Delays due to incompetence are definitely on our side, the best hope is that
the coalition collapses before they can get any of the key legislation
necessary through, we are then stuck with what the next government will or
will not do.
I personally believe it is eugenics through economics, I don't believe that
ignorance and incompetence is entirely to blame for the government's failure
to recognise the true situation and numbers of disabled people. It's social
Darwinism of the worst kind, "if you starve to death, hard luck, we are not
going to care"
I am certain to be a casualty of all of this, the question is if I have
enough resilience built in to survive through to backlash against it, if
there is one. I don't have youth on my side, I fear being one of those who
will conveniently die in the meantime however much I am determined not to
be.
Larry
> -----Original Message-----
> From: The Disability-Research Discussion List [mailto:DISABILITY-
> [log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Mike Higgins
> Sent: 08 December 2010 13:40
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: important update from "Benefits & Work" - UK
>
>
> From: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Confirmed: DLA to be axed and replaced by PIP
>
>
>
> Confirmed: DLA to be axed and replaced by PIP
>
> Dear Claire,
>
> The DWP have confirmed that disability living allowance (DLA) is to be
> abolished and replaced by a new benefit called Personal Independence
Payment
> (PIP) in 2013/14. All existing DLA claimants will be reassessed for PIP
once
> it is introduced.
>
> A brief consultation has begun – but not to decide whether to replace DLA,
> only to decide the finer details.
>
> From the scant information available, we look at what’s staying the same,
> what’s changing, why your ESA medical may also be your PIP medical and who
> is most likely to lose out with the introduction of PIP – designed to
reduce
> spending on DLA by at least one fifth.
>
> Whether you have a PIP or an ESA medical, you can be sure that it will be
> Atos who carry it out. The coalition have now extended the Atos contract
by
> a further three years, giving the multinational a virtually unbreakable
> stranglehold on benefits medicals.
>
> And that may not be the end of your dealings with Atos. They are one of
the
> companies shortlisted by the DWP to run compulsory schemes to get sick and
> disabled claimants back into work once they have been placed in the
> work-related activity group.
>
> The voluntary sector did spectacularly badly in the same bidding war, with
> Shaw Trust being shortlisted in just one of the eleven regions. A
> consortium of nine charities, including Mind and Mencap, however, are
> desperately trying to become subcontractors to the big boys like A4E, Atos
> and security firm G4S. The charities are flaunting their combined £688
> million turnover and cash surplus of £16 million in the hope of turning
> private sector heads and getting a few scraps of the billions being
invested
> in getting claimants into work.
>
> Not, we’re sure, that the charities see it that way or will thank us for
> publicising their consortium. Citizens Advice certainly weren’t happy
with
> our unenthusiastic write-up of their ESA campaign – so much so that they
> asked for a right to reply, which we were happy to give them. Pop into
the
> blog and see if you agree with what they say.
>
> In other news, we have definite confirmation that the time limiting of
> contribution based ESA will be retrospective when it is introduced in
2012.
>
> There’s nothing definite about the date when PCA exempt claimants will be
> transferred to ESA, however. A Benefits and Work member has used the
> Freedom of Information Act to uncover the fudge that the DWP are employing
> to deal with the issue of claimants with no renewal date.
>
> Not that any other dates relating to the migration of IB claimants to ESA
> can be trusted, it seems. It has now emerged that there will be a delay
of
> months after the first medicals before any IB claimant actually gets a
> decision about their ESA entitlement – or lack of it – due to DWP software
> not being ready in time.
>
> Also delayed - for existing claimants at any rate - are the cuts to local
> housing allowance which were due to be introduced in April and October but
> which will now go ahead in January 2012.
>
> On which final crumb of comfort we turn to the forums for reassurance
that,
> for the moment, some people are still successfully claiming the benefits
to
> which they are entitled.
>
> GOOD NEWS FROM THE FORUM
> Higher rate mobility and higher rate care from no award on appeal
>
> Support group on first application
>
> Successful IB appeal
>
> Lower rate care and mobility from nothing on appeal
>
> 0 to 15 points at ESA appeal
>
> Work-related activity group on appeal
>
> Middle rate care and lower rate mobility for ME/CFS on appeal
>
> DLA reawarded at the same rate
>
> Lower rate care and mobility on reconsideration
>
> From lower rate care to lower rate care and higher rate mobility on review
>
>
>
> Good luck,
>
> Steve Donnison
>
>
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>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
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