For those of us unfit to work

[Dai]

A blog post that made me stop and think about how it really feels.

http://diaryofabenefitscrounger.blog...res-irony.html

[Kingofthedead4]

Yes the current atmosphere is so anti disabled and so anti fat that its ridiculous.

[denphone]

Originally Posted by Kingofthedead4

Yes the current atmosphere is so anti disabled and so anti fat that its ridiculous.

Yes the prejudiced and uncaring atmosphere without the full facts.

Very well written, and I feel for the lady, but she does, imho, resort to , understandably, what could be seen as extremely emotive statements at times, such as

I cannot earn even a little money from the writing I do or my family will lose everything

I would rather work myself to death than see my family suffer

which don't quite gel with

Well, my husband works, why should I get this money

I think she is as guilty as the Daily Mail of using a broad brush approach to the subject, and whilst I cannot understand/share the suffering she goes through, as I am not disabled (but I can sympathise), she is at one end of the spectrum of Disability, whilst the cases of alleged fakery and fraud the DM and others highlight are at the other, and to gather them all up and treat them as the same doesn't help things (and I include the Government in that statement).

And before anyone uses the line of "you don't understand because you haven't experienced it", my mum was in receipt of whatever DLA was called at the time for 15 years before she passed away, and my sister is currently in receipt of it due her crippling arthritis.

We, as a society, have a duty to take care of those less able, but we need to, somehow, differentiate those who need our support, and those who don't but still take it. There are no easy answers, but we can't ignore the issue.

[Kingofthedead4]

I totally agree Hugh. A friend of mine was an alcoholic and because the only thing he did was sleep all day and play consoles all night while drinking a bottle of vodka he ended up with deep vein thromboses. My daughter had cerebral palsy, epilepsy, learning difficulties, heart problems, right hemopledga, and behaviour problems. He received more money from the government than she did.

He used to say they are paying me to drink, so I am all for the shake up, but people who are really disabled are being made to think they should be able to work no matter what.

[denphone]

Originally Posted by Hugh

Very well written, and I feel for the lady, but she does, imho, resort to , understandably, what could be seen as extremely emotive statements at times, such as

which don't quite gel with

I think she is as guilty as the Daily Mail of using a broad brush approach to the subject, and whilst I cannot understand/share the suffering she goes through! As I am not disabled (but I can sympathise), she is at one end of the spectrum of Disability, whilst the cases of alleged fakery and fraud the DM and others highlight are at the other, and to gather them all up and treat them as the same doesn't help things (and I include the Government in that statement).

And before anyone uses the line of "you don't understand because you haven't experienced it", my mum was in receipt of whatever DLA was called at the time for 15 years before she passed away, and my sister is currently in receipt of it due her crippling arthritis.

We, as a society, have a duty to take care of those less able, but we need to, somehow, differentiate those who need our support, and those who don't but still take it. There are no easy answers, but we can't ignore the issue.

Yes you have summed up the nub of the problem and that those need should get the help they need and those who basically fiddle the system should face the consequences but the problem is this does not happen and l am afraid in the current anti disabled benefit climate it is unlikely to happen now or anytime soon.

Den, I would agree with you - unfortunately, the present climate means those who need the help may be made to suffer too, which is wrong.

[dilli-theclaw]

THese days it's definately not unusual to be classified a scrounger. I most definately am by several people on here and other people I know.

The daily fail and government have accomplished what they set out to do.

[denphone]

Originally Posted by dilligaf1701

THese days it's definately not unusual to be classified a scrounger. I most definately am by several people on here and other people I know.

As far as l am concerned you have never and never will be a scrounger as people who think that are ignorant of the facts and of your disabilities.

[Taf]

I took our twins to the GP yesterday to get the "Sick Notes" the ESA staff demand before continuing the longwinded claim process, that will no doubt end in them being classed as "fit for work" which is what we have always said!

But "fit for work" with limitations and need of support is what we are really trying to explain to them.

But the bureaucratic process must wind its way through their lives keeping penpushers in jobs.

[Welshchris]

i have just won my DLA back after appeal and have been placed in a non workgroup for ESA as my illnesses mean i cannot work and im thankful for this even tho its taken 4 months they stopped all my benefits after both ESA and DLA lost my forms within 6 weeks of each other.

My mates wife is totally blind and she has pain behind her eyes due to her condition and is on medication that makes her very tired. They found her fit for work and stated that aslong as she has someone with her at a work place she will be ok. It will end up costing them more than it would to just pay her benefits.

I do and always have felt like a sponger and i know that is purely down to me i am living a way i was never bought upto live i joined the army as soon as i was old enough starting off in the junior leaders (no comments needed from some of you ) and got wounded on deployment. It wasn't my fault but the fact is to me it doesn't feel right to not be working and earning the way i was bought up to believe a man should.

Now we live in a climate where people like me who have no chance of working normally if at all ever again are made to feel we are a burden on our country and others. We are and people like me always have been but in the past we had the dignity as a society to not make that clear and rub it in the faces of those like me. Yes there is fraud we all know there is i know better then any moron at the daily hate but the scale of it really isn't as big as some people like to believe and most of those doing it are repeat offenders allowed to carry on doing it by the system itself.

Trouble is it is always easier to play to the baying mob then try to educate them or tell them why they are wrong and when that baying mob holds enough votes we no longer have politicians of courage and decency to want to do it anyway. I have seen many times the quote of "a society is judged on how it treats it's prisoner's" or near enough but to me thats wrong the true mark of a society is how it treats and regards it's most vulnerable. I do worry now that i will have all my benefits taken off me because some numpty at atos declares me fit for work and although i will get any back on appeal you don't get back the months of worry and stress that is caused by losing your benefits for that time.

How i wish i could work because despite what some think if i could work i damn well wouldn't be anywhere near a benefit it isn't the holiday and good time that many think it is or that some of our less reputable media make it out to be.

[peanut]

Originally Posted by Welshchris

i have just won my DLA back after appeal and have been placed in a non workgroup for ESA.

Congrats in getting it sorted.

I'm with Rizzy when it comes to the stress of always worrying. Never knowing if I'm going to go from full benefit to zero from one month to the next. Never being able to settle and relax, which just makes my illness all the worse.

Reading that blog, I'm pretty much not far off illness wise, same illness etc, got the strictures, but kidney and liver disease on top as well, as what all that brings. But still I worry.

I know I shouldn't but when all you hear is the doom and gloom and the niiave, the brick walls and moving goalposts the politicians put up, sometimes reading anything online is just too difficult. I just have to keep telling myself there's always going to be way too many bad stories compares to just a few of the good ones.

[dilli-theclaw]

I am currently waiting to hear about DLA, but im not hopeful. Even though I meet the governent set definition of blindness and getting higher rate mobility.

[peanut]

Originally Posted by dilligaf1701

I am currently waiting to hear about DLA, but im not hopeful. Even though I meet the governent set definition of blindness and getting higher rate mobility.

From what I gather you're being too honest, and so are many, but you need to figure out better wording etc to put on the forms. I would say I'm fine to anyone I meet/greet and I feel like a fraud for filling in forms because I fill them in on the instruction of others (the correct way as in your worse or even an avg day) but when I read them back to myself it all looks so wrong, yet deep down I know it isn't, it's just being truthful.