefits bill will rise expotentially, as it did under Blair.
I believe those needing the help, most deservedly have it.
Those with minor ailments no. Do we keep handing out money willy nilly, with no checks or balances . Things change people improve , or shall we just keep paying them to stay at home.

Maybe not, GSM, but taking away free prescriptions is targeting those who can't work, not those who choose not to. Someone fit and well who is choosing not to work won't need to be 'encouraged' back to work by the threat of losing their medication.

Their policy is to make work pay, and to get as many unemployed people as possible who can work back into work. I’m sure we all acknowledge that there are some who could work but don’t want to - it isn’t fair that the taxpayer pays those people to stay at home.

Luckygirl3

And now they propose to hit the health of claimants:
"Senior Tories have condemned plans to strip the right to free prescriptions from benefits claimants who don’t look for work, warning that the government risks descending into the politics of “hate”." - from the Independent.

At least some tories are having the decency to condemn this.

The Tories simply don't care about the sick and the old. This example of unemployment punishment is disgraceful. They should be ashamed to propose such a measure.

Luckygirl3

And now they propose to hit the health of claimants:
"Senior Tories have condemned plans to strip the right to free prescriptions from benefits claimants who don’t look for work, warning that the government risks descending into the politics of “hate”." - from the Independent.

At least some tories are having the decency to condemn this.

Unbelievable!

That'll make people who are too ill to work more "work-ready"! (not)

And now they propose to hit the health of claimants:
"Senior Tories have condemned plans to strip the right to free prescriptions from benefits claimants who don’t look for work, warning that the government risks descending into the politics of “hate”." - from the Independent.

At least some tories are having the decency to condemn this.

Cabbie21

My step-daughter, who has severe mental health problems, had to attend an assessment in a room which contained access to the only toilet in the building. Her assessment was interrupted twice when someone needed the loo! In her anxious state she was exceedingly distraught and they had to abandon the assessment, but at least she was awarded PIP quite easily! No joke. The system is not fit for purpose.

They don't understand the word therapeutic.. how disgustingly unprofessional was that setting..

My step-daughter, who has severe mental health problems, had to attend an assessment in a room which contained access to the only toilet in the building. Her assessment was interrupted twice when someone needed the loo! In her anxious state she was exceedingly distraught and they had to abandon the assessment, but at least she was awarded PIP quite easily! No joke. The system is not fit for purpose.

Doodledog My husband was treated for cancer on and off for 10 years. I suppose on paper he might have been deemed fit enough for an office job. But who on earth would want to employ a man who needed a day off every month (sometimes every week) for treatment, time off for regular blood tests, and time off for the random infections that used to have him hospitalised.
Yes, that's the sort of thing I mean. It wouldn't be fair on him, or to his colleagues, and exposing him to possible infection if someone in the office had a cold is dangerous for him, too. It makes no sense.

Doodledog My husband was treated for cancer on and off for 10 years. I suppose on paper he might have been deemed fit enough for an office job. But who on earth would want to employ a man who needed a day off every month (sometimes every week) for treatment, time off for regular blood tests, and time off for the random infections that used to have him hospitalised.

He had to go for an assessment for DLA after he had a stem cell transplant. He was actually seen by a doctor, a nice Romanian lady. She assessed him as needing the highest level of assistance as he was really very weak and unwell. We then got the letter saying his claim had been refused by some pen pusher. I was straight on the phone and, after speaking to a couple of people, was able to get the decision reversed. But what's the point of having assessments done by doctors if they aren't going to take any notice of what they say?

And yes the assessments were all done on the first floor with no disabled access!

I'm beginning to wonder if, I presume it would have to be
Labour, could question the legality of such a change. After all we all pay or paid our NI to insure all citizens at the time they need help.

What I would like to know is whether those who want to see the sick made to work would want them on their teams in the workplace. Would you really want to work with someone who keeps taking time off, or who is not physically or mentally up to the job? I'm not sure I would. I have worked with someone who took a lot of time off for 'stress', and all it did was put more stress on those who had to cover for her.

I'm not a pushover when it comes to those who don't want to work - as I've often said on here I think that all of us should contribute to society outside of our families to pay for the services we all receive - but I can't see the point in forcing people to work when they are simply not up to doing so. It's fair enough to make allowances for people who are recovering from illness, and absolutely right that adjustments should be made to enable those with disabilities to work, but what is the point of forcing people into work when they are incapable of fulfilling the needs of the role? That takes no account of the impact on colleagues and employees.

I'm not sure of the answer, but the question needs to be asked.

Surely if people are deemed unwell to work by their own GP's this should be sufficient evidence

That was how it used to work, but it was replaced with this crazily inhumane and very very costly system.

Dinahmo

yellowfox

About time some of the lazy people in this country were made to earn a living.
I'm on a pension and still paying tax to cover for some idle people who have no intention of working.
Yes, there are some people who through sickness are unable to work bot they need to be sorted out and treated appropriately.

The latest figures available (ONS April 2023) show that 1.54 million were claiming benefits. Some of those may be work shy but many will be unable to work. At the same time job vacancies were less than 1 million which means a gap of around 500k to 600k for whom there are no jobs.

If you are paying tax and are a pensioner then you must be receiving more than the personal allowances. Unemployment benefit is not that high.

The percentage of fraud is very low. However, whatever it is, is this a reason for governments to plan to kill people.

We seem to have a government determined to mimic the forced Labour of the nazis in 1937 and later, Idi Amin's treatment of the disabled.

what is certain is that there will be a great deal of suffering as the government contiue this relentless aim of cutting costs to benefits.. and as has been pointed out, doing it in such an unprofessional, chaotic fashion using tick boxes type assessments.. Surely if people are deemed unwell to work by their own GP's this should be sufficient evidence and all the billions paid to unqualified DHS staff could be used to fund benefits.. Unfortunately I don't think Labour will be any more compassionate or progressive.

Far too many people claiming benefits when they shouldn’t be! - I am always intrigued when people state this as a fact and wonder where they are getting their information from.

Dinahmo

yellowfox

About time some of the lazy people in this country were made to earn a living.
I'm on a pension and still paying tax to cover for some idle people who have no intention of working.
Yes, there are some people who through sickness are unable to work bot they need to be sorted out and treated appropriately.

The latest figures available (ONS April 2023) show that 1.54 million were claiming benefits. Some of those may be work shy but many will be unable to work. At the same time job vacancies were less than 1 million which means a gap of around 500k to 600k for whom there are no jobs.

If you are paying tax and are a pensioner then you must be receiving more than the personal allowances. Unemployment benefit is not that high.

Does that figure include people in low paid work who receive UC to top up their wages or is it solely people who are unemployed?

Bugbabe2019

The welfare state needs a complete overhaul! Far too many people claiming benefits when they shouldn’t be!
Another one here who has suffered crippling anxiety and depression in the past and with the help of the right medication and a determination to remain in work I have done so. Sitting in the house all day doing sod all is absolutely devastating for your mental health and should not be encouraged!
My husband broke his back at age 29 and was signed off on the sick for life! Written off! He retrained and has worked in pain for the last 23 years! I can safely say that if he had not returned to work our lives would have been terrible - financially and emotionally!

Please see my answer at 11.46!!

yellowfox

About time some of the lazy people in this country were made to earn a living.
I'm on a pension and still paying tax to cover for some idle people who have no intention of working.
Yes, there are some people who through sickness are unable to work bot they need to be sorted out and treated appropriately.

The latest figures available (ONS April 2023) show that 1.54 million were claiming benefits. Some of those may be work shy but many will be unable to work. At the same time job vacancies were less than 1 million which means a gap of around 500k to 600k for whom there are no jobs.

If you are paying tax and are a pensioner then you must be receiving more than the personal allowances. Unemployment benefit is not that high.

My late OH was a doctor and for a while was involved in assessments for the benefits agency. It was a total joke - he said that he would have people in front of him whom a blind monkey could work out that they were unfit for work, but they were dragged through the tortuous process - which took place in an upstairs room with no disabled access!

And my OH was paid lots of dosh to do this - a total waste of time, humiliating to the claimant, and costly to us all.

The Tories assume that work is co-located with people unemployed. Moving house to find work is almost impossible for many due to lack of social housing and decent rented homes in the private sector. It's red meat thrown to Tory voters and to fund tax cuts like the rumoured Inheritance Tax cuts to benefit the well-off.

Why on earth do these assessment panels have to take such a punitive approach to people who, mostly, are perfectly genuine and quite obviously so. Surely certain diagnoses are sufficient in themselves, and less obvious conditions supported by appropriate evidence should be regarded as bona fide unless there are substantial grounds for suspicion. Those swindling the system must be a small minority, and the majority of genuine claimants should be treated with sensitivity, respect and how about a little kindness too. Delays in cases like Ikiesgranma are unforgivable.

I hope, Ikiesgranma, things work out better for you than you’re thinking they will, and that you do get your pension.

Ikiesgranma

I forgot to mention that I received my court date for my appeal two weeks after I was awarded the higher rate pip. I am almost certainly not going to be here to draw my pension so the government will make a saving on that!

Ikiesgranma

Your post is perhaps a reminder not to judge those about whom we know little - or nothing.

Dear lady, never give up hope, it's all we have. Sometimes cancer does not do as it is predicted to do.

I'm so sorry for what you've endured - the feeling of loss of dignity is damned hard to bear when you're faced with such a diagnosis.

I do believe the questions asked are carefully designed specifically to deter claimants. Everyone is aware that there are those who game the system, but research indicates that, compared to those who claim legitimately - or even don't claim at all, they are a minority. Yet, the focus is always on them, encouraged by the right wing media in order to cover up a system which is failing those that most need it.

I hope fervently that you do collect your pension.

Ikiesgranma