Morning.
Good news about the Tories dropping the budget proposals.
But I am rather cynical about it.
I think it’s deflection tactics.
All the talk is the budget proposals are dropped, which means that anyone applying for PIP will get the points for washing and dressing, which amounts to 2 points.
So now the dropping of the mobility component from being able to walk 50 mtr to 20 mtr is all but forgotten.
Ronin.
…and what about the reduction in ESA for people in the WRAG (Work Related Activity Group). Is that going to be re-visited? Will the £30 a week cut still go ahead as planned? There was a big campaign against the proposal, but it was defeated about a fortnight ago. The plan was supposed to ‘encourage’ people declared unfit for work back into employment. I believe this pernicious move will put many people below the poverty line. What are they supposed to do?
Ben
What worries me Ben is I was declared unfit for work by Atos and my hubby had to give up work at the age of 53 to be my full time carer. I know there are a lot like me. If they force the carers back to work in order to make ends meet the carer role will have to come from the social services budget and will cost the government even more money. Ridiculous.
H x
I am wondering about ESA too…£30 per week is a huge sum from the wrag group but it is quiet about that.
It` still a very worrying time. It aint cheap being disabled, is it! Our washer is on every day, sometimes twice if my bladder and bowel are misbehaving. So then the dryer is on too. Hot water for showers, heating still needs to be on…oh the list ges on.
I know I am preaching to those who already know and suffer like I do.
pollx
What really has started to make me nervous is that all of a sudden, whilst the disabled are being categorised as having lost out in Osbourne’s budget in order the further enrich the wealthy, we have been described as ‘poor’.
This bothers me immensely as it seems to conflate the two things, ‘disabled’ and ‘poor’.
If you accept that all the disabled are also amongst ‘the poorest in our society’ then it’s really only a tiny jump to decide to means test PIP. This will then have the desired effect of reducing the PIP bill, thereby helping to balance the books.
But, it will mean that many of us will no longer qualify. Anyone who is working, has a pension, has savings (or a partner who works or has a pension or savings) would then have trouble qualifying.
And to add it onto working tax credit, child tax credit, universal credit or income support, or any one of a number of means tested benefits would seem to fit with the move away from non-means tested benefits (which once upon a time used to be called ‘universal benefits’) of which DLA was one and PIP has replaced. Child benefit is another, but the government is only slowly removing that from the higher earners.
Obviously, the change for those people in the ‘working’ group for ESA rather than the ‘support’ group, has the same outcome; given that contributory ESA for those in the working group is now only paid for a year, meaning that ESA becomes a means tested benefit after a year for those in the working group.
Time may prove me wrong, I truly hope so.
Sue
Happiness, I think you’ve summed it up nicely in one word - ‘Ridiculous’. Don’t hold your breath for improvements in the system, I can’t see that happening. In fact, I doubt very much will change at all, I suspect the will carry on attacking the poor and the disabled whilst pandering to the rich.
Ben
Sue, shhhh! Don’t give em ideas!
You’ll probably tell me they are already thinking about it!
Pollx
The Chancellor, or Dark Lord, now so dark he cannot even be seen in the House of Commons, created a budget conundrum that cannot be changed without legislation.
He was desperate to shave more money from the DWP budget but he could not touch pensions because of the Triple lock; that is, guaranteeing that pensions will rise in line with either earnings, inflation or by 2.5%, whichever is highest. What target was left? Lefty voting benefit scroungers of no electoral value.
What has struck me so far today is the way that Cameron still has the temerity and audacity to espouse compassionate conservatism. Surely an oxymoron. On his watch we have seen the introduction of the bedroom tax, the failed attempt to reduce working tax credits, the reduction to ESA and the failed attempt to tamper with PIP. These are all shining beacons of compassion. I feel Cameron has taken his eye off the ball and allowed Osborne too much freedom to pursue his fiscal obsessions; how Cameron didn’t see this coming I do not know.
I am on old peace loving lefty who sees the obvious answer as the scrapping of the Trident renewal. Why does this country need submarines permanently at sea, armed with enough weapons to bring down Armageddon upon on our heads? Are we still in the 1960s expecting Russia to start WW3? Enough of this, as my only point was to suggest that this is a complete waste of money and could be better spent to redress the imbalance between the rich and the poor.
Alun
hi alun
i completely agree with what you’re saying, and as another peace loving lefty i don’t agree with trident either. i suppose the only tangible benefit of this tremendous balls-up is that evil rat-boy is even less likely to become next pm.
cheers fluffyollie
hi alun and fluffyollie
just to put my tuppence worth in on trident.
my friend used to have a caravan by the loch where trident is based.
we’d be sitting by a camp fire on the shore of the loch with wine cooling in the handy stream and looking out at the pretty lights.
until it dawned on us that the pretty lights were the US naval base!
why on earth have we still got it?
carole x
Hi, is Ronin right that the mobility part of PIP able to walk 20 mtr is back to 50 mtr? I assume that 20 mtr was printed on the form’s so does that mean all the form’s will have to be re-printed.
It is still 20 metres and no plans to change as far as I know
paul
Agreed, still 20 metres. The only thing that has been backtracked on is the PIP change due for January 2017. As far as I understand it.
Sue
Hi, thanks Paul & Sue I did think it was too good to be true but, the use of aids part is cancelled. A small victory but big for those that need aids & where points = prizes. I have not claimed PIP myself but as I said maybe I day I will have to. I keep my fingers tightly crossed that I don’t get worse!!! I hope everyone is as well as possible with this horrible ************ MS. Helly x
Sorry I have not explained it very well or you have misunderstood.
I was saying the change from 50 mts to 20 mts has now been forgotten because the 2 points for personal care are reinstated.
Deflection tactics or as they once put things " it’s a good day to bury things "
Ronin.
They have NOT backtracked on ESA…see new post! Why is there silence on this?
I’ve just read the benefits and work news email. They’ve cautiously welcomed this weeks news but have suggested that it’s actually theoretically possible that IDS could get his work and pensions job back again. If we vote to leave Europe, chances are we’d have a change of Tory leader (Boris Johnson maybe?) and under a whole new cabinet, IDS could get his job back!!
To quote B&W, “IDS as one of the undead is a deeply scary thought.”
They’ve also cast doubts on his replacement Crabb as he’s not exactly a friend of the disabled. And he does seem to be pretty ignorant about benefits, eg his stance on ESA changes.
So we’re certainly not out of the woods.
Sue
Hates GAY people as well
paul
had mobility taken away from dla to pip.asked for a reconsideration.phone call from case manager to say all the points in my reconsideration letter did not change the decision not to award me mobility component.car has to go back on 12th april!told him new mri spinal changes should affect his decision-i asked why my ms team have not been consulted.i was told there is no need as decision was taken by health care professionals assessment!i have asked today my ms team to provide me with a statement to send explaining that altough i work(case manager held this fact agianst me saqying i have not had that much time off on the sick thus meaning i dont need any help)
I am stunned by the lack of knowledge of ms that the so called health professional had.it was noted in my letter that i was observed picking up something off the floor and that i declined the lower limb assessment-i declined because i would have fallen over!
any tips out there as to how best i deal with recondsideration case manager and what else should i add?
since pip assessment i am not catherteised daily will this change anything?
i apologise for my typing, in work i use voice sofware!