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

Did any of the UK ME charities even take part in the WCA consu1tation? Shame, shame, shame on them if they didn't. If they don't start campaigning hard against this after tomorrow's announcement then I'11 consider them to have the b1ood of their members on their hands.

 

I'm simultaneously horrified by what our state has become, and trying to be heartened by the fact the government is doing the opposition parties' job splendidly well and shows no sign of stopping.

 

I don't have a subscription to The Times but saw this head1ine -

So I wonder if they wi11 have rowed back from the very worst proposa1s and this wi11 effect the 1imited capacity for work group rather than the the 1imited capacity for work re1ated activity group where those with the severest mobi1ity and menta1 hea1th are put. Or The Times cou1d have misunderstood of course.

We'11 see tomorrow.

 

Do we know how hard they're going on this yet? i've been looking at coverage today and i can't figure out if "tightening" the criteria for substantial risk means the smaller changes regarding doing WRA from home or the bit where you can't get into the support group anymore. i agree that i doubt this stuff will come to pass but even the possibility that it might (whilst waving tax cuts around) shows exactly how disgusting these people are

 

My feeling at the time was that it was testing the water but they wouldn't do the hardest measures, there was a certain diffidence to the way they talked about the most extreme stuff. that said, the celebratory atmosphere being cultivated this week feels like they could do anything

 

Labour Liz Kendall, Shadow Work and Pension Secretary says Work and Health are two sides of the same coin. No they are not! That is far too close to Work Makes You Healthy.



The Guardian, 21st November 2023

'A Labour government would treat health and work as “two sides of the same coin” to help tackle the growing tide of economic inactivity, the shadow work and pensions secretary has said, as Jeremy Hunt prepares to make welfare a key dividing line in this week’s autumn statement.'

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2023/nov/20/labour-would-treat-health-and-work-as-two-sides-of-same-coin-says-liz-kendall#:~:text=A Labour government would treat,in this week's autumn statement.

 

This may deserve its own thread but I have no idea where to put it (mods p1ease move if appropriate).

https://www.gov.uk/government/publi...-healthcare-professionals-and-their-employers

I just random1y 1inked to this, I had no idea that the DWP had changed the 1egis1ation on who can issue fit notes. It seems a step towards removing the GP from having input into who can receive out of work disabi1ity benefits. Apparently the DWP are p1anning a tria1 on making the DWP responsib1e issuing the 'fit notes' and treating patients with their own therapists.

https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/sick_notes_to_be_approved_by_ben

 

MEA did, there was a link to their submission on their fb page. But i hadnt the energy or emotional robustness to read it.

 

Okay. I found it -

https://meassociation.org.uk/2023/1...ent-proposed-abolition-and-open-consultation/

A very poor response. It doesn't even cover how ME makes most sufferers too i11 to work even from home! Bizarre. Again, the MEA is fai1ing moderate, severe and very severe patients. It shows they rea11y haven't researched the rea1ity of so many PWME, especia11y those too i11 to work (in any capacity).

 

Actua11y, I'm not sure if this was their forma1 response to the consu1tation or just a b1og with a 'position statement'.

 

The MEA did provide information on the consu1tation, but the issue is that it required a charity response, as PWME were very 1ike1y to be too i11 to respond individua11y (again, many do not have carers to do this on their beha1f) and a1so organisations obvious1y have a much 1ouder voice and can pub1ish their responses on the website for future reference (and other parties).

https://meassociation.org.uk/2023/10/me-association-the-work-capability-assessment-consultation/

 

I wonder how this wi11 effect ME/CFS services?

 

This.

I was mild-moderate until the DWP repeatedly told me I was fit for work - having had to leave my career due to severe health issues, even before I got diagnosed with ME - and I got pushed into part time work. That lasted 13 months before I was physically and mentally destroyed and became moderate-severe and could no longer walk out of my own car park, where I could previously walk almost a mile a couple of times a week.

I was just starting to get to the point where I could leave the flat for a whole hour, on a really good day, after five years of recovery, when we had a global pandemic. Thanks to several dances with covid, I can no longer get downstairs to check my post more than a couple of times a week, can no longer shower every day and spend most afternoons pinned to my bed feeling unbearably crap.

This rhetoric is really messing with my already very scrambled head, as I fear being put in that position again. Or worse.

As I said on this thread before, along with my co-author, we submitted a detailed response to both the Green Paper, the WCA consultation, have written multiple emails to our MP and have exchanged four emails with Tom Pursglove via our MP. (Now, if they wanted to pay me by the email...)

Wilful deafness is the best I can say, unfortunately. This is performative cruelty at it's worst.

 

Well sorry but its beyond poor, its abysmal. It sounds like the person writing it has no idea of the difficulties or the benefits system. ITs shocking.

The issue is that without the WCA we'll all be subject to untrained work coaches to decide what work or work related activity we have to do, and they are to be incentivised to pressure us into doing what we cannot. With the result that they will sanction us and remove our income. There will be no right of appeal & we will be subject to their whim. I dont know if i will be able to go with life if I have to turn up to a job centre to be humiliated & beg them to believe i am desperately ill, not tired, and do it every fortnight.
I dont think i will. sorry thats just what will happen, that will be the end for me unless some miracle occurs.

I just dont know what to say about the MEA's response, i feel really let down by it. When they even suggest that the decision whether to work should be left to claimants... i mean what the actual?
That is precisely what the DWP & the country DONT want, thats the whole point of the reforms - that they think we are all just deciding whether to work or not!

I'm afraid i agree with you @Simbindi it seems like they are only really interested in advocating for those who are at the mildest end. Thats whats happened here anyway.

I have massive respect for Dr Shepherd, I really think the landscape for us would be much worse without his hard work over the yrs, but that response to the DWP consultation is, as you say. Bizzare.

Only that i glad i no longer a member. I think maybe they got hypnotised by the DHSC consultation and treated this (which unfortunately overlapped time wise) as a secondary concern. I do get that they only have so much manpower etc, but they could even have come here to ask for help with it, just reading this thread would have informed them better than they clearly were. Or they could have gone to to benefits and work, which had offered special free support for charities who wanted it, (& i know MEA knew about this because a friend told me she'd contacted them on fb to tell them it was available).

Very disappointing, upsetting

 

Thank you. Just a massive thank you.

And to you too @Simbindi

 

I know we'11 find out the detai1s tomorrow, but current1y the papers are making this statement -

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news...looks-to-cut-uk-taxes-and-turbo-charge-growth

This is the extra payment of UC if you have limited capability for work and work-related activity. But it wi11 a1so equate to the amount of the 'hea1th e1ement' if they abo1ish the WCA and use PIP as the e1igibi1ity criteria for extra support in UC (if introduced on today's figures not accounting for inf1ation and up-ratings).

So it's very confused messaging for the genera1 pub1ic, as it makes it seem 1ike this extra financia1 support wi11 be conditiona1 on 1ooking for 'suitab1e' work opportunities from home for those with mobi1ity and menta1 hea1th difficu1ties. However, that's not what the WCA consu1tation actua11y proposed, it proposed changes to the scoring of the re1evant e1ements of the WCA and thus e1igibi1ity for the limited capability for work and work-related activity group itse1f.

Most of the pub1ic wi11 not understand these nuances of course.

 

https://www.mssociety.org.uk/get-in...t-do-governments-welfare-plans-mean-people-ms

I attach this from the MS society. There is a petition which I will find. They mention fluctuating functionality in their communications here and on the petition so I signed that.

Edited: petition closed and recently handed in to government.

 

Agree totally, i've written all the messaging off as playing to the crowd. otoh if this is all irrelevant, it does at least mean what they'll actually do is still up in the air for a couple of hours

 

won't be sat here for long but i'll say anything relevant while i can pay attention.
1. some good news (no really): benefits to be uprated at 6.7%, which is as it should be. there was speculation that some trickery would be used to hold the uprate figure down, no doubt to pay for the much advertised tax cuts