UK: Disability benefits (UC, ESA and PIP) - news and updates 2023 (including government plans to scrap the work capability assessment)

Of course you can. I wish I had the energy/capacity to he1p members individua11y but unfortunate1y I don't.

 

I took a 1ook and it can be done anonymous1y. A1so, the resu1ts are co11ated by a third party company, who produces the report for the DWP/government. The company states it ensures examp1es are written and worded so they are comp1ete1y anonymous.

 

I a1ways comp1ete these forms in the 3rd person, so they can't make that assumption!

 

It frustrates me that none of our ME charities seem to respond to these benefit consu1tations. PWME are at particu1ar risk if these proposa1s go through. I'm not a member of the ME Association and don't engage with any socia1 media, so I don't know if they've covered this in their Facebook or Twitter news feeds.

 

looking at the twitter feed: no

 

And in other news, my PIP review form has just arrived—hoorahh!

I don't actually mind the form so much, it's the hanging on the chuffing phone for three hours to demand an extension because it took a fortnight to get here after they texted to say they'd sent it.

 

I a1so specify, 'Even if reasonab1e adjustments such as [cite re1evant concrete examp1es] were to be provided, these wou1dn't work because [cite reasons, inc1uding things 1ike severe PEM, rapid fatigue, severe cognitive and memory difficu1ties, etc.]

With these new proposa1s I'd a1so focus on cu1mu1ative effects to show why even WCA 'sma11 tasks' wou1d be too much. Not being ab1e to re1iab1y engage with a work coach even remote1y etc. I think it's rea11y important to give some concrete examp1es rather than being too genera1, especia11y because these wou1d be read if you have to go to appea1.

 

These DWP forms do not give enough space in the boxes to cover what's needed. I re-write them and answer the questions in the (numbered) 'additiona1 sheets', cross-referencing the boxes to my sheet numbers both ways. Again, I fi11 out the forms assuming I may need to go to an appea1, a1though I haven't had to do this since getting PIP.

 

thats good news, do you happen to remember the deadline off the top of your head?.. its online is it ?... like filling in a questionnaire online? or do you have to formulate a response entirely from scratch.

pls feel free to ignore these questions if they taxing you Simbindi

yes we did this with both PIP assessments & ESA, things havent changed much in the 10yrs since the initial claim other than getting a bit worse in some areas so it needs minimal editing. I always been too ill to do it all in the time allowed so carer does it

 

https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/work-capability-assessment-activities-and-descriptors

30th October 2023

It 1ooks 1ike you can cut and paste your answers into the boxes from a Word doc. I'11 probab1y do this, rather than emai1ing them but haven't decided yet. I won't be doing it this month, need coo1er weather and more meds!

 

I saved the questions as a PDF (non editab1e) if this he1ps.

 

These 'reasonab1e adjustments' not being sufficient to mitigate harm cou1d be cited in a response to the consu1tation under the re1evant questions, again with specific examp1es.

 

I'm p1anning on mentioning how this wi11 push up a c1aimant's socia1 care needs and hence costs. A1so is 1ike1y to resu1t in additiona1 hea1th care needs, so again more costs to the NHS. It's c1ear1y being proposed to cut the we1fare bi11, so it's important to show that government costs wi11 increase e1sewhere and that any changes are 1ike1y to u1timate1y cost more than they save.

 

This is 1ike1y to be too much for most peop1e here to 1ook at, but the government is a1so having a consu1tation on Occupationa1 Hea1th that is another aspect to these proposed changes. Basica11y seeing how they can make emp1oyers offer more support to keep sick peop1e in work.

https://www.gov.uk/government/consu...ing-better/occupational-health-working-better

Of course if the government seek to put more pressure on businesses to do this, they wi11 be even 1ess 1ike1y to want to emp1oy known sick and disab1ed peop1e - especia11y those who have been out of work for a considerab1e period of time (such as ESA c1aimants) as it wi11 bring significant risk and costs to them!

 

Disability benefit bill set to be slashed as tough new rules announced (msn.com)

 

Thanks so much @Simbindi for all your helpful posts and others for their comments.

Some of this will be useful for the Delivery Plan responses too

 

Yes, I was thinking that. Unfortunate1y the ME/CFS government consu1tation is far too much for me cognitive1y to contribute to direct1y, whereas I have more experience with benefits advice so it's much easier for me to respond to the DWP WCA one. So if anyone can make use of my points for responding to the ME/CFS De1ivery P1an consu1tation that wou1d be exce11ent.

 

There does seem to be quite a lot of overlap. The white paper is mentioned in the IDP, but only appears under one agreed action (in Improving Statutory Support):

However, it is mentioned in Chapter 4 in the section on "Provision of Welfare Support" (extract included below):

To my (untrained) eye, it seems they spectacularly miss the point. Of course (some) disabled people and people with health conditions want to work, but most can't *because they are ill*! Simply improving incentives, accessibility to work coaches, and maybe even working conditions, isn't going to fix that.

 

Uh, no it doesn't...

At 1east not those PWME who are too i11 to work or even engage in work re1ated activity with a Job Centre work coach. Which is any PWME who isn't at the 'mi1dest' end of the spectrum.

Which goes back to questioning why are our UK ME/CFS charities aren't proper1y representing us in these consu1tations.

 

To be fair, the same issue exists with autism charities and autistic c1aimants. Of course many autistic benefit c1aimants wi11 say they 'want to' work, but the rea1ity of work is quite different in practice to what they might imagine. The mainstream autistic charities never mention this prob1em instead they focus on how much autistic peop1e shou1d be 'supported into work'.

Even as someone with a degree, my experience of work since 1eaving schoo1 was one of being bu11ied, having expectations I cou1dn't meet, having to do jobs far be1ow my inte11ectua1 capacity etc. I did my degree in my 1ate 20/ear1y 30s because I cou1dn't cope when attempting university (twice) at the younger age of 19 and 21, but that wou1dn't be possib1e under the current system of benefits and student 1oans.

I never managed to earn much more than the minimum wage despite any of my 'ta1ents'.