Author Topic: The Cold Reality Of Employment And Support Allowance  (Read 2026 times)

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ironsky2

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The Cold Reality Of Employment And Support Allowance
« on: October 17, 2014, 08:27:36 PM »
Where dose one start with Employment and Support Allowance? Brought out to replace Incapacity Benefit in 2008 by Gordon Brown claiming the old system was fraud ridden and out of date and to save money . Right from day one it was a disaster even the terminal ill were found 'fit for work' no thought was given for the mentally ill disabled. Then May 2010 saw a hung parliament things on the ESA front were going to get more interesting. Cameron made the already ' work capacity assessment ' more unfair and harder to pass than it was already was nice one 'call me Dave' . I had a mate he had mental health problems he struggled with everyday life things to you and I are straight forward to him were a mountain to climb depression haunted him too in his everyday life but he did the best he could. Then the day arrived the famous brown envelop arrived enclosed was the infamous A50 ESA questionnaire he filled it in best he could. He then got a letter telling him he had to go to a Atos assessment two weeks later a letter arrived telling him he got zero points. His mother after not hearing anything  from him decided to ring him but not getting an answer so was worried so she arrived at his flat got no answer at the door getting worried she rang the Police they arrived and decided to knock the door down they found him hanging from the lounge ceiling he was 30 years old. This is the price of Camerons welfare reform and I suspect when PIP starts to bite many will follow my mates example.
« Last Edit: October 17, 2014, 08:34:52 PM by ironsky2 »

Fly

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Re: The Cold Reality Of Employment And Support Allowance
« Reply #1 on: October 17, 2014, 08:50:30 PM »
Sad tale mate  :(
Tories haven't ruined my life, but they haven't done a lot for me. AFAIK
Yes, they have raised the tax limit for lower paid workers, but that couple of quid doesn't cover everything that has also gone up in price. I'm still worse off.
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Old Cruser

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Re: The Cold Reality Of Employment And Support Allowance
« Reply #2 on: October 17, 2014, 10:08:52 PM »
I have heard many stories like your ironsky. Very sad and devastating for families.
People with mental health problems were originally neglected in the ESA assessment and it was/still is extremely difficult to gain any points.
Blind and partially sighted were treated no better.

I have to admit that maybe things have improved a little but trying to put into words how mental health affects peoples daily lives can be extremely difficult and to match up with the one descriptor to give enough evidence or gain any points to be put into the support group may well be a none starter. So the best the person may end up with is the WRAG ( work related activity group ) where they would have to attend interviews and for many with M/H problems this will fill them with horror as going out and mixing can be very difficult.
If they manage to get into this group they can only stay in it for 1 year and then have to go to the Job Centre.   

I am so sorry to hear of your friends story ironsky and hope he/she finds peace in their long sleep
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ironsky2

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Re: The Cold Reality Of Employment And Support Allowance
« Reply #3 on: October 18, 2014, 09:23:21 PM »
Now for something more positive than all this gloom and doom. When travelling back to Chesterfield on the x17 was passing the Rose and Crown pub noticed a guy in a wheelchair he was struggling to turn the wheels with his hands. A lady with dark hair noticed how the guy was struggling so ask him if he needed help the guy must have realised he wasn't getting anywhere soon so accepted her help she the pushed him up the Moor which I thought was a nice thing to do - well done  (y) If by any chance ' call me Dave ' is reading this please take note as you have no idea on how to treat disabled people!  :D

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Re: The Cold Reality Of Employment And Support Allowance
« Reply #4 on: October 19, 2014, 09:25:57 AM »
Makes me sick sick that Cameron says "don't lecture me about disabled I had a disabled father and son"

Yeah, the multimillionaires had to struggle by on benefits to I suppose!

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Re: The Cold Reality Of Employment And Support Allowance
« Reply #5 on: October 19, 2014, 12:59:33 PM »
I have found their are two types of people when out with a disables person.
There are those who totally ignore the disabled person and those who recognize the disabled person is there and may need a helping hand and actually 'offer to help'
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ironsky2

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Re: The Cold Reality Of Employment And Support Allowance
« Reply #6 on: October 30, 2014, 06:38:42 PM »
Cameron showing his ture colours again he wants to cut the the amount paid to people in the WRAG group so they only get 50p more than JSA. They claim its only a proposal not government policy what they really mean its not yet government policy. Time to show Cameron the door with the rest of there evil ink.

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Re: The Cold Reality Of Employment And Support Allowance
« Reply #7 on: October 30, 2014, 07:01:59 PM »
@ ironsky I have also read that. Wouldn't surprise me if they stamped it and put it through.

@ slacker I'm no expert on disabilities, but I'll bet I know and understand an awful lot more the Cameroon does - Pillock!!
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Re: The Cold Reality Of Employment And Support Allowance
« Reply #8 on: October 30, 2014, 10:31:18 PM »
Cameron showing his ture colours again he wants to cut the the amount paid to people in the WRAG group so they only get 50p more than JSA. They claim its only a proposal not government policy what they really mean its not yet government policy. Time to show Cameron the door with the rest of there evil ink.
Government plan effective abolition of work-related ESA

Here it is ironsky

Category: Latest news
Created: Thursday, 30 October 2014 08:56
The BBC has obtained documents showing that ministers are considering reducing payment for new claimants in the work-related activity group (WRAG) of employment and support allowance (ESA) to just 50p above the level of jobseeker’s allowance (JSA).

The coalition is currently struggling with the fact that the number of people in receipt of ESA has risen for every one of the last four quarters. The rise has been caused by a massive backlog in assessments, meaning that claimants who get placed on ESA are very unlikely to have their eligibility regularly checked. The risk for the government is that the rising cost of ESA may cause the next administration to go over the benefits cap.

Removing the work-related activity component for new claimants would effectively turn ESA, other than the support group, into JSA with slightly less harsh job seeking conditions.

This would not only cut the benefits bill, it would also give claimants less incentive to appeal if they were turned down for ESA and were not expecting to get into the support group.

From there it would be a short step to abolishing the WRAG altogether, leaving ESA as a benefit only for people not expected to return to paid employment again in the future. This would massively cut the cost of assessing claimants for ESA and end the problem of assessment backlogs.

The DWP have denied cutting WRAG payments is official government policy, but that does not mean that it is not being seriously considered and that it will not become official Conservative party policy either before or after the next general election.

The old lady with the wonky middle finger

 

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