Tory plan to cut disability red tape

[Osem]

Speaking as the parent of a severely disabled child I can honestly say that if they do it it'll be very welcome and it's long overdue:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/8153116.stm

Parents with disabled kids who are struggling to survive really do have enough to put up with without the state adding so much to the burden!

[Stuart]

It's funny. Labour are supposed to be on the side of the needy (ie claimants) and the tories on the side of Big Business.

Yet, it frequently happens to be the other way around.

[Osem]

Of course there will be people who'll dismiss this as cynical electioneering this but I can't believe that, having lost their 'special' son, Cameron would stoop so low. Over the years, we've known so many people who've lost children who've caused them so much suffering yet brought them so much joy. Only 2weeks ago another 'special' child at our son's school passed away... it's truly heartbreaking....

[Stuart]

Actually, I was basing my statement on what I was told by people who either work with, are or have been claimants.. For some reason, the Tories seemed to make the system easier for claimants and Labour introduced a lot of extra measures to restrict the benefits given to people.

[frogstamper]

Originally Posted by Stuart C

It's funny. Labour are supposed to be on the side of the needy (ie claimants) and the tories on the side of Big Business.

Yet, it frequently happens to be the other way around.

Isn't that the case whatever party is in opposition Stuart.

Frankly I've learned not to count my chickens.

Doesn't matter who is in power any really good idea somehow gets forgotten about and any bad idea gets taken up with enthusiasm.

[Stuart]

Originally Posted by frogstamper

Isn't that the case whatever party is in opposition Stuart.

See below:

Originally Posted by Stuart C

Actually, I was basing my statement on what I was told by people who either work with, are or have been claimants.. For some reason, the Tories seemed to make the system easier for claimants and Labour introduced a lot of extra measures to restrict the benefits given to people.

[Taf]

I am in the process of working through my daughter's Disabled Living Allowance forms... a long and arduous task that is not just box-ticking, but lots of handwriting. Then I have to get specialists and doctors to add their bit, though they are all probably away on holiday as usual.

One wrong word to describe something and it could be rejected, so I have to be very choosy with grammar and spelling... and keep my handwriting neat!!! It's about the only time I write using a pen all year!

[rogerdraig]

its just more political stuff

this time its the we want to look warm and cuddly time use of the disabled

as soon as they need to raise taxes who ever gets in then it will be the switch back to the we will makes sure none of these lay about disabled people are fiddling the system

sorry to be cynical but at 40 cough plus and disabled myself i have seen it all both ways form both governments

labour at least made it much easier to get payments and less people and forms to deal with than it used to be once you qualify but they still keep changing forms so it can be really hard to put the right things down to qualify unless you know the system

but the conservatives used to do the same too they were the ones who decided your Dr obviously couldn't be trusted to say if you were disabled or not ! labour didnt change that either

if they want rid of red tape let it be the Drs and Consultants decide on who needs what rather than trainee civil servants with no medical knowledge totalling up points on a form that most people never understand

but hey maybe i am just daft

Originally Posted by rogermevans

its just more political stuff

this time its the we want to look warm and cuddly time use of the disabled

as soon as they need to raise taxes who ever gets in then it will be the switch back to the we will makes sure none of these lay about disabled people are fiddling the system

sorry to be cynical but at 40 cough plus and disabled myself i have seen it all both ways form both governments

labour at least made it much easier to get payments and less people and forms to deal with than it used to be once you qualify but they still keep changing forms so it can be really hard to put the right things down to qualify unless you know the system

but the conservatives used to do the same too they were the ones who decided your Dr obviously couldn't be trusted to say if you were disabled or not ! labour didnt change that either

if they want rid of red tape let it be the Drs and Consultants decide on who needs what rather than trainee civil servants with no medical knowledge totalling up points on a form that most people never understand

but hey maybe i am just daft

[rogerdraig]

Originally Posted by Taf

I am in the process of working through my daughter's Disabled Living Allowance forms... a long and arduous task that is not just box-ticking, but lots of handwriting. Then I have to get specialists and doctors to add their bit, though they are all probably away on holiday as usual.

One wrong word to describe something and it could be rejected, so I have to be very choosy with grammar and spelling... and keep my handwriting neat!!! It's about the only time I write using a pen all year!

there are people who will help you write it your local CAB or council or any of the big charities should be able to point you to a local person who knows how the forms are best filled in

( to those who think thats to get stuff you are not entitled to i suggest you go get a form and try filling it out and figuring out what half the questions mean )

oh and i didnt mean to help with you writing though they will often fillthem in for you to if you want but they can help point out if you are missing information that you could put in or where you may be putting down more than you need on one point

see

http://www.dialuk.info/

these have helped a lot of people with these forms

[Osem]

Originally Posted by rogermevans

its just more political stuff

this time its the we want to look warm and cuddly time use of the disabled

as soon as they need to raise taxes who ever gets in then it will be the switch back to the we will makes sure none of these lay about disabled people are fiddling the system

sorry to be cynical but at 40 cough plus and disabled myself i have seen it all both ways form both governments

labour at least made it much easier to get payments and less people and forms to deal with than it used to be once you qualify but they still keep changing forms so it can be really hard to put the right things down to qualify unless you know the system

but the conservatives used to do the same too they were the ones who decided your Dr obviously couldn't be trusted to say if you were disabled or not ! labour didnt change that either

if they want rid of red tape let it be the Drs and Consultants decide on who needs what rather than trainee civil servants with no medical knowledge totalling up points on a form that most people never understand

but hey maybe i am just daft

I too have some doubts and will, frankly, believe it when I see it but the difference here is that the Camerons' have had serious disability so close to their lives and know what it's like. In the grand scheme of things I don't see vast numbers of votes in such a promise so I can't see why he'd go down this route with no real intention of doing something as there'll be a hell of a moral backlash if he reneges on it. If the Tories want to emulate New Labour's policy since 1997 and make false promises to gain support, there are far more effective ways of doing that.

Time will tell.

[joglynne]

Can I also give a thumbs up to DialUK as mentioned by Roger in his post. Even though, through my work, I was very familiar with different benefit forms and processes, filling in AA and DLA forms for relatives still had me in a cold sweat as I knew how easy it would be to just use a wrong word and close the door on any chance of getting any benefit. The people at DialUK couldn't have been more helpful and I put getting any benefit down to their advise on wording.

As an added bonus they noticed my husband was wearing hearing aids and arranged for us to have a loop system ...free of charge.

Well they did get a couple of fund raisers in exchange but that's a whole different subject.

[rogerdraig]

Originally Posted by Osem

I too have some doubts and will, frankly, believe it when I see it but the difference here is that the Camerons' have had serious disability so close to their lives and know what it's like. In the grand scheme of things I don't see vast numbers of votes in such a promise so I can't see why he'd go down this route with no real intention of doing something as there'll be a hell of a moral backlash if he reneges on it. If the Tories want to emulate New Labour's policy since 1997 and make false promises to gain support, there are far more effective ways of doing that.

Time will tell.

so has gorden brown twice in fact

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/new...icle654706.ece

the problem isnt all the government though of either flavour imho it is the civil servants who seem to spend their time making forms that just make work for themselves so they can justify being there

then they claim there is mass abuse and spend a fortune on supposedly tracking it down which means another department of civil servants who cost us far more than they ever recover even if you use thier idea of what they saved as they calculate what they saved over the next ten years of each case

http://www.nao.org.uk/news/0708/0708102.aspx


see here about the real scandle

http://www.bbc.co.uk/ouch/opinion/b1..._shocker.shtml

[Osem]

I wasn't suggesting that the Cameron's are the only politicians with first hand experience of disability. My point is that, having been in that dreadful position, making such a promise as Party Leader and then reneging on it would be seen to be as morally reprehensible as it were cynical.

Notwithstanding the fact that Brown's poor son doesn't appear to have the level of disability Cameron's son sadly succumbed to, perhaps, as he gets older, Brown's views and actions will alter as a result of his experience of the sad realitiies of being a long term carer.