The state benefits system mega-thread.

[Chrysalis]

Originally Posted by nomadking

Paying claimants the minimum wage would bring a whole lot of baggage of employment rights and costs with them. In those circumstance, companies would want to be more fussy about who they took on. The idea is meant to be giving people without job experience some experience so they have something to put on their CV.

Oh you mean like the baggage they should have when employing someone?

Thats not a reason,

So not only do you think they shouldnt be paid a fair amount of money but you now also think they shouldnt have any rights in the workplace?

Its as if you think they a lower class of people with less rights.

---------- Post added at 23:47 ---------- Previous post was at 23:45 ----------

Originally Posted by mrmistoffelees

OK let me put it another way

Prisoners who work, should they be paid the minimum wage?

Litter etc. will always be dropped

Are people on JSA convicted criminals then? Thats news to me.

[nomadking]

Originally Posted by Chrysalis

Oh you mean like the baggage they should have when employing someone?

Thats not a reason,

So not only do you think they shouldnt be paid a fair amount of money but you now also think they shouldnt have any rights in the workplace?

Its as if you think they a lower class of people with less rights.

Like not being able to get rid of them when they find out they are unsuitable and unreliable.

[Chrysalis]

if tesco dont like risks associated with such a program they could opt-out.

[nomadking]

Originally Posted by Chrysalis

if tesco dont like risks associated with such a program they could opt-out.

And the evidence that they do take part is..... Silly notion it seems providing actual evidence.

From 2012

Tesco is meeting with the Department for Work and Pensions this week to urge ministers to remove the threat of jobseekers losing benefits if they drop out of the scheme.
However, the UK's biggest supermarket has never offered a separate Government work scheme, which is mandatory and forces people to go on unpaid placements or lose their benefits. Other retailers including Sainsbury's have also decided not to offer this.

Tesco said that although it was sticking with the coalition's work experience scheme, it would now offer jobseekers a choice of remaining on benefits or taking up paid work with a guarantee of a staff job at the end of the four-week placement if the trial was successful.

2014
They offer 4 week work experience placements in conjunction with the Prince's Trust. I did 3 weeks work experience whilst still at school around 40 years ago. That was as a Lab assistant. What is so different?

Tesco and The Prince’s trust has launched a new employment programme to help young people in the UK find work.

[mrmistoffelees]

Originally Posted by Chrysalis

Oh you mean like the baggage they should have when employing someone?

Thats not a reason,

So not only do you think they shouldnt be paid a fair amount of money but you now also think they shouldnt have any rights in the workplace?

Its as if you think they a lower class of people with less rights.

---------- Post added at 23:47 ---------- Previous post was at 23:45 ----------



Are people on JSA convicted criminals then? Thats news to me.

Did i say they were?

---------- Post added at 08:35 ---------- Previous post was at 08:35 ----------

Originally Posted by Gary L

Seriously your logic is flawed. it's the kind of logic that Cameron, his men and the media use to brainwash people into going along with their plans.

'work' isn't the answer to everything.
if it's a contribution then. then why not free sex?
it's the same principle.

you know I'm right.

Can you explain that, as I'm struggling to understand your meaning?

[Gary L]

Originally Posted by mrmistoffelees

Can you explain that, as I'm struggling to understand your meaning?

Ok.

You - You
Know - Know
I'm - Me, Gary
Right - Correct.

3 out of 4 ain't bad.....

[denphone]

Lords defeat for ministers over disability benefit cuts.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-35422778

Opposition peers argued that cuts to Employment Support Allowance (ESA) for new claimants in the Work Related Activity Group (WRAG) - people deemed unfit to work but able to undertake activities to help them move towards work - would cause hardship for substantial numbers of people with disabilities.

Speaking in the debate, crossbencher Lord Low said: "A drop of £1,500 a year in their benefit income from £5,300 to £3,800 will be catastrophic for many disabled people.

[Taf]

My son uses the extra income from his ESA (WAG) to get to and from his training and educational courses. He takes 2 buses then calls for a taxi to get him the rest of the way as it's too far for him to walk with his disability. Then a taxi to the nearest bus stop for his return journey. Without the extra income he would not be able to get to the course.... and no doubt the DWP would sanction him.

I fear this defeat will only be temporary as Iain Duncan Smith (spit) is determined to cut the welfare bill by any means possible. And once he gets new claimants off the ESA (WRAG) he will no doubt withdraw it for current claimants.

Then scrap ESA altogether, hiding it behind the cloak of invisibility that is Universal Credit.

I've just been told that even a change of bank details is enough to trigger a DLA to PIP change, with his ATOS-like pitbulls waiting to pounce on those not deemed "severely disabled enough".

[nomadking]

Originally Posted by Taf

My son uses the extra income from his ESA (WAG) to get to and from his training and educational courses. He takes 2 buses then calls for a taxi to get him the rest of the way as it's too far for him to walk with his disability. Then a taxi to the nearest bus stop for his return journey. Without the extra income he would not be able to get to the course.... and no doubt the DWP would sanction him.

I fear this defeat will only be temporary as Iain Duncan Smith (spit) is determined to cut the welfare bill by any means possible. And once he gets new claimants off the ESA (WRAG) he will no doubt withdraw it for current claimants.

Then scrap ESA altogether, hiding it behind the cloak of invisibility that is Universal Credit.

I've just been told that even a change of bank details is enough to trigger a DLA to PIP change, with his ATOS-like pitbulls waiting to pounce on those not deemed "severely disabled enough".

If the course is a requirement, don't expenses cover it?

Change of circumstances You must call the Disability Benefits Centre helpline if your circumstances change, as this can affect how much Disability Living Allowance (DLA) you get. For example:

• the level of help you need or your condition changes
• you go into hospital or a care home for more than 4 weeks
• you go abroad for more than 13 weeks
• you’re imprisoned or held in detention

You must also contact the helpline if:

• you change your name, address or bank details
• you want to stop receiving your benefit
• your doctor’s details change

The "you must also" bit says that those changes are NOT a "change of circumstances" and therefore are NOT grounds for a change to PIP.

DWP Decision Makers' Guide

What is a relevant change of circumstance
04102 For the purposes of supersession a relevant change of circumstance is a change which happens after the original decision had effect and which has a relevance to the award of benefit.
...
04104 To be relevant a change does not have to be a change in the claimant’s own circumstances. The phrase “relevant change of circumstances” should be given a broad meaning. A relevant change must
1.be of sufficient substance to give serious consideration to supersession
2.have the potential effect of altering some component part of the award of benefit even if the end result does not actually change the amount of the award (see DMG 04106).
...
When a change has the potential to be relevant
04106 There will be situations where a change has the potential to affect an award of benefit but the DM ultimately decides that the change does not affect the amount of benefit awarded. This could happen, for example, because a claimant in receipt of a benefit based on incapacity or disability maintains that their medical condition has deteriorated. The DM may, having considered the evidence, decide that the change does not affect the existing award.
04107 The DM should make a decision not to supersede. See DMG 04010 et seq for further guidance.

[Taf]

No expenses available, not even for transport.

When their named GP retired and was therefore changed, we told the DLA unit and the twins BOTH got called in for an ATOS assessment as it "triggered a change of circumstances" according to the interviewers.

[weenie]

I'm hoping someone can advice me here as I did not know where else to post this and tbh don't really understand how things work.

Here goes I filled out a form in April and returned this form in April called a ESA50 04/15 and have heard nothing back does anyone know when I should here back the reason being is they have been in receipt of this form for 12 weeks now. I know they have written to my GP & hospital in regards to my illness.

[denphone]

There are l believe huge delays in the ESA assessment system weenie from what l know as my advice is to phone up Citizens Advice Bureau or contact them online as they are generally very helpful in regards to benefit advice.

http://www.itv.com/news/2016-03-31/s...ssment-system/

https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/

[weenie]

Thanks den I have just phoned the ESA direct on 0800 2888 777 and said I have only been on this benefit for just over a year and I was told that they contacted my GP on the 28th of June and I have to try and not worry as everyone on ESA has their claim reviewed regularly.
I asked how often this happens and she said it all depends on the recommendation of the person looking at my form she went on to say that most people on ESA will be checked at least once a year. I then asked if I will need to attend another medical and she said that I might not need to attend another medical as it may be done on written evidence alone since I have attended a medical in the past and to phone back in 4 weeks if I have still not heard anything.

Finally common sense prevails

Sickness benefits claimants won't have to go through reassessments to keep their payments if they suffer from chronic illnesses.

Employment Support Allowance (ESA) will continue automatically for those who have lifelong, severe health conditions with no prospect of improvement, Work and Pensions Secretary Damian Green has said.

Mr Green said the reforms, which will be unveiled at the upcoming Conservative party conference, will help end the anxiety and financial insecurity that claimants may have felt.

The criteria will be drawn up with health professionals, but illnesses such as severe Huntingdon's, autism or a congenital heart condition, are among those likely to qualify for continuous payments without reassessment.

http://news.sky.com/story/reassessme...mants-10600519