The state benefits system mega-thread.

[denphone]

Not a great fan of Boris as people know but Corbyn would have been a unmitigated disaster on a richter scale of 8.

Although after this is all over there does need to be a national realisation among politicians and the populace as to why we were so utterly unprepared for this crisis in the first place and how we can be far more prepared for a future crisis which will inevitably come.

[RichardCoulter]

I've just had a chuckle on Facebook, there's a post going round suggesting that ATOS and Capita should get involved.

Everybody will be miraculously cured of any virus related issues and fit for work in no time

[1andrew1]

Originally Posted by RichardCoulter

I've just had a chuckle on Facebook, there's a post going round suggesting that ATOS and Capita should get involved.

Everybody will be miraculously cured of any virus related issues and fit for work in no time

[RichardCoulter]

Universal Credit backlog.

Half a million people have applied for Universal Credit in the last nine days. 105,000 of these claims were made yesterday alone! The DWP are to start ringing claimants instead of forcing them to call them. Problems with the online identity check system haven't helped, so 10,000 extra staff are to be redeployed to help to clear the backlog.

[RichardCoulter]

Reassessments may be suspended, but the DWP refuses to say whether disabled people who are affected by the coronavirus will have their benefits stopped or not if the reassessment process had already begun:

https://www.disabilitynewsservice.co...ights-covid-19

[richard s]

Self-employed can continue to work as they receive support.


https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-52053914

[pip08456]

Originally Posted by richard s

Self-employed can continue to work as they receive support.


https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-52053914

Its also taxable.

[denphone]

DWP update regarding new Universal Credit claimants.

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/d...we-ll-call-you

[RichardCoulter]

MP's want to hear about your experiences of claiming benefits:

https://welfareweekly.com/mps-want-t...y_news_updates

[Jimmy-J]

Grandmother, 61, with terminal cancer died weighing three stone after DWP stopped her benefits

Link

[nomadking]

Stopped her benefits? Not all of them.

Christine’s Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) was allowed to continue, but her PIP along with a mobility car were withdrawn.

Although the removal of the DLA(see the letter in the article) would've led to the reduction of ESA by the removal of the supplements.
The mobility component was going on the car, so that wasn't a financial loss.

The mother-of-one claims the assessment report was “full of blatant lies”. She said: “They said she could walk 200 metres based on her having hobbled from the sofa to the door to let them in.

Immaterial to her financial situation.

The assessor had also said her surgery scars didn’t look that bad, but they’d only asked to see the ones on her legs. The scars on her tummy were seeping and bandaged up.”

Not relevant to DLA/PIP.

“The report also said her being able to sit with her feet tucked underneath her legs meant she was fine, but she did this to try to avoid bed sores because she was so immobile.

Not quite sure what the relevance of that is meant to be to the assessment. It can't really be used to assess ability to bend down, as sitting like that, whilst is bending the knees, isn't doing it under the load of the body.

The main issue that wouldn't have been understood, is that the rules for DLA and PIP are different. PIP is a points based system. That made DLA care component easier to qualify for. Whilst she would've received 2 points for the feeding tube and another 2 for the colostomy bag, she would've needed a minimum of 8 points to receive anything.

She had family and friends visiting daily to help with her care needs.

The extent to which they were helping her, and how much of it was necessary would've been the key.

The problem with the missing DS1500 form might've been that there was no current PIP claim for it to be connected with. Control of the appeal would've handed over to the Tribunals service. There would not be direct communication with the DWP from that point onwards. The DS1500 would've had to be sent to the Tribunals service, where they would've automatically copied to the DWP. The DWP should've then looked at it and automatically awarded enhanced Daily Living PIP along with the ESA supplements. If that had been done, it might still have taken longer than the new PIP claim route, as the Tribunals service just deal with the paperwork at that stage. They don't assess it.


Several years ago(before the newer rules), I had to appeal to the Tribunals service and sent back the form "too quickly". The Tribunals Service received my form before they received the request from the DWP. According my form had no appeal reference to attach it to. The Tribunals Service had effectively "lost" it.


She should've been advised to put in a new PIP claim. With the DS1500, it would've been quickly approved.

[Pierre]

As some one that lost a parent to Lung cancer, the fact she weighed 3st is no correlation to benefits being stopped, and usual poor reporting inferring a link between the two.

The report states she had “daily” care. I’m sure they wouldn’t have let her starve, like my parent she had terminal cancer and very likely was unable to feed herself or indeed be fed.

[nomadking]

Originally Posted by Pierre

As some one that lost a parent to Lung cancer, the fact she weighed 3st is no correlation to benefits being stopped, and usual poor reporting inferring a link between the two.

The report states she had “daily” care. I’m sure they wouldn’t have let her starve, like my parent she had terminal cancer and very likely was unable to feed herself or indeed be fed.

The benefits weren't completely stopped, she was still receiving ESA, almost certainly in the Support Group.

She was being fed via a feeding tube. Don't know how the cost of the liquid is paid for. Is it covered by prescription? Certain gluten-free versions of foods were.

[RichardCoulter]

This man couldn't leave the house due to his disability. His benefits were stopped because he couldn't leave the house to go to an appointment. He's another one that starved to death:

https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-new...uQvEyYX7Lrvyeg

[Jaymoss]

and the DWP got away with it again