UK: Disability benefits (ESA and PIP) - news and updates up to end of 2020

I do not know how people without a support network can be expected to survive in the UK if they fall ill.

 

I suspect this is the idea.

 

Eventually found my entry at November 08, 2017 at 04:38 PM, not brilliant but did make improvements with my 'written' one. Would love to be able to hold a thought and write it coherently.

Very good report written by a former DWP employee - worth a read. (page 33 at the moment)
Simon Gardner says:
November 08, 2017 at 08:00 PM

http://www.parliament.uk/business/c...ttee/pip-esa-assessments-forum-17-19/?page=32

 

https://www.disabilitynewsservice.com/response-to-benefit-assessment-inquiry-breaks-commons-records/

 

Here's the comment.

Spoiler: full comment

 

My first attempt has eventually showed up, as has my second, it was not published for a while though.

 

@Luther Blissett, I've had a look at the 'Help and how to' page but can't see how to do your little spoiler box with the comment inside . Only very highly trained and brain alert peoples allowed?!?!?!

 

• In between the film strip and the floppy disk icons in the comment box.
  
• If you hover over it it says 'insert...'
• Choose spoiler
• choose a title for your spoiler
• Code:

  [SPOILER="example"][/SPOILER]

  will appear
• put what you want to be hidden between the brackets so it looks like
  
• Code:

  [SPOILER="example"]blah blah blah[/SPOILER]

• the part between the brackets will be hidden unless the button is pressed
  

 

Just spotted this, am I correct in saying that if you are currently in the support group and at a reassessment are placed in the work related group you get the old rate of £102.15 ?

 

@Luther Blissett

Spoiler: More homework

You are a star! ⭐️

Now I have to bookmark these instructions for future use! Thank you.


Edit - Happy grin, when something works......

 

If it's still the same claim, or a "new" claim with a certain time period (no real idea what this is, but 12 weeks seems to be uppermost in my mind) then you are not a new claimant, so the old rates are supposed to apply.

(AFAIK the above 12 week thing only applies in limited circumstances, such as an administrative closure of your claim which is then reversed, or if you had permission to do a work trial but found you couldn't manage etc.)

A change in benefit classification is still the same claim.

Of course they keep changing the rules, so.....it's anyone's guess what would actually happen.

 

That was certainly the fear UK Labour minister's had when they were in power. I had the opportunity to question 2 separate ones about their use of companies and the high appeal rate. Neither considered any sort of punitive action to be desirable in a contract and both felt that fines or even govt criticism would result in no company willing to take on that function.

Both knew that the system wasn't working but reading between the lines at that time (2007/8?) they felt that sick and disabled people didn't matter enough to change the system. There had been a media campaign of vilification of this group.

 

You're welcome!

I've added it to the useful links page, so it's easier to find

 

Yesterday before the budget (which I ignored) the Work & Pensions Committee interviewed "claimants" in receipt of PIP and/or ESA (UK benefits), followed by advocates working for charities/CAB who assist claimants with their applications. Interesting watch although very long.

Frank Field (Committee Chair) commented that it was the longest evidence heard (other than the BHS boss) because they are so concerned.

Spoiler: Committee Update on the review

http://www.parliament.uk/business/c...committee/news-parliament-2017/pip-esa-17-19/

Spoiler: Parliament TV - Evidence

http://www.parliament.uk/business/c...committee/news-parliament-2017/pip-esa-17-19/

 

Merged thread

UK: PIP assessment companies admit ‘unacceptable’ failings on quality of reports

https://www.disabilitynewsservice.c...-unacceptable-failings-on-quality-of-reports/

So, if we accept the figure of 250,000 PwME in the UK. 25% of those are estimated to be, at best, housebound, if not bedbound, which equates to 62,500 PwME. The question obviously would be how many of those 62,500 are attempting to draw benefits but given that, at best, only 9,000 home assessments are done, it's easy enough to see that there is a major problem.

 

Merged thread

and

https://www.disabilitynewsservice.c...-on-mandatory-activity-for-esa-support-group/

 

Fairly sure I've replied to a thread on this subject before with - the whole idea of compulsion for those in the support group is absurd, as by definition, i.e. to get into the support group, everyone in it has already been defined, by the DWP's own "medical" people, as unable to undertake any "work related activity" for health reasons

 

I know the figure of 250,000 is the one popularly touted about, but I'm not confident that it is a fair number. The study, whose name I forget and that looked at 4 GP surgeries in different parts of the country, came up with data that suggested the total would be around half of that. Looking at the whole of the group of patients in 4 different surgeries is probably the best method I have seen yet of estimating the numbers involved. My feeling is that perhaps 250,000 would fit the more general criteria of, say, CFS, and that is consistent with the PACE trial finding that half of its sample satisfied the London criteria for ME. It's all sloppy estimation, of course.

Mind you, if a quarter of these are housebound, that still means 30,000, and we haven't even counted other crippling conditions.

 

So far I think the select committee are doing ok (I've been following some of this on parliament tv) but of course it remains to be seen what if any good comes of their work.
Should be in every newspaper, with factual detail.

 

the idea was, and is, completely mad. It would be challenged in the courts if they tried to introduce it.