Benefit cuts are fuelling abuse of disabled people, say charities

Sadly i cannot afford to hire a professional sound engineer and alll his equipment for a day and i have to get permission from atos to do that which they are unlikely to give. If i did get their permission i would arrive to be told i had to wait till an assessor was available and that seems to take quite a while once they find out they will be recorded. As you said secretly recording is no good as it cannot be officially used. I am already consigned to having to appeal because someone saying that the dwp dm's do not base it just on atos i have seen enough to know that the decision atos gives will be the end decision.

I am fortunate that all the doctors and nurses connected with me have already stated they would be happy to attend any hearing i may have so thats something. Growing hostility to claimants almost gaurantees these days that the longest and hardest way is the one claimants will have to travel.

[Chrysalis]

this list makes depressing reading.

http://nds.coi.gov.uk/content/detail...08&SubjectId=2

In my own personal opinion the current flaws with welfare are.

1 - age discrimination thresholds, which is the single room rate on LHA/HB, cold weather payments, as well as age addition on IB.
2 - huge amounts of child benefit of which child tax credit is the main culprit, these are what hit the media headlines.

That page has a detailed list of welfare changes, not everything is listed but a lot of it is.

What stands out is.

Single childless people have been targeted (even tho they the currently most vulnerable group) by raising the single room rate age discrimination to 35. The savings of it listed is tiny. In addition working tax credit is frozen not even increasing with inflation.
Child tax credit will actually be increased above inflation. With all the media attention drawn to benefits they are increasing the most generous benefit.
Cold weather payments getting an increase which is of course a age limited benefit.
Extending help to those with mortgages.

So they have targeted help to those with children, pensioners and homeowners. All looks politically motivated to me, doing what wins votes, or rather stems the losses of votes.

eg. they have a cut listed worth 385million which is apparently unaffordable but the child tax credit increase will cost half a billion per year. Which is what I meant earlier when I said the word unaffordable is misused.

There seems to be a mindset if someone is single, childless, ill they are the ones to live in poverty.

Also look how pitiful the savings are for the 26k cap, which shows how few actually will be affected for what the media made look like was widespread.

Thats the trouble with figures they rarely lie but in this case they also don't show real justification for the continued onslaught against those on benefit. Until such time as the general public get a real grasp of the welfare situation and understand that what is happeing now isn't actually doing anything but hitting the most vulnerable nothing will change.

[Alan Fry]

Originally Posted by Its-Me

So people should vote for the communist party of Great Britain?

Well now we should consider voting for them, mainly to teach the main parties a lesson!

---------- Post added at 11:16 ---------- Previous post was at 11:14 ----------

Originally Posted by Chrysalis

this list makes depressing reading.

http://nds.coi.gov.uk/content/detail...08&SubjectId=2

In my own personal opinion the current flaws with welfare are.

1 - age discrimination thresholds, which is the single room rate on LHA/HB, cold weather payments, as well as age addition on IB.
2 - huge amounts of child benefit of which child tax credit is the main culprit, these are what hit the media headlines.

That page has a detailed list of welfare changes, not everything is listed but a lot of it is.

What stands out is.

Single childless people have been targeted (even tho they the currently most vulnerable group) by raising the single room rate age discrimination to 35. The savings of it listed is tiny. In addition working tax credit is frozen not even increasing with inflation.
Child tax credit will actually be increased above inflation. With all the media attention drawn to benefits they are increasing the most generous benefit.
Cold weather payments getting an increase which is of course a age limited benefit.
Extending help to those with mortgages.

So they have targeted help to those with children, pensioners and homeowners. All looks politically motivated to me, doing what wins votes, or rather stems the losses of votes.

eg. they have a cut listed worth 385million which is apparently unaffordable but the child tax credit increase will cost half a billion per year. Which is what I meant earlier when I said the word unaffordable is misused.

There seems to be a mindset if someone is single, childless, ill they are the ones to live in poverty.

Also look how pitiful the savings are for the 26k cap, which shows how few actually will be affected for what the media made look like was widespread.

They are better off cracking down on Tax Evation!

[Angua]

Originally Posted by RizzyKing

Sadly i cannot afford to hire a professional sound engineer and alll his equipment for a day and i have to get permission from atos to do that which they are unlikely to give. If i did get their permission i would arrive to be told i had to wait till an assessor was available and that seems to take quite a while once they find out they will be recorded. As you said secretly recording is no good as it cannot be officially used. I am already consigned to having to appeal because someone saying that the dwp dm's do not base it just on atos i have seen enough to know that the decision atos gives will be the end decision.

I am fortunate that all the doctors and nurses connected with me have already stated they would be happy to attend any hearing i may have so thats something. Growing hostility to claimants almost gaurantees these days that the longest and hardest way is the one claimants will have to travel.

They are supposed to provide the recording stuff should you request it. However, the point of recording surreptitiously is to have a personal record of what was said so that when the report comes back you can see where they have misrepresented what you said. Even though you cannot prove it, at least you will know where they are marking incorrectly for your appeal should you need to.

Originally Posted by Chrysalis

this list makes depressing reading.

http://nds.coi.gov.uk/content/detail...08&SubjectId=2

In my own personal opinion the current flaws with welfare are.

1 - age discrimination thresholds, which is the single room rate on LHA/HB, cold weather payments, as well as age addition on IB.
2 - huge amounts of child benefit of which child tax credit is the main culprit, these are what hit the media headlines.

That page has a detailed list of welfare changes, not everything is listed but a lot of it is.

What stands out is.

Single childless people have been targeted (even tho they the currently most vulnerable group) by raising the single room rate age discrimination to 35. The savings of it listed is tiny. In addition working tax credit is frozen not even increasing with inflation.
Child tax credit will actually be increased above inflation. With all the media attention drawn to benefits they are increasing the most generous benefit.
Cold weather payments getting an increase which is of course a age limited benefit.
Extending help to those with mortgages.

So they have targeted help to those with children, pensioners and homeowners. All looks politically motivated to me, doing what wins votes, or rather stems the losses of votes.

eg. they have a cut listed worth 385million which is apparently unaffordable but the child tax credit increase will cost half a billion per year. Which is what I meant earlier when I said the word unaffordable is misused.

There seems to be a mindset if someone is single, childless, ill they are the ones to live in poverty.

Also look how pitiful the savings are for the 26k cap, which shows how few actually will be affected for what the media made look like was widespread.

As for Child Tax Credits - yes they may be going up, but the level at which you lose them has been considerably reduced.

[Taf]

Originally Posted by Taf

REMPLOY in Wales does that, and has done since WW2 I think, but disabled groups want them shut down due to discrimination!

http://www.remploy.co.uk/about-us.ashx

Seven of the nine Remploy factories in Wales have been earmarked for closure after a UK government review.

The plans put 272 disabled workers in Wales at risk of redundancy.

Remploy is proposing to close 36 of its 54 factories across the UK, with potential compulsory redundancies of more than 1,700 disabled workers.

UK coalition ministers say "non-viable" Remploy factories should close with the money re-invested into other schemes to help disabled people find work.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-17288825

"Other schemes" such as ATOS and ESA?

[Gary L]

Yep. the whole country is going back to work. but if in the unlikely event there isn't enough work for everybody. then you can have the jobseekers going rate whilst you wait for a job to come up.

while you're waiting for a job to come up. you might as well go and work at the likes of Tescos for free for a few months whilst you're waiting for an employer wanting to pay a working wage and take you on for some strange reason.

and the best part is, he'll be wanting to pay you a little bit less because you're 'disabled' but don't worry. the government will throw the book called 'The Minimum Wage Laws of The UK' at him. and the public will think it's digusting him wanting to exploit you like that just because of your situation.

[devilincarnate]

This happened where I live?

29 November 2007
Closure of Remploy Barnsley confirmed

Remploy's factory at Barnsley will close following confirmation today of the company's modernisation plan by the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions.
A Remploy spokesperson said: "Over the last six months we carefully examined all the options for keeping the Barnsley factory open, but we reluctantly reached the conclusion that it should close. Barnsley is part of our Furniture business which currently operates from 11 UK locations and has very high costs. We will be concentrating manufacturing at four large sites, reducing the transport of part finished goods and streamlining planning, logistics and delivery.

"Our employees have lived with many months of uncertainty and we will be working closely with them as they decide on their options for the future. Every employee will have support from specialist staff to ensure that they are able to make the right choice."

Remploy and the Government have given a commitment that no disabled employee will be made compulsorily redundant and employees at Barnsley will be offered the option of transferring to Remploy's Sheffield factory.

Further options will include voluntary redundancy, early retirement with a lump sum payment, or transfer to a job with another local employer on their current Remploy terms and conditions including membership of the final salary pension scheme. Individual consultation with employees will begin on 7 January 2008.

There are 41 people employed at Barnsley. Jobcentre Plus figures show that 580 disabled people found employment locally in the first six months of the last financial year.

A new recruitment branch in Barnsley will play a key role in the company's five-year plan to quadruple the number of disabled people that it helps find work in mainstream employment each year.

The recruitment branch will give Remploy employees and other disabled people access to:
· A range of local employment opportunities
· Benefits of Remploy's partnerships with Jobcentre Plus and local employers such as Barnsley Magistrates Court, Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council and Metrodome
· Job search facilities and support including one-to-one advice and guidance
· In-work support
· Remploy's proven track record of finding jobs for disabled people

Then this?

Councillor Stephen Houghton, the Leader of Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council, officially opened Remploy's new Flexible New Deal recruitment branch on 12 February 2010.

The branch, in Heelis Street, Barnsley, will support the long term unemployed into work. Since the branch opened in November 2009, the team of eight staff have got almost 30 job seekers back into work and assisted more than 250 people complete job applications.

The Barnsley branch is the first to be opened under Remploy's, five year contract to deliver the Government's Flexible New Deal (FND) employment programme in South Yorkshire. Over the period of the contract, the company will support more than 93,000 Jobseeker's Allowance customers in South Yorkshire and Derbyshire.

Through the provision of specialist training and development services that improve job skills, such as CV writing and interview techniques, Remploy will prepare people who have been unemployed for more than 12 months for re-entry into the jobs market. Barnsley is currently Remploy's top performing FND branch.

Ann Pinning, branch manager at Remploy's FND office in Barnsley, said: "Whatever the candidate's age, skills or barriers we have a proven track record in supporting job seekers back into employment through our highly tailored training support and advice initiatives.

"We have established partnerships with local employers and as result can get early notification of new job opportunities. For example, at the new Premier Inn in Barnsley, we were able to help a number of suitable applicants apply for vacancies and I am very hopeful that we will be able to get some of our clients into roles at the hotel chain."

Councillor Stephen Houghton added: "Firstly, I'd like to welcome Remploy to Barnsley, the new recruitment branch has excellent facilities and are in a warm and friendly setting. The environment is just right and will give confidence to job seekers. The office has the most uptodate employment information, technolgy and trained advisors to help people skill up and get job ready.

"Like many towns and cities, Barnsley has unemployment challenges and it is important that Remploy, the Council and all our other partners work together to address this issue. In fact over the next few months I will lead a group of all the partners to develop a strategy as to how we can work more closely together and get Barnsley's unemployed back into sustained work."

Remploy will provide training and development support in partnership with Wise Ability, BEST and Phoenix who will offer their expertise and vast local knowledge to help fast track candidates referred to them by Job Centre Plus back to work.

The Remploy FND office is on the Third Floor, Joseph Locke House, Heelis Street, Barnsley, S70 1LW.

[mertle]

You know what nothing suprises me anymore if we had some crazy policy that disabled have to work permently for no money then got prosecuted for working on the side I would be not shocked anymore.

What does cameron actually want he seems to be complete arse backwards he wants disabled working yet hitting out at remploy. Many which would pretty hard pressed to get work due to there disability.

In ideal world companies would have disabled friendly environments in the workplace but the costs to do this would mean they wont. Also it may cost more money if it can be claimed by them. We may as well keep remploy.

I dont buy the figures that was banted about that you could get 3 times the disabled normal workplaces than remploy. Costs will surely exscelate.

Whats to see every penny would be re-invested so surely better for this system than nothing. Doubt jobcentre will be geared to helping the numbers back into work.

[Cobbydaler]

The Chairwoman of a disabled charity (run by disabled people) was on Radio 4 tonight; Liz Sayce, chief executive of Disability Rights UK.
She said that for the £25,000 per job subsidy for some of these Remploy factories, 8 disabled people could be given assistance to work in mainstream jobs and be integrated rather than separated.

Originally Posted by The BBC

Her report recommended that government funding should focus on support for individuals, rather than subsidising factory businesses.

She recommended the cash should be diverted into the Access to Work fund, which provides technology and other help to firms for the disabled, whose average spend per person is £2,900.

Link

[mertle]

Originally Posted by Cobbydaler

The Chairwoman of a disabled charity (run by disabled people) was on Radio 4 tonight; Liz Sayce, chief executive of Disability Rights UK.
She said that for the £25,000 per job subsidy for some of these Remploy factories, 8 disabled people could be given assistance to work in mainstream jobs and be integrated rather than separated.


Link

well the figures dont stack up 54 factories employ 2,000 I said from day one liz syche been very wrong in her accessment. She sadly becoming to disabled the lacky for the government attack on disabled.

take this fellow this the real issue the lies of stench the reasons.

Les Woodward, 58, a wood machinist at the Remploy factory in Swansea, and a Remploy national convener, described the decision as "absolutely devastating".
"Angry is too small a word," he said.
"It's all part of the government cuts agenda.
"It's got nothing to do with looking after disabled people, there's no rhyme or reason to it.
"There are 54 Remploy factories employing 2,000 disabled people.
"All that is going to come out of this is that 2,000 disabled people are going to be added to the unemployment figures.
"Where am I going to get a job? Living in Wales, there's no jobs going.
"I can't see how they're going to help me get a job - they'd be better off trying to get other disabled people in work."

[Cobbydaler]

Originally Posted by mertle

well the figures dont stack up 54 factories employ 2,000 I said from day one liz syche been very wrong in her accessment. She sadly becoming to disabled the lacky for the government attack on disabled.

take this fellow this the real issue the lies of stench the reasons.

If you stopped posting gibberish we might be able to understand you...

[mertle]

Originally Posted by Cobbydaler

If you stopped posting gibberish we might be able to understand you...

How these who in remploy going to get work in this climate then ask me that question remploy got 20,000 people into work also why cant the factories stay open as interim until the climate better then.

Like many disabled the lies coming out is disgusting truth should be open why remploy being closed.

list a quote from poster on forum why the move is wrong.

It is hardly surprising that many disabled people are deeply sceptical about the government's motives.

Firstly, they claim to have overwhelming support from DPO's for this policy. They did exactly the same over the abolition of DLA, although the Responsible Reform report proved that they had blatantly lied and the exact opposite was the case. It would be very naive to believe anything they say without having the truth there in black and white. Indeed, one of the criticisms of the Sayce report was the anonymous nature of the quotes.

Secondly, it is quite staggering to read Maria Miller's comments in her ministerial statement. She goes on about supporting independent living and yet she is closing the Independent Living Fund as well as taking away vital support from 25% of working age DLA claimants (a benefit with just 0.5% of claimants who are not genuine).

Miller also goes on about the government's commitment to the UN Convention, but of course she conveniently forgets to mention the report issued only last week by the Joint Committee on Human Rights, which had a long list of concerns and criticisms of the government in respect of that very Convention!

If all the supposed savings from these closures, which are a personal tragedy for those affected, are ploughed back into helping people into work then fair enough, but the suspicion remains that much of it will simply go into the pockets of work programme providers, who have provided consistently poor results.

Most disabled people remain highly sceptical of this government for many good reasons. If the government were really committed to helping people into employment, then why will 25% of working age DLA claimants lose their support? This will add tens of thousands to the dole queue as many will lose the Motability car that enables them to get to their (often very poorly paid) work. Others who lose vital care support will have to give up work or cut their hours.

Also, the government have done nothing to address the widespread discrimination by employers. Indeed, their desire to scrap the Equality Act, in the name of slashing red tape, will make things even more difficult for disabled people.

The enormous difficulties faced by the disabled in the recruitment process can be shown by what happened after the previous Remploy closures in 2008. A year later, only 1 in 20 had found employment...a very sad and damning statistic.

Given the history of lies from Maria Miller, you would have to highly gullible to blindly believe what she is saying now. I hope we can look back in a couple of years and see that lots of disabled people have been put into proper jobs that are suitable for their qualifications and their health but that would require a fundamental change in attitude by the government, which I think is highly unlikely.

[Alan Fry]

Originally Posted by Gary L

Yep. the whole country is going back to work. but if in the unlikely event there isn't enough work for everybody. then you can have the jobseekers going rate whilst you wait for a job to come up.

while you're waiting for a job to come up. you might as well go and work at the likes of Tescos for free for a few months whilst you're waiting for an employer wanting to pay a working wage and take you on for some strange reason.

and the best part is, he'll be wanting to pay you a little bit less because you're 'disabled' but don't worry. the government will throw the book called 'The Minimum Wage Laws of The UK' at him. and the public will think it's digusting him wanting to exploit you like that just because of your situation.

What we need are more decent jobs for more people, otherwise people will get angry and will demand change

Originally Posted by mertle

How these who in remploy going to get work in this climate then ask me that question remploy got 20,000 people into work also why cant the factories stay open as interim until the climate better then.

Like many disabled the lies coming out is disgusting truth should be open why remploy being closed.

list a quote from poster on forum why the move is wrong.

They take their chances the same as anyone else .
Considering that Remploy is a not for profit government funded organisation then it does not surprise me in the least that they will be subject to cuts the same as anyone else ,and as with all businesses these days they are subject to restructuring just to stay afloat so why should Remploy be any different ?