Disabled 'wrongly denied' benefit, Citizens Advice says

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8580936.stm

Thousands of seriously ill and disabled people who are unable to work are being wrongly denied benefits, a report by Citizens Advice has claimed.The bureau says the system of assessing Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) claimants is failing, with 68% of those assessed told they are fit for work.

The bureau, backed by 18 other bodies, says people are "effectively being written off" and the government's aim of moving people into work "totally undermined".
"Seriously ill and disabled people are being severely let down by the crude approach of the Work Capability Assessment," said chief executive David. Harker

This government do seem to have been rather poor at dealing with this issue..The trouble is I can't imagine that with future cutbacks in the pipeline that this issue will be dealt with any better.

[papa smurf]

those who need it don't get it
but work shy scroungers are showered in benefits ,it sickens me but that's benefit Britain .

[Osem]

Don't worry, things can only get better after all.....

[nomadking]

Won't most of the ESA assessed claimants be new ones. Therefore they are likely to be the ones with a treatable condition whose effect has lasted under 3 months.

Of course alcoholics and drug addicts will automatically qualify and so can more easily afford their poison of choice.

[Jimmy-J]

It's estimated that £5 billion goes unclaimed every year, mainly by old people. who don't know they're entitled to it, or are too proud or too scared to claim.

If a person in this country has worked and paid tax and insurance for so long, then they are entitled to whatever benefits they qualify for.

This government is only interested in the figures and not the claimants. I for one, am claiming, and will continue to claim every penny that I'm entitled to.

My advice to anyone who should be claiming benefits, but isn't, is to get to the CAB and have them support and advise you on what the law says you are allowed to claim.

Don't be shy, if you don't ask, you don't get.

Here's a couple of good links that you should find very helpful if considering to make a claim.

Direct Gov // Citizens Advice Bureau // Youreable.com // Age Concern // Advice Now

Thank you for the links..

[Ravenheart]

The following site can also be useful, you don't have to enter any personal details. As Product 13 says getting advice from CAB or other similar organisation can be a big help.

Entitled To

The way the DWP treats people who have developed a long term disabling condition is a disgrace.

This is not news for any of us in the system and sadly asking is not always easy given the convoluted system we now have and most not knowing exactly what they are entitled too. For me once a person is diagnosed with an incurable condition they shouldn't have to ask they are clearly not work shy and should automatically be informed by the powers that be what they can get in terms of benefits and other help.

I was told by one employee of the dss that they were not allowed to tell people anything they hadn't asked about and that is wrong. Labour have treated the disabled so badly it is beyond a joke and makes us all sick when they go on tele making statements of how much they care and want to make things better because they would have to work damn hard just to get us back where we were before they took power much less improve our lot any.

Rizzy, your employee as the DSS is incorrect.

My wife is an OutReach Officer with the DWP (Disability and Carers Service), and she travels round the local towns visiting help groups for the disable and CABs, explaining what benefits are available, the process for claiming, and also the appeals process.

Forever i put your post to the test i went into the local jobcentre yesterday and spoke to the benefits advisor asking "can you tell me what benefits i am entitled too as a disabled person" reply i got was "sorry i cannot detail all benefits but if you can be more specific then i can help". That has been my experience for at least a decade they will not tell you about any benefit you do not ask about. It is wrong and people should be told and helped but we all know why this is done and that is not going to change anytime soon whatever government comes in because we now need to save money more then ever.

Originally Posted by RizzyKing

Forever i put your post to the test i went into the local jobcentre yesterday and spoke to the benefits advisor asking "can you tell me what benefits i am entitled too as a disabled person" reply i got was "sorry i cannot detail all benefits but if you can be more specific then i can help". That has been my experience for at least a decade they will not tell you about any benefit you do not ask about. It is wrong and people should be told and helped but we all know why this is done and that is not going to change anytime soon whatever government comes in because we now need to save money more then ever.

JobCentre Plus are the wrong people to ask (being JobCentres, basically) - you need to contact (online or by phone) the Disability and Carers Service of the DWP, not the JCP - whilst it should be joined up, it isn't.

But even they need to know what the issues/specific areas you are looking at are, as there as some many different benefits and levels - it's like going to a railway station and asking what trains are available; the first question you will get will be "where are you going?".