*The Welfare Benefit changes*

"Catch people out"

Usually - not always - its because those really tricky questions (look simple but far from) people out and/or there isnt decent back up letter evidence from consultants - or the assessor doesn't ask enough. Appeals are really expensive for them and people do often succeed.

Les1950 Do you have a money advice section in the local citizens advice centre? For some reason many people have to go to appeal to get the correct award. My friends severely disabled daughter ( genetic syndrome without a name) was downgraded ridiculously ( she is profoundly disabled) on the change from childhood DLA to pip. Her parents appealed and she was awarded what she should have got. I don’t know why they get it wrong so often!

petra

TakeThat7

Someone above talks about contacting an MP do people actually succeed in getting MP help They don't have to see people or ever seem to do anything really

Unfortunately you didn’t have the privilege of knowing David Amess.
He personally helped so many people without any fanfare.

My previous MP (a Conservative) personally helped me twice (even though I had never voted for him and would never vote Conservative), so I don't agree that they're all useless.

TakeThat7

Someone above talks about contacting an MP do people actually succeed in getting MP help They don't have to see people or ever seem to do anything really

Unfortunately you didn’t have the privilege of knowing David Amess.
He personally helped so many people without any fanfare.

Wyllow3

TakeThat7 I suggest you are minimally pro-active in finding out. Email your local MP and ask to be put on their email list for reports.
Write a couple of emails on issues that matter to you and see what sort of reply you get.
Check them out on expenses/gifts/work by googling their name and "register of interests".

Most MP's have either or both a Facebook account with updates or post on X. Just googling their name should take you to these sites.

Not just your local MP. Although they aren’t obliged to reply I have had replies to emails I’ve sent to MP’s from other constituencies

TakeThat7 I suggest you are minimally pro-active in finding out. Email your local MP and ask to be put on their email list for reports.
Write a couple of emails on issues that matter to you and see what sort of reply you get.
Check them out on expenses/gifts/work by googling their name and "register of interests".

Most MP's have either or both a Facebook account with updates or post on X. Just googling their name should take you to these sites.

Freya5

keepingquiet

I would add that's with the exception of Nigel Farage- who does nothing for his...

Are you in his constituency then?

Thank goodness, no! Do you?

I know he earns far more above and beyond his MPs salary due to all his business affiliations.

His track record at attending his EU committees was also pretty applalling whilst claiming his even bigger salary as an MEP.

Any way I didn't mean to turn this into a post about him, but thought someone might come back at me for defending him!

Just a disclaimer really...

Thanks, Cabbie21

keepingquiet

I would add that's with the exception of Nigel Farage- who does nothing for his...

Are you in his constituency then?

www.citizensadvice.org.uk/benefits/sick-or-disabled-people-and-carers/attendance-allowance/claiming-attendance-allowance/extra-benefits-and-help-you-can-get/

Try this.
Help with Council Tax may also be possible, as well as PC. Both of those are income-based though, so won’t apply to everyone getting AA as AA is not means-tested.

RubyRoobs Sun 23-Mar-25 17:37:46
... I think it likely that now she is going after working age disability benefits, then Attendance Allowance will be next for a tightening up on the eligibility criteria. It must cost a fortune especially as it often then brings people into eligibility for pension credit, all council tax and rent paid etc.

Could you give me more info on that as I had absolutely no idea that receipt of Attendance Allowance could make someone eligible for Pension Credit. I know a few people on AA who might benefit from that, so a link that I could point them to would be appreciated.

I don't think they should be allowed to have other jobs whilst they are serving. I understand that the nature of the job is such that they could be booted out at any election, so they will need to keep their skills relevant, but being an MP should be a full-time job.

My MP (and the previous one - they changed at the last election because of boundary changes) both send out email newsletters saying what they've done. They have regular surgeries and gt involved in community initiatives of all kinds. You do need to subscribe to get the newsletters, though. If that weren't the case, people would inevitably moan that they were getting unsolicited emails.

Cross posts keepingquiet!

Both my MP and the MP for the next constituency ( one Labour, one Conservative) respond to emails, hold surgeries, follow up on matters raised, and represent their area in the House of Commons and in the media. They have no other work activities, so their salary is their income.
I have heard of MP's who have many other lucrative work which commands a great deal of their time, leaving them , sadly(!?) unable to fit in their constituents. Perhaps these are less good value for their £93K.

I would add that's with the exception of Nigel Farage- who does nothing for his...

TakeThat7

Someone above talks about contacting an MP do people actually succeed in getting MP help They don't have to see people or ever seem to do anything really

Nonsense. If MPs didn't work hard even for the people who didn't vote for them they wouldn't get re-elected. Your MP is there to serve the people, even if they sometimes get it wrong. I suggest you contact your MP and try to find out what they are doing for your community...

TakeThat7

Someone above talks about contacting an MP do people actually succeed in getting MP help They don't have to see people or ever seem to do anything really

Mine helped us with a DWP issue

Someone above talks about contacting an MP do people actually succeed in getting MP help They don't have to see people or ever seem to do anything really

What do MPs actually do to earn 93 thousand

So the MPs got another wage increase today 93 thousand they are going to get If ordinary people could get anything like that wouldn't it help to get people in work If the average person had the perks of being an MP
Able to earn so much !!able to claim expenses and freebies surely less people would find life so difficult and depressing After all MPs just appear to turn up in parliament when they feel like it and our local MP it seems that's never Reduce spending on mps

Cossy

Les1950

My son's pip is being reduced, even though he is terminally ill. How is thst right? What about taxing the millionaires( some of them have even offered to pay more) ? What happened to labour, no better than the other lot. ( but they are all wealthy too)

I’m not really understanding why your son’s PIP is being reduced? It cannot be any LP policy changes, their proposed changes don’t take effect until April 2026.

I’m so sorry about your son.

I can only suggest you call PIP directly.

or contact your MP Les? I'm sorry about your son

We have back to work schemes here run as community interest companies, some rural outdoors. They work well from what i know of them

orly

I agree with all your points yellowfox. What worries me is that Rachel Reeves restated her assertion that pensions are benefits. Most people I know earned their occupational and state pensions through working but we all know people whose pensions are funded through state benefits in place of work it worries me that the Chancellor is lining pensioners up for another tax grabs whether they earned their pensions or not

I have no doubt pensions will be affected but also I think it likely that now she is going after working age disability benefits, then Attendance Allowance will be next for a tightening up on the eligibility criteria. It must cost a fortune especially as it often then brings people into eligibility for pension credit, all council tax and rent paid etc.

Thank you, will look into it.