With a lot of fanfare yesterday Mel Stride went on TV to announce yet another scheme to get people back to work particularly those who have recently left work to see if they can prevent that happening. They are recruiting and many are already set up, so I thought it was time to highlight the prospectus for you so you can read or download how this will work for yourselves which included an employment & health conversation.
The Employment and Health Conversation will determine which route claimants are pushed down so those in and out work need to pay attention to the document below.
These bastards are patronising to say the least, but with Government reforms being rolled out by stealth without scrutiny before they get potentially booted at election but don’t make the mistake thinking labour wont keep the status quo because ‘tough on welfare’ Reeves is no friend to us either. The latter document is for those who have disabilities There is so much I would love to post but it wont all fit .
I’m not going to waffle on but let you Download or Read for yourselves.
Update Info:
Universal Credit Managed Migration will clear Tenant Farmers from the Uplands.
Yes, it’s a thing. Tenant farmers rent land, rent their house and even rent the animals in the flock. Upland farmers are among the poorest farmers in the country. They are self employed with a fluctuating income, highly dependent for their income on sales at market or to supermarkets. This makes it difficult for them to have a predictable income.
Many low income farmers can claim Housing Benefit to cover the rental of the farm house. Where they have children, they can claim Child Tax Credit as well as Working Families Tax Credit. Housing Benefit, Child Tax Credit and Working Families Tax Credit are collectively called Now like a flock of sheep on a hillside the upland farmers are going to herded into the Universal Credit sheepfold, where they will get dipped into the Job Centre for an interview with a Job Coach. They will be told that they are not making enough money by the Job Coaches. They will be told that they are hobby farmers by the Job Coaches. To continue to receive benefits, Universal credit and the housing element of that benefit, they will be told to make visible efforts to earn more money from the farm, or to get another job. Tenant farmers’ income is precarious and they are always at risk, from land owners putting up rents, or evicting them to grow a Government subsidised wood, from supermarkets who pay them the bare minimum. The changes to benefits are coming so quickly the tenant farmers will not have time to diversify their businesses to make the more money that Job Coaches migrating them from legacy benefits to Universal Credit will demand. If there benefits are stopped by a decision maker how will they pay the rent of the farmhouse, their home? Is the DWP assisting with latter day version of the Highland Clearances?
Forgive me if this is a long one but it is necessary.
I am not a journalist but I am disabled and an activist fighting for disability rights In the UK.
I think it time to set the record straight and challenge the vile pervasive rhetoric that the public have been fed by the government for the last decade or more which has created ingrained hatred towards claimants, particularly disabled people.
Disabled people have been labelled work shy scroungers and demonised in the media long enough. 50% of Disabled people do work.
Nobody would choose to be either born with severe impairments or chronically sick or have their mental health impaired which incapacitates them daily. This is not the ‘bluesy life’s up and downs’ scenario but a constant daily battle just to get through a day without pain, get the right support to help you stay alive and live a independent life as much as possible within your community.
Most disabled people accept that to get state support from a social security system, you know that supposed ‘Safety Net’ everyone pays into in times of need. When life throws you a curveball that you have to try to overcome that may involve a ‘assessment of need’ through the state apparatus backed up with medical evidence to stake your entitlement to support.
Billions have been spent removing vital support from disabled people which incidentally has cut billions to disabled peoples income which is already cut to the bone, The DWP has had to pay millions too in misadministration via the courts when disabled people challenged decisions made by their contractors to deny entitlement to the support they should have received in the first place and complaints towards this department bad management rise year on year.
That was without the damming UN Report which condemned the UK government had gravely and systemically abused the rights of disabled people and that alone should have raised the alarm bells but it fell on deaf ears to everyone except those affected.
Then we had the Covid 19 pandemic (which is still ongoing) costing many disabled and elderly peoples their lives because of this governments incapacity to handle such a crisis and their failure to plan for such events plus Covid lasting effects all piled on the pressure on a system that was already at breaking point and the economy which went into freefall after Brexit and Liz Truss botched decisions and the DWP dropped the checks to UC to ensure people were actually entitled to financial support, crashed the UK economy into a recession where many also lost their jobs, and businesses closed daily . This led to untold fraudulent claims which ironically the said they would write off and are still chasing those claimants to hold them to account. I suspected at the time the fraud was announced it would be used to penalise the rise in claims due to long covid and sure enough that’s exactly what is happening.
Then add all cuts elsewhere in public services which compound the issues such as lack of GP appointments, social care, dental care, hospital outpatient appointments cancelled, led to many waiting on medical treatment and we have a sicker nation as a result.
Disabled people have to go through demeaning and humiliating strict functional assessments which includes form filling of 50+ pages and provide medical evidence to show that the impacts on their daily lives are worthy of what is the pittance of a low income that enables them to barely survive on the basics. Then add the cost of living crisis where everything a human being needs has risen to such high price it no longer meets that basic level of need for survival. That’s just for starters under Legacy benefits which are all being migrated to Universal Credit which is also afforded to those hard working families who are on a low income.
With government rhetoric of ‘getting more people into work’ breathing down the necks of many struggling families they have managed to conflate it to include Jobseekers who are able and fit enough to seek work and disabled people who can and are able to work also. The stark difference of some disabled people with impairments and access to work support to access the workplace. However chronically ill people, cannot always do this.
The Government then announced a series of reforms to Universal Credit making it more difficult to claim because of their own mistakes during covid claiming fraudulent claimants were taking the taxpayer for a ride which was a distortion of the truth as claimant fraud is and has remained 2-4% not that that’s acceptable it isn’t, fraud is serious criminal offence and should be stamped out, but cleverly distorting the truth of fraud is shameful attack because fraud also includes Dept Error which is higher so the claims of 9% justifies the removal of support to disabled people they have planned long term.
Then yesterday with much fanfare they announced further reforms to not only the work capability assessment but to the PIP assessment process criteria which will cut support for most disabled people to please the potential voters in a election run up where both main parties are battling to out do each other on who going to be tougher on benefits because we have a public who believed that the taxpayers are being mugged off by work shy scroungers with 50 inch flat screen tv’s and the mythical free car parked on the drive. This was also done on the day they debated the Assisted Dying bill which many disabled fear because the government claim they are non productive and called stock and useless eaters which are a burden on the taxpayer smacks of eugenics by stealth.
After releasing the consultation this is yet another demeaning attack on disabled people who are being asked should they be given vouchers AKA benefit card mentality instead of money if they are worthy enough to pass go, which can be exchanged at the ‘Crip Warehouse’ which is the disabled version of Brighthouse on the high street to access various Therapies and Equipment which isn’t always suitable for the needs of disabled people when other products are more suitable elsewhere most likely run by companies or NHS the government approved services contracted to deliver such things who will make a nice profit from misery or shove you into a care home to save money.
How is that not taking away independence, choice, self-determination for disabled people and another human rights abuses! It asks about Mobility equipment that will include the mythical free car that claimants use, the mobility component to pay for to the Motabilty Scheme Charity which provides vehicles or scooters to enable people to participate in society, most importantly to get to work, pay for assistance from a human being to get them ready for the day ahead such as cleaners, gardeners because they cannot do tasks others take for granted or someone to help them out of bed, feed and wash them.
Not only is this dangerous but if enacted will cause more deaths of those disabled people they so desperately want into work particularly to those with serious mental health conditions but those with chronic ill health too. The political opposition should not only speak out and quash fears many have that should they gain power they will do the same, but treat disabled people fairly, equally without fear of punishment because they happen to be unfortunate not to be able to work.
Being on social security is not a lifestyle choice trust me if you ever god forbid find yourself in need as I did after major surgery that went drastically wrong because of a underfunded, over burdened NHS. My saviour was a NHS Consultant who saved my life more than once. Yes life changes, Disabled people do adapt more often than not but people need to wake up and stop this continued assault and realise life could throw you a curveball and you will find yourself in a very different position terrorised by the state that promises to support you when you need it.
There is much confusion about recent announcements announced by Sunak but lets not take lightly the Statutory Instruments being rushed through Like the legislation to amend AET (Administration Earnings Threshold) Applies from May 6th and the cruel removal of benefits for those out of work for more than 12 mths in the next parliament.
Firstly All those legacy claimants who thought they had some time will now be moved to Universal Credit(UC). Those Migration notices will be all issued by December 2025 according to Neil Couling. These it is understood to be going out as soon as Sept 2024.
Disabled people and Fit Notes: When you fill in your UC claim you need to ‘State Reg 19 which means you have a pre-determined award’ on your form therefore you do not need a fit note but many work coaches are insisting this still is needed as many don’t know their own rules. Fit notes are being removed from GP surgeries no doubt by others who are not qualified like your GP to decide under new consultation by Sunak alongside a PIP consultation too, as too many they claim are entitled to high rates of benefit. This is no more than a stiffening of the processes to deny genuine claims to save money.
The WCA is also being scrapped from April 2025 where the new Dual Assessments will apply and those without PIP will lose £390 approx unless the work coach decides you may be entitled to the Health Element. These people are now in a position to decide if you are fit for work or not is one of the most dangerous moves this government as produced and many think Atos and the likes were bad enough.
Existing Universal Credit or Income based Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) claimants who currently have no work-related requirements will not be reassessed or lose benefit because of these changes, except in some very limited circumstances. according to Mims Davies in her reply to me. They will be transitionally protected and that will be eroded over time by any rises in UC elements.
Customers on Contribution Based ESA and with Means tested Benefits HB, CTC,WTC or top up IB ESA will migrate, but those on CB ESA/JSA only will not. Many are worried that they be forced to work but Davies said remote working and hybrid working during Covid now makes this possible and everyone in the Household Benefit Unit will have to agree a Claimant Commitment.
This will come under the guise of Universal Support (out of work) or (In work) Workwell programs linked to Back to Work Plan. There was also a fuss about Health and Work Program finishing this is utter bullshit it was renamed Health Transformation Program and here are the contract areas for the Dual assessments. The target groups are mainly those with Mental Health and Musculoskeletal problems but not exclusively as there is a list of target groups also.
Many other things have been announced such as the Fraud Bill where the DWP can spy on claimants and while I do not condone fraud in anyway this can lead to those caught being arrested and possessions taken under new measures if this bill passes, Plus a overall tightening up on descriptors of both WCA/PIP to prevent a further escalation of new claims which happened under Covid.
On 15th April the Government updated 207 new documents on UC to bring them inline for the new reforms. While everyone is looking for a saviour under the guise of Labour’s Liz Kendal I fear she will be worse than the current lot and less transparent in all honesty , although polls are suggesting a win at election time. I fear many more deaths are in the pipeline for disabled people unable to cope or sustain employment under duress.
Apologies for not blogging for some time now but I have been busy helping people who have fallen victim to DWP assessors.
As election season begins The Tories have outdone themselves with a more brutal assault on disabled people and their rights in hope of pandering to the electorate’s hatred of claimants who they have been told are fiddling the system. Talk about being hoodwinked is understatement but we must challenge this divisive rhetoric.
Back in December 2023 I wrote to express my disgust at the way the Tories announced with glee they were going to target disabled people regarding their Back to Work Plan so I spent time carefully challenging them. I expected them to deny this and I wasn’t disappointed but it was letting them know I was watching them closely given I live in a tory safe seat.
“I am utterly disappointed to see yet again disabled people are being targeted by government policy.
In particular the fact that many who have been assessed by the gov contractors and placed in LCWRA group will now be subjected to some form of work related activity and 680,000 will retrospectively lose £390 month at a time of the cost of living crisis and may have to choose which priority they cannot live without for the additional costs of their disability needs to live independently. While I support the fact those who are able or chose to work should be supported to do so, but many cannot and could lead to unsustainable employment and in some cases fatalities of which the DWP has already seen happen in its thousands. This will lead to more health issues and likely increased admissions to hospitals when our NHS is on its knees and facing yet another winter crisis.
Secondly I am rather cross the Gov is still peddling fraud as a major issue regarding those claiming state support, When claimant fraud has fallen to 0.05% while other fraud has risen when the DWP has made major errors during the Covid Crisis in not paying due diligence to assess the news claims were genuine which has lead to an overall rise. Let alone the Covid loan crisis to businesses which was claimed to be written off. 99.5% of claimants are honest and there is no reason whatsoever that the government plans to check claimant bank accounts and potentially is against the HRA Articles 8 and 14 . This kind of interference is peoples lives is unnecessary and a waste staff time chasing bogus reports of fraud 99% are unfounded and malicious. You already have robust procedures in place to track those who do commit fraud but ironically cant track the Covid loans.
Lastly I realise that government wants to reduce the welfare budgets but targeting disabled people consistently in this government’s tenure is utterly disgraceful. Living on Social Security is not a lifestyle choice as nobody in their right mind would choose to live in poverty with the threat of having support removed by flawed assessments and sanctions and the fact this task is proposed to be passed to work coaches which in my opinion will lead to worse results and dangerous than the private contractors who regularly do not apply the criteria correctly and write reports which are later found to be wanting in fact and found to be embellished at times.”
Below is the response I got from Mims Davies (but she not off the hook yet cos I plan to attack their recent announcements) also that is something all disabled people can do as well as write to the local press challenging the rhetoric being spouted by both main parties on disability.
Mims Davies Response:
Thank you for your email of 13 December 2023 to the Secretary of State on behalf of Ms Gail Ward about the Work Capability Assessment (WCA) reforms, benefit fraud, and the Third-Party Data Gathering measure. I am replying as the Minister for Disabled People, Health and Work, and I apologise for the delay. Please pass on my thanks to Ms Ward for taking the time to write in raising these issues. I write to you with the latest update and I hope she will find the following comments to be helpful. The Government is committed to ensuring the welfare system encourages and supports people into work, while providing a vital safety net for those who need it most. To enable this, at Autumn Statement in November 2023, we announced changes to the Work Capability Assessment (WCA) criteria. The Government’s full response can be found here at: http://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/work-capability-assessment-activities-and-descriptors/outcome/government-response-to-the-work-capability-assessment-activities-and-descriptors-consultation. Existing Universal Credit or Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) claimants who currently have no work-related requirements will not be reassessed or lose benefit because of these changes, except in some very limited circumstances. From 2025, the WCA will be updated to better reflect the increase in availability of hybrid and home working opportunities and better employer understanding of the accessibility needs of disabled people and people with health conditions. This will largely affect new ESA or Universal Credit claimants who report a health condition. These changes are not about sanctioning people nor forcing them into work where this is not appropriate, but about ensuring people can access appropriate support and enabling them to have access to the advantages that work can provide, both financially and for improving their health. Existing limited capability for work-related activity (LCWRA) group claimants do not receive employment support, and that is not right given we know one in five of them are interested in working in the future. The changes will mean that around 370,000 people by 2028/29 will be offered personalised support to help them move closer towards work. Under current assessment rules, these people would receive no support from the Department as they would have been placed in the LCWRA group. We recognise that work is not possible for everyone, and no one with no work-related requirements will face conditionality or related benefit sanctions as a result of these changes – all support towards work will continue to be voluntary for claimants with work-related requirements. The Department for Work and Pensions has set standards for the quality of assessments for all assessment providers and its independent auditors. The Department closely monitors all aspects of the process including the performance of the assessment providers. Audit refers to a comprehensive check of the elements of the assessment, as well as the evidence collection, further evidence provided, and the assessment report completed by the healthcare professional. The check is completed against a set of guidelines to ensure a consistent approach is taken. This ensures that assessment reports are fit for purpose, clinically justified and sound, and provide sufficient information for the Department to make an informed decision on entitlement to benefit. All assessment providers work with the Department on plans to continuously improve assessment quality through a range of measures including audit procedures, clinical observations (by the Department – only in Personal Independence Payment), tailored training and development plans, providing feedback and support available to healthcare providers. Assessment quality is a priority for both providers and the Department. It works extensively with providers to make improvements to guidance, training and audit procedures to ensure a quality service. A high standard is always maintained having an independent audit function that continually monitors performance and provides feedback to providers. Independent audit, a self-contained team comprising of experienced healthcare professionals, continually monitors performance and provides feedback to providers. Improvements have been supported by five independent reviews of the WCA process, two independent reviews of the Personal Independence Payment assessment process, and the Department has also taken on board recommendations from the Work and Pension Committee. Quality performance is regularly reviewed through the Department and provider senior governance meetings at a national level and in each of the provider areas. The Department is clear that providers should strive for 100 per cent accuracy. It wants every report to reflect a high-quality functional assessment that can be used to make benefit entitlement decisions. The Department does not want any reports to be of an unacceptable standard. It has set providers a threshold for unacceptable reports, above which there are performance guarantees. The Department receiving an unacceptable assessment report does not necessarily lead to an incorrect decision being made on the individual’s benefit entitlement, as there are a range of measures to safeguard the accuracy of the decision. • The Department makes the final decision on an individual’s entitlement to benefit. The information it uses to make the decision includes the assessment report, any further evidence provided by the individual or sourced by the providers, and the individual’s written application that includes a description of the effect of their disability or health condition. • The Department can seek additional advice from the providers on their recommendations and their rationale. • Reports can be returned to the providers to be reworked, or for an additional assessment to take place, to address deficiencies in the original report before the benefit entitlement decision is made. Turning now to Ms Ward’s comments regarding benefit fraud, I would first like to emphasise that benefit fraud is a serious offence, depriving those who need it most, of vital support. To address Ms Ward’s comments regarding the Department’s actions during COVID, it’s important to stress that, at the beginning of the pandemic, the Department introduced operational adjustments to the delivery of its services. These easements were necessary to provide immediate financial support to millions of customers impacted by the pandemic. The Department consciously prioritised payments over losses to fraud by getting money to those who needed it as quickly as possible, by streamlining checks, which allowed it to help an extra three million people in 2020-21. However, as previously reported, unscrupulous fraudsters, including sophisticated organised crime groups, chose to take advantage of the situation. Exploitation of the benefit system is simply unacceptable, and the Department never lost sight of fraud, which it has continued to invest in fighting and developing new policies to tackle in the future. As the Department lost over £8 billion per year to fraud and error, since the pandemic, it is vitally important that public money is spent efficiently and fairly, and the Third Party Data Gathering measure Ms Ward cites is a strong, yet proportionate step to prevent the exploitation of the benefit system. The proposed measure, being progressed as part of the Data Protection and Digital Information (2) Bill, was first announced in the Department’s fraud plan, ‘Fighting Fraud in the Welfare System’, published in May 2022, which outlined the steps the Government would take to reduce fraud and error. The measure is solely designed to identify individuals who are potentially committing fraud or have errors in their claim. It will only seek information on people that have been paid a Departmental benefit and where the data suggests a potential risk of fraud or error. Furthermore, it will only request the minimum information needed to establish that and enable further query. Regarding the specific concerns raised about privacy, I can assure Ms Ward that the Department adheres to the Data Protection Principles, including the Purpose Limitation principle, which would mean that it must ensure that data collected in accordance with this power is used for the purpose for which it was collected and incidental matters. Furthermore, I can also assure Ms Ward that the Department fulfilled all the requirements of the Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED), as set out in section 149 of the Equality Act 2010, and in line with the Department’s statutory duty keeps the impact of this measure on groups with protected characteristics under continuous review. More widely, I would also stress that the Department is always careful to process data lawfully, proportionately, and ethically with meaningful human input and safeguards for the protection of individuals. For further information about the measure, Ms Ward can access the Fraud Plan at: http://www.gov.uk/government/publications/fighting-fraud-in-the-welfare-system. Mims Davies MP Minister for Disabled People, Health and Work
While she is correct to point out fraud is a serious criminal offence she still avoided answering the questions in reality and this latest assault will breach our human rights yet again and sadly they know they are and none of them don’t give a chuff because they are brazenly being let off the hook daily. She must think we are all stupid not to have read the links she provided.
So if you think this blogger is going to stay silent forget it, that’s just not going to happen! I will keep challenging in whatever capacity I can because benefit deaths are happening and will continue to until someone from a legal background steps up and is prepared to take them on through the courts and stop this death train in its tracks. Yes its not being dramatic to say those with Mental Health issues are not just got mild depression or anxiety, but many have serious debilitating mental health problems that IAPT simply cannot fix which could lead to them taking matters into their own hands because of the lack of support or those who are very sick dying in a job.
Finally If you can , and only if you can please donate/ support this following fundraiser to challenge this Government under Art 4.3 of Human Rights Act which is stated in the fundraiser.
Please donate, share with friends and family, Twitter (X) and any other platform you use FB Groups and pages to make this happen. Given this brave lady has stepped up to the plate
Ever tried raising children? Spare a thought and give applause to those brave individuals who do it alone, often without a safety net to fall back on.
Rewarding overall, parenting children is a job generally considered more difficult to do than people first perceive it to be. There’s a stream of sleepless nights, significant expense, more energy required, more thought and deliberation needed, more responsibility held, and more ability to multitask, think on the job and be a jack of all trades than ever.
These are only some of the requirements demanded of parents during the first few precious years of a child’s life. Which is why early years professionals refer to the term “continuous care” in early year’s settings. Is it any wonder they say, “it takes a village to raise a child”?
So, imagine the same role falling on the shoulders of one individual? To have to parent solo? It’s a mammoth task to undertake. No village, no emotional support, no security, no official day or night off come to that. Just perpetual parenting until they are legally classed as adults themselves. Although let’s be honest here, the sleepless nights don’t really stop as childhood ends. As caring parents, we continue to worry around the clock about our children’s health and happiness whether they are young or old.
Statistically, there are approximately two million single parent families across the UK as we speak. Some of those are parents single by choice, some are non-married parents who split up. The number of single parents, and the reasons for being single may well have changed over the years, however, the fact remains the same: they are still doing the job of more than one person on a daily basis and in some cases, like myself, for years.
Most single parents didn’t intend to be in this position when they first had children. Single parenting usually comes about through unfortunate or stressful events. So, to celebrate the unique circumstances and achievements of all single parents, as well as highlighting the challenges we face, back in 2018 the UK added a national ‘Single Parents day’ to the calendar (21st March) to recognise and reflect on the amazing work single parents do to constantly keep a firm grip of the reigns!
My own experiences as a single parent go way back to a time before single parents were exposed to the hardships of having to find and keep a job (or jobs), excluding the unpaid job of being a proud parent. We are raising the future generation and in order to do that effectively, lovingly and successfully, I believe we need to be emotionally available to our children as much as we possibly can be. Not over stretched and full of guilt and judged by a society that believes it’s a doddle to raise children at all. How can it be with so much extra responsibility to juggle?
That’s not to say I didn’t want to earn a wage, contribute to a workforce, make more friends, have pride and self-esteem in who I was or what I did. A job could give me these things, however, at the expense of burn out. It was a terrible struggle to maintain a home and manage raising my children alone. Everyday felt like a battle and there wasn’t even a war to win. Where was the fun and joy in any of that? I already had a failed marriage, I didn’t want to also fail as a parent. I felt like a “Jack of all trades but master of none”.
In contrast, being a stay-at-home parent allowed me to be the best parent I could be to my children. Once they were older, I took full advantage of parenting courses and vocational training, volunteered as a classroom helper, which I discovered I loved, and was really good at. My kids had great school attendance and behaviour, they have all gone on to study further and the older two have found good work they enjoy. My youngest is interested in studying further and takes an active interest in politics to the extent he’s involved in a political party’s youth branch and writes for a local newspaper. My middle son at his first ‘proper’ job interview, when asked who his hero was, quickly replied, “my mum because she’s always got my back”. My eldest definitely feels safe enough to confide in me about relationships and health issues that most parents wouldn’t have to deal with in a million years.
Basically, being a stay-at-home parent also allowed me the freedom to train and study at a pace we could all cope with and eventually find a field of effort I loved and could easily do well outside of being a single mum. As the children became more independent, I became a volunteer with a national charity, supporting parents with young children to help them in the same way I was helped after fleeing an abusive partner.
Is any of that not benefiting society? I was giving back to the community. My children were a credit to society. Although there’s still a stigma associated with single parent families. Society likes to blame them for increased criminality, generational poverty, unemployment and poor school performance, yet offers no solution. Because it’s not their problem to fix, in their minds it’s a lifestyle choice and a bad one at that. Why is that?
Let’s start by looking at the “broken home” label single parent families are often still tarred with. Immediately it conjures up the notion of having a failed marriage or relationships, and you question whether you’re a failure as a person. It’s dehumanising, demoralising, damaging and don’t we know it?
If we look back, in ancient matriarchal civilisations, it could be argued that every child was raised as the village’s child because the village understood the potential value and importance of who the child was and the benefits they would eventually bring to the village. This was a time when women were not dependent on a man for survival and men were not relegated to a ‘lesser’ position. In essence, equality amongst all.
As time went on, along came disease, plague, epidemics, maternal death in childbirth. It was very common for children to have lost one or both parents long before adulthood. Enter patriarchy, where wealth, power and survival were concentrated among men and their direct heirs. Where women become the property of their fathers, from birth then pawns as young women and commodified according to their skills, until they were the property of their husbands. Women, in particular those with the misfortune of being born into poverty or working class families, were a means to an end. They held no wealth or power of their own unless in rare circumstances. She was dependent on her husband for her survival, then her son/son in law.
All this sounds like ancient history, however, it was less than fifty years ago women were first permitted to open their own bank accounts without their husband’s permission.
Where were the children during all of this? Because the patriarchy model favours one’s own biological offspring above all others, many children were left to flounder through life feeling as though they were ‘less’ than others, then seeing that belief reinforced in a society (still happening today) that treats single mothers as if they are lazy, irresponsible and ought to suffer the consequences of their own actions. How do these attitudes help them? (We see it manifesting in teens by their defiance of authority.)
Nowadays, they tell both women and men to get out of abusive relationships, but provide no pathway that doesn’t include jumping through a million hoops while dealing with trauma. They expect a parent who’s navigating parenthood alone to be able to get themselves in a financially responsible place, find adequate housing, (from experience it’s getting harder to do!) have well adjusted intelligent well behaved children, get them to school on time, properly dressed and cleaned, bills paid, dinner made with at least three of their five-a-day. Never be angry, stressed, sad, tired. Be in therapy for mental health issues, even though there is NO mental health provision for about two years.
“And why haven’t you had your child tested for special needs? Why are you consistently late to work? You need to manage your time and your life better. You need to get control of your kids, you’re too controlling. You need to take parenting classes, but if you need parenting classes are you even capable of caring for your child”?
“You should make better choices”.
Where is the village? Where is the wisdom of our elders that recognises the value and importance of each child because they will one day be an adult? Maybe all they needed was for someone to care that their parent was doing their very best with the very little grace they were given.
Where are these values now?
For me the hardest part in a lone parenting journey is the loneliness arising from having no direct access to reassurance, feedback, a touch of inspiration or a breather. I’ve had to learn to meet those needs for myself, however, had I needed to meet current benefit conditionality I definitely would not be where I am now as a parent. I would have been trying to escape the struggle by whatever means necessary. Now my children are older, I’m so grateful I brought them up at a time where I could immerse myself in my role and take pride in being a single parent, not feel guilt, not lose myself in the red tape of variable wages and it’s uncertain impact on benefits, not battle to stay mentally afloat, avoid debt or wrestle with claimant commitments simply trying to please everyone but yourself.
I made a better choice to stay at home for my children. I didn’t sacrifice my own needs for theirs, it made no sense for me to go to work, we went without holidays away, and other expensive lifestyle choices. But it didn’t matter, because we were content enough to enjoy what we had. I know for certain my children have benefited from having me available to meet their developmental needs during their childhood years.
It isn’t the single parent upbringing that causes problems, it’s the stress labels and stigma attached to it that does. Attitudes need to change.
With the new increase in a single parent’s working hours I worry we’ll also see increased criminality and a rise in mental health issues. As things are there’s no resources for either but no doubt there’ll be plenty of blame ladled upon single parent families, yet again.
If we can learn anything from our ancestors, or child development experts, children need connection and security to flourish – not parents so preoccupied with everything else in their lives, their children suffer the consequences. Basically no parent should ever be left to raise their child/ren alone as it ought to be seen as detrimental to the community as a whole.
“The children are a part of the community and are respected in their attempts to contribute and subsequently learn that their participation is valued”.
Acknowledgement: Written in collaboration with my village people friends, KF JHG and my son AR
The Government are breaching disabled peoples human rights regularly even the UN found them Guilty of Grave and Systemic Violations of disabled peoples rights yet the government was able to cast it aside and then attacked the rapporteur to discredit them.
We now have a Disability Campaigner willing to take them on through the courts but they need your help to raise the potential funding to do so.
They are aware that they may have to take this the full journey as the gov will try to dismiss her at the first hurdle. This campaigner is under no illusion what this government is capable of when it comes to ignoring the law, but they do have a good case and have already spoken to a legal team which I sat in on.
The only way to win to stop these breaches is to take it through the courts, and stop the abomination of the white paper forcing seriously sick and disabled people who have already been through the punitive assessment process from being forced to work even though they are seriously ill. This can only lead to more deaths.
This could be a real game changer not just for current claimants, but for others who find themselves at the mercy of a government who doesn’t care how many of us die as long as they save money so the rest of society don’t have to pay more taxes, and their mates dodge paying their own.
So I’m asking each and everyone of you, if and only if ,you can donate please do. Share it on X (Twitter) in your groups, pages and on your social media and amongst your friends n family because we have a lot cash to raise just to lodge the first stage of a case let alone maybe have to fund further court action costs. I know its a big ask in the middle of a cost living crisis where most people are on their backsides, but if we don’t stop this abuse it will continue indefinitely and a real opportunity will be lost forever.
Well Its all go at DWP as they roll out the ‘Making Work Pay’ mantra yet again demonising claimants as workshy, scrounging bastards on the fiddle. I have spent a fair few days trying to unravel the complexity of various statements and announcements and joining the dots up and I’m not sure I have managed to do that fully. Even most advisors and charities are like mushrooms being kept in the dark, but they have noted that its not good news and are concerned about harms that maybe inflicted on claimants , some even describe it as dangerous. It seems the younger generations are wanting to work in a inclusive society and this is the not a bad thing to demand in an ideal world, however the world is not ideal currently and our intimate knowledge of the last 14 years has taught many to fear what is about to befall them next while hood winking young disabled people they are listening and creating a inclusive world for them for the future.
Well The ‘Back to Work’ plan was followed by a flurry on announcements which on face value seemed to use high claimant count and fraud as the latest excuse to cut the welfare bill. They Government seems to think you all need to change your attitude to work using behavioural change as the lever to get more disabled people into work including those in the Limited Capability for Work Related Activity (LCWRA) which are deemed by their own contractors to be too severely disabled to work under current rules. This will all change under the back to work plan which I may add include a new ‘Chance to Work ‘ Scheme and the ‘Workwell’ Scheme which are all under the overall plan of getting people back to work.
Also announced was the plan to spy on claimants bank accounts which is in the Online Data Protection Bill which passed its third reading recently. This can already be done ,However they want further access a sort of carte blanche approach but it not as it seems to appear and was muted as attacks the poorest pensioners, when the majority will be UC claimants according to Mel Stride this week. We will not be accessing individuals’ bank accounts directly. The power is so that we can ask for bulk data from financial organisations such as banks where we have an indication that there is fraud and error. That is what the power is doing. There is absolutely no direct access to bank accounts. Kate Farrington told the committee “Where we do see some fraud and error in relation to the state pension is about people living abroad and where the state pension would be frozen. If you were resident in this country, your state pension would be uprated.”
He claimed Pensioner fraud was minimal , Where the majority of fraud (8billion) they believe is in UC when claimants do not declare savings above 16K as the trigger, yet the gov is encouraging everyone to save for the future is absolutely comedy gold.
The WCA work Pilots are being rolled out slowly but will go national rollout the end of 2024 and they are migrating legacy claims to UC (500,000) I am assuming to be the guinea pigs with promises of current legacy claimants in LCWRA will not face reassessments should they take a ‘chance to try work’ and not sustain work and enable them to go back onto their benefits as previously awarded.
We want claimants who have already been assessed as having LCWRA to be able to engage with support to move towards work without the fear of reassessment. We have committed to ensuring no one currently assessed as having LCWRA will face a WCA reassessment, save in some exceptional circumstances. This will in effect abolish the WCA for this group, bringing forward a key element of our Health and Disability White Paper proposals and give people the confidence to try work. Following the implementation of these changes, reassessments for people who have L CWRA will only take place under very limited circumstances which are:
W hen a claimant reports a change of circumstances in their health condition;
If a claimant has been awarded LCWRA for pregnancy risk, or cancer treatment where the prognosis for recovery is expected to be short -term;
If a claimant has been declared as having LCWRA under the new risk provisions; and
In the case of suspected fraud.
Grandstanding on how much they plan to pump cash into the system to help those with Mental Health, Musculoskeletal problems as primary targets but not exclusively. By 2025 via Statutory Instrument they will abolish the WCA and bring in the single assessment process where those without PIP will not be awarded the Health Element of UC. This was previously awarded under the Disability Element until the name change but will cost some claimants £390 Month . Another name change will follow in UC also :
From 2025, we will begin to use the terms ‘Work Preparation’ instead of ‘LCW’, and ‘ Health Group’ will replace ‘LCWRA’. Telling someone they have Limited Capability for Work (LCW) or are in the Limited Capability for Work -Related Activity (LCWRA) group focuses on what a person cannot do and does not support claimants to engage with work or work -related activity as part of the Chance to Work Guarantee.
The WCA Test Pilots mentioned earlier “
Testing the concept of Specialist Assessors by initially Matching Assessors
Fluctuating Conditions
These will be carried out by Nurses, OT’s & other non medical staff ie; Social prescribing (work coaches in effect within the GP practices linked to GP services) as part of Workwell Scheme.
Chance to Work scheme promises nobody in LCWRA participating will be sanctioned , which we all now is bullshit what they mean is they wont lose the elements more likely but will lose standard allowance if sanctioned, However this is not clear. It claims to be voluntary too so if you take up training no doubt this like many other schemes will become mandatory. Also they have placed a 6 month limit on reclaiming benefits. Campaigners have raised Substantial risk issues here is what Mel stated recently;
Amending the LCWRA to realign to the original intent of applying in exceptional circumstances which the government will specify which conditions will apply This will include protecting and safeguarding the most vulnerable, including people in crisis and those with active psychotic illness. We will work with clinicians to define the criteria and what medical evidence is required from claimants and people involved in their care, to ensure the process is safe, fair, and clear. Remove the LCWRA Mobilising activity because new flexibilities in the labour market mean that many people with mobilising limitations can undertake some form of tailored and personalised work-related activity with the right support. To ensure those with the most significant mobilising needs are protected we will retain the current LCWRA Substantial Risk regulations for physical health. This m e a n s that where work preparation would lead to a deterioration in a claimant’s physical health, they would still meet the eligibility for LCWRA.
We will not change the LCW Mobilising activity or descriptors. These changes to the WCA will apply to new claims for ESA and t o U C claimants who report a health condition and require an assessment. Changes to the WCA activities and descriptors will be implemented nationally no earlier than 2025
FOI’s have been submitted to get some clarity on various points, but I think it is pretty clear that LCWRA is no longer a safe place for those with long term health conditions effectively abolishing the support group as it was previous known to many. Lots will become clear by the new year but here is another quote from Mel .
In future there will be a single health and disability functional assessment – the Personal Independence Payment (PIP) assessment. However, with around 740,000 WCA’s taking place in 2022, and with this demand expected to continue, we cannot wait until these reforms roll out. At the Spring Budget it was announced significant investment in employment programmes, including Universal Support and the Workwell Partnerships Programme. At the Autumn Statement the Government is going further. NHS talking therapies will be expanded so that an additional 384,000 people will benefit over the next five years. The Individual Placement and Support model of supported employment embedded within community mental health teams will be expanded to help an additional 100,000 over this period. Universal Support in England and Wales will match 100,000 people per year with existing vacancies and support them in their new role. We will build on the existing support offer and use our evidence base to ensure we are offering the right type of support to those affected by these changes who are now being asked to take steps to prepare for work. We will therefore continue to test the Employment and Health Discussion, which we have recently expanded to 13 sites across England and Wales.
Happy Christmas Followers, Work Will Set You Free (sarcasm) in the coming years
UPDATE FOI:
We can confirm that the Department holds the information you are seeking. We have already resumed WCA reassessments on a limited basis for existing LCW and LCWRA claimants, now that we have recovered some capacity following Covid response measures that focused on processing initial claims to ensure eligible claimants were brought into payment. Up until 2025 when the new WCA changes announced at Autumn Statement in November 2023 are introduced, WCA reassessments will continue as normal for both the LCW and LCWRA groups depending on circumstances, including prognosis period and subject to available capacity in the system. If you have any queries about this letter, please contact us quoting the reference number above. Yours sincerely, DWP Central Freedom of Information Team Department for Work and Pensions
I have been campaigning for some considerable time now and if anything its got worse for disabled people, not better, no matter how much we have shouted from the rooftops.
The Government has recently Post Covid ramped up Fraud statistics blaming anyone and anything on this Governments mismanagement but also the DWP failures of due diligence to check claims were actually genuine when they dropped the spot checks for businesses and workers during lockdown, which they say they cannot recover so wrote the debt off .
Yet again disabled people will feel the brunt of savage cuts and punitive measures recently announced in the Disability White Paper including the scrapping of the WCA assessment process which was a huge mistake..
While most campaigners are still reeling from shock, this one told you it was coming long ago the direction of travel.
54% of disabled people do work with the right adjustments but many cannot due to chronic health conditions they barely manage on a daily basis without pain or help of social care which is cut to the bone and costs are extortionate to service users. Add to the mix of the cost of living crisis and disabled people on a limited income are suffering the most. Yet claimants are frequently called lazy, scroungers, workshy amongst many other things which is just not factually correct. Daily we see articles in the media promoting and encouraging people to claim large sums of money so society thinks ‘I could do with that free money sitting on my arse’, without actually knowing the hurdles claimants have to jump over to get their entitlement, leading to added stress and exacerbation of their health in a downward spiral and in some cases fatalities result. Its true disabled people died during the pandemic thanks to DNR’s being placed upon them.
Yet people read these stories daily and believe every single word, unless the became ill with long covid, or other ill health that meant they had to give up work, then the reality bites. This last few weeks we have seen a few announcements about getting people back to work to build the economy non worse than 2 recent ones where it is clear they do not plan to wait for legislation but instead use Statutory Instrument to push through reforms in the white paper before the election. The first one was announced to enable disabled people with specialist support to get back to work by saying the 12 new DWP pilots areas, the second one was in the announcement that they plan to give the fraud prevention team further powers to crack down on fraud by allowing the DWP fraud crew to access your bank account, seize items from the home and arrest you , similar to the HMRC powers. None of this has passed legislative scrutiny but it ok folks cos they doing it anyway legal or not!
The first of 12 pilot areas targets those in the LCWRA (support) Group who have been assessed as unfit by their own private contractors Maximus as being unfit for any work in the long term, using no less than our GPs to enable them under their ‘Work Ability Plan’ and take £390 month off them in the process. Nobody should stand by and allow this government to enact this especially our GP’s who swear oath of ‘do no harm’ to be burdened with yet more Government interference when they are already run off their feet, to be gatekeepers to peoples social security payments as well and put patient and GP relationships at risk.
I see many people passionate about certain topics, march in thousands through the streets of London ,wave flags of allegiance on Climate Change, Animals, Racism, and two current conflicts in Ukraine/Russia and Israel/Gaza and the Cost of Living Crisis etc the list is long, yet the silence from society and the so called left of the political arena wont stand and help those disabled people is actually frightening. When do they support disabled people the answer is they don’t unless they have someone close to them who is affected and even then it sketchy! Often we are excluded even at large gatherings disabled access is often denied.
So I’m Challenging you all to stop and think about ways you can help disabled people fight back and help stop this government and a potential Labour one, to say enough is enough you crossed the line and we want to protect those who cannot seem to get their voices heard. We support all of you workers on picket lines and various causes on the streets, it time you showed some solidarity and supported us!
Lets stop this cruel and corrupt system from killing anymore disabled people, just because we are unable to work doesn’t mean we don’t have things to offer or devalue our worth as fellow citizens to give back to society in other ways.
Our lives are worth the same as yours.
I have provided extra reading below for those who are new to the ruses of the DWP shenanigans
Everyone is waiting with abated breath for drastic change so they feel secure, well hold your breath for more of the same, according to Labour NPF (National Policy Forum )Document which is the basis of future Labour Policy intention for the manifesto.
Its hard to see positives and there are some, for workers and Unions, Families alike, but for those reliant on the state support it looking like more of the same, in fact it alarmingly mirrors Tory policy. We will have to wait till we see the disability policy in detail where the meat on the bone resides, but I thought I would blog the outline of the NPF final report for disabled people.
Labour has a plan to get Britain back to work, providing a path to good, secure and well-paid work that matches the skills and experience of workers, opening opportunity and spreading prosperity fairly.
We will reform job centres to ensure effective help to find work, make work pay via reform to social security and deliver specialist help for people with health conditions, disabled people and the over 50s. Labour will also treat people who are unable to work with respect and dignity.
Has a familiar tone doesn’t it !
A Labour government will reform employment support, including by devolving powers down to Local Government across the UK. We will boost locally delivered partnerships, giving them the freedom to decide how best to design schemes so that they are targeted to the needs of the local area. Labour will allow self-referrals to employment services and enable GPs, housing associations and community groups in England to direct people more easily to employment support
Labour will reform Jobcentre Plus to ensure it becomes more responsive to local economic needs and more actively engaged with the needs of people looking for work where rights to financial support are balanced by responsibilities to look for work and tailored help, through a clear strategy of supporting lifelong learning, from improved careers guidance at school and right throughout our lives and reforming the National Careers Service.
The number of people out of work for reasons of long-term sickness is now at a record high, but with the right support many will be able to find fulfilling work that suits their needs and skillset.
We commit to providing tailored support in every local area for those who need it, such as people with mental ill health or addiction. We will build on targeted programmes, including those that join up with the NHS, to provide better specialist support and break the link between inactivity and ill health.
Labour will fix the Access to Work scheme, with improved targets for assessment waiting times at reasonable time scales and by giving people who are looking for work ‘in principle’ indicative awards.
A Labour government would work in cross-departmental collaboration to provide targeted help for the over 50s and offer all those who have previously worked but recently left the labour market back-to-work support and guidance.
Labour will introduce further reform of employment support, devolving it to local areas, with a commitment to provide tailored support in every local area for harder to help groups
We will provide a reliable safety net for people who lose their jobs or who cannot work due to ill health or disability and help people on their journey back into work by allowing people to try paid work without reassessments if it does not work out. We will replace the current system of work capability assessments with a system that supports people to live with security. Labour will work with employers, trade unions and other stakeholders to support the wellbeing of workers and their long term physical and mental health.
Just wait it gets better……….
They are not experiencing hardship because they do not know how to budget their finances or have low aspirations. Far from it. Successive Conservative governments have undermined social security in this country. Cuts to support, divisive rhetoric from government ministers and a punitive culture have altered the landscape completely.
Labour will provide a reliable safety net for people who lose their jobs, including through large scale redundancies and insolvency, or who cannot work due to ill health, disability, or caring responsibilities. This safety net will continue to apply to those on legacy benefits too.
That starts with making Universal Credit work for everyone who relies on it. A Labour government will deliver this much-needed, fundamental reform of Universal Credit to tackle child poverty and offer a proper safety net. We will ensure it makes work pay, supports people back to work, allows people to live their lives in dignity, and addresses inequalities across society. Labour will do this by overhauling the current unfair and punitive system and end punitive sanctions which strip away people’s dignity, trap people in a cycle of low pay, insecurity and poverty. We will ensure every child has the best possible start in life and the opportunity to thrive.
When Labour says it will end punitive sanctions It doesn’t mean they wont sanction you, just reset them to there original purpose as a last resort.
Labour would examine whether the assessment period and payments are being delivered in a way that is responsive to changes in claimants pay, in recognition of the rise in zero hours contracts. Universal Credit payments must work for families where the main carer of children may not be the main earner, and we will consider whether split payments should be made the default to prevent domestic abuse and financial control. We recognize the importance of in person appointments in supporting people to access the social security system, such as those without digital skills.
A Labour Department for Work and Pensions would be committed to the social model of disability, not the medical model, and also incorporate principles of working with disabled people throughout policy processes, often referred to as coproduction.
We also know from experience coproduction means charities generally but good they switched to social model. When grassroots campaigners have tried to interact we are limited in scope as they have decided the direction of travel they just want disabled people to agree with them, and pick our brains on how to implement it. That is not coproduction its coercion.
Labour will treat disabled people with respect and dignity. Labour will work with disabled people to create policies which remove barriers to equality and focus on their representation at all levels of government. The Labour Party is committed to the social model of disability, not the medical model, and also to the principle of working with disabled people throughout policy processes, often referred to as co-production. This acknowledges that life is made more challenging for disabled people because of barriers in society and structural inequalities, not by their illness or impairment. We will honour our commitments to the United Nations’ Convention for the Rights of Disabled People and ensure its principles are reflected across government to create policies which remove barriers to equality and focus on disabled people’s representation at all levels of government.
I have to say this is disappointing and with Liz Kendall as the minister in charge and her previous divisive rhetoric about claimants it certainly isn’t a promising outlook at all. Its a carbon copy of Tory policy offering very little hope to those desperate for support. I hope Kendall et al prove me wrong but I doubt it. Even Angela Rayners Green paper was an identical copy. The glimmer of hope is Vicky Foxcroft who does listen, but is thwarted by her superiors in the department more often than not.
I think regardless of differences/grievances disabled people need to put that aside and come together to start the fire on the spit roast and hold Labour and Tories to account for the harm they have caused over the decades of eroding our rights and access to decent social security where we can live without fear of persecution in our homes and having our financial security ripped from our hands overnight by some zealous work coach, Yes the main contractors of Atos, Capita , Maximus are all responsible for considerably bad decisions but to leave it to work coaches in a JCP beggars belief. Finally not forgetting thousands who potentially are going to lose out under new Tory reforms in exchange for scrapping the WCA, which Labour agree with when they voted for the spring statement. Those without PIP will Lose £390 month which will not help disabled people meet their extra costs.
The Report mentions ‘we will be treated with dignity’ and ‘the rising costs of cost of living crisis’ many times but I will be watching out for that disability policy because they cannot be trusted as has been proven over decades. Disabled people are not guinea pigs to play with varying models of social security which have been enforced upon us and banded about before like UBI models. So it looks like UC is staying given the costs of it, but as SKWAWKBOX pointed out they plan to keep the brutal two child cap and as DNS also pointed out about the UNCRPD will be followed but not enshrined as campaigners have lobbied for, let alone the exorbitant care charges so many disabled people face just to remain independent while the wallets and purses are rinsed by greedy providers.
Just deliver a fair & just model and give us a standard of living to meet the additional costs we incur.
No Political Party in UK gets elected on a humane social security policy that much I know, otherwise anything that looks humane will just be a conduit for corporations to get contracts from Government to deny it responsibilities to those in need of state support.
Lots of speculation about the governments proposed reforms to the WCA scrapping will work is being misunderstood. Many have called for it to be scrapped including myself at one point, until I realised what that would mean, then I changed my mind totally because it was a mistake in the offing.
Long time ago remember they cut SDP from Universal Credit and it caused uproar, well the gov changed their minds and included a Disability Element to UC but it was still a cut of approx £60 week for many. This Element £318 was on top of the standard allowance which was £317 month leaving the £60 shortfall for the most severely disabled people often placed in legacy support group.
Swiftly moving to there recent announcements of scrapping the WCA and leaving it to work coaches is going to end in disaster as many JCP workers have the belief your just a ‘scrounger taking their taxes’ like the mantra that has been drummed into society for decades, leading to hate crime attacks on claimants who are too sick to work and abuse on a variety of levels. The government announced the Draft Disability White Paper with fanfare of helping disabled people back to work with minister Tom Pursglove.
I wrote to him and published his response in my previous blog however from 2026 New Claims will be subjected to this new reform with legacy ESA claims to be moved in 2028/9 when they move to UC under managed migration.
I felt it was important to explain to the many claimants fretting the use of PIP being used as a passporting benefit to get the renamed Disability Element to the Health Element. Many claimants do not get PIP which according to Gov and IFS is approx 680,000, putting them at risk of losing the added element which under current circumstances they would get. So claimants can either apply for PIP which is extremely difficult to get or leave it to the work coach to put them forward in the hope they will be awarded it after the usual PIP assessment by them to get the Health Element. which will affect the conditionality regime they are placed under via UC claim. Most claimants will be expected to do some kind of work activity and get specialised support ,ending in reality the legacy support group status which this blogger also pointed out quite some time ago.
“For those who are receiving the limited capability for work- and work-related activity (LCWRA), but not PIP, we will carefully consider whether they meet the PIP assessment and eligibility criteria.” is what the minister stated. “
Thanks to John Pring who highlighted what I was saying was a bit confusing,
Single Person Current rates 2023/4 are as following
Standard rates
Under 25 £292.11 month
Over 25 £368.74
Disability Element which will become the ‘Health Element’ if you get PIP
LCW £146.31
LCWRA £390.06
So many will lose out getting £390.06 month leaving very severely sick and disabled people at risk of abject poverty because they do not get PIP. Disabled people have already been penalised since 2010 with wave after wave of reforms and cuts putting some into debt, some have committed suicide and many have been denied their entitlement leading to their demise, while others try to overcome the appeals processes to win their awards.
While transitional protections will apply that will be reduced over time but unlike the legacy system where ones award was a given period, under UC these periods are assessed monthly and any changes to your household will remove their Transitional Protections forthwith.
So a single disabled person will be reduced living on £368.74 a month and look for some type work or training to enable them to gain employment.
I do understand disabled peoples fears but get this straight the WCA is not being replaced by a PIP assessment merely a tool in qualifying, similar to other passported benefits.
blueannoyed 