Readers of this site will know I’ve written regularly about Maggie (name changed), a 41-year-old Northampton woman with a schizophrenia diagnosis.
Maggie has been sectioned in the past and has spent time in hospital.
Maggie receives the Employment and Support Allowance benefit. Up until recently, Maggie was in the ESA Support Group, which is the group for people with the highest support needs.
The DWP suddenly changed that about a month ago. Maggie was sent to a Maximus face-to-face assessment. She got a letter at the end of September which told her that her ESA claim had been downgraded. She was now in the ESA work related activity group (which means that she must attend jobcentre meetings about finding work) and her benefit money had been cut.
The DWP did not tell Maggie why it had suddenly decided she was able to look for work and live on less money. Her condition has not changed. It’s actually worsened since local mental health support services were cut. No reasons for this decision were included in the DWP’s letter.
Maggie rang the DWP to ask the department to send her a list of reasons for this decision to push her into the ESA WRAG group. The DWP said it would send her those reasons by post. That was three weeks ago. The list of reasons has not arrived. Maggie can’t properly challenge the decision to change her benefits without understanding exactly what it was about her condition that the DWP thought had changed.
However – the DWP HAS managed to send other post to Maggie in the last few weeks. The department sent her a letter which told her in no uncertain terms that she must turn up to her jobcentre for a work-related interview, or risk benefit sanctions. The DWP has no problem getting that sort of letter – ie a threatening letter – in the post. That part of the system works absolutely fine.
That letter about the work interview at the jobcentre arrived almost immediately after the letter which told Maggie that her benefit had been cut (I was actually speaking to Maggie on the phone about the first letter when the second one dropped through the door). Maggie had to attend that first work-focused interview at her jobcentre last week.
I am getting very, very sick of this. You think the sex scandals in parliament are bad. This sort of story is as bad and worse. This is cutting off support to people in great need and dropping them in it.
With one pen-stroke, David Gauke and the rest of the DWP’s geniuses cut money and support to someone who has previously been hospitalised because her mental health condition is so serious. Nobody gives a stuff about that, of course, or about the effects that such letters have on people whose are already struggling to keep things going. After cutting her money, all the DWP offered Maggie by way of “support” (ha) was a threat about attending a jobcentre meeting.
How do Gauke and his bureaucrats still get paychecks for running this intentionally disastrous system – the system that people in the greatest need in our society must use? The situation I’ve described above is exactly the sort of scenario that sets desperate and unsupported people up for suicide attempts – horrible threats, pressure and reduced money, and nobody to help (welfare support and advice in Northampton is hard to come by). It isn’t even subtle.
So much for government taking mental health seriously. Do me a favour.
I won’t be letting this one go.
Good for you Kate. At least you can say that you kept the flag flying for basic decency and humanity. As for the DWP, its like some sort of horrible machine running out of control.
The whole thing has to fall over sooner or later, surely. It’s been shit for ages, but this just gets more and more hopeless. And obvious. Next thing for these people is Universal Credit.
The thing is that it is just a monopoly and a one way thing
Im much better health wise than so many but, i still struggle to walk without being in total agony, i rarely sleep, have to have hormone injections etc etc. Yet i am now £60 worse off per wk due to this Tory corrupt government & have to fight in court to justify it.
Someone tell me what exactly is “Great” about great britain any more. Total fcukin joke!!!!!
Same here i hardly sleep i have to have sustanon injections and use two crutches to walk, scored zero points at my assessment, the HCP lied repeatedly. Waited ten months for tribunal, won it but still only got into the wrag. Now waiting for my pip assessment. So stressful
I got thought there just sorted it out it will take time good luck
Im the same I cannot walk far I’ve got ostreo arthritis spine knee feet I used to have a car to help me get around doctors hospital pain clinic etc but now been diagnosed with fibromyalgia on top of everything else but they have slashed my benefits and taken the car away so now I’m stuck in my bedroom like I was 5 years ago before I got a mobility car .I’ve got worse not better so how does that wok out shame on DWP
Kate i share your anger and wish toi start a civil disobedience group to confront ‘Gaukers’
Excellent name and idea!
Please count me in, I’m ok at the moment but have some mental health issues, I’m in work now but I’m fully supportive of others who are being treated appallingly by the Tories, all working class people need to band together to oppose these horrible tactics.
Anxiety, paranoia, worthless,panicking, bi polar low, stress butterflies coursing through my body. Here i sit in my little council flat in the Early hours of the morning with a capability for work questionnaire in front of me which has to be in tomorrow, since it arrived I hid it in the cupboard I just want them to leave me alone. I am reasonably intelligent middle man, had my own business/house blah blah etc. So a car crash perm injurys & heart attacks & sycatica easy to explain so why is it so bloody hard to convay how mental health symptoms totally take control of ones life. I now have taken too not leaving home last 3/4 weeks leaving money by my front door for ONE friend to get my essentials also placing by door so we have no human contact. Not taking calls or not answering door if knocked. Do they really think we want to live like this. And what do they suggest Ebay. I am sure with the right HELP I could set up a ebay business if I could afford a computer and items to sell. I am waffling, if you’ve read this diatribe I am sorry. I just had to tell someone. Ps : my email address I love vinyl and this was a title of a blues lp, no I am not in buisness/working.
Hi Dean was sorry to read your email but understand every word. I have stenosis of the spine (surgeon wants to operate) severe depression because of constant pain and mild Diabetes. After my last assessment I was moved from Support group to Wrag. My benefits were cut by £25 weekly which makes my private rent short by £140 every month. I did appeal but was told I ‘didnt meet their criteria’. I’ve had days when I can’t face the rest of the world. Mental health issues are either ignored or lied about by most HCP’s. You’re not alone in this fight. Please please don’t give up or the DWP win. We’re just an NI number to them. Last time I looked I saw a person in my mirror. All the best.
This is as if someone is writing this about me. I so so understand exactly what you are going through my life consists of periods of this. Hold on to the times you do not feel so shit easier said than done. My life changed dramatically due to my mental health and my bipolar condition. I don’t know you but I wish you a happier life. X
This is really sad to read. I would like to be involved in any campaign, to challenge this wrong doing. Please, keep me posted.
Yeah – one of the people I support got moved from support to WRAG – so far in 6 months he has had one 2 minute meeting with a ‘work coach’ and has now been called for another face to face. Needless to say his situation hasn’t improved and this is making things worse
letters are bad enough, but some people are now getting a single text, telling them their ESA has been stopped. If the DWP could treat people any worse I am sure they would.
I have had , single line txt message and it did’nt even have my name on it telling me to make an appointment at the job centre . If i was still in transport and treated one of my drivers like that i would have a walkout on my hands . Something else goverment have killed over the years transport .
DWP are robots, Sharks, Corrupt arseholes etc etc etc.
People never believe how i have been treated. They dont believe one human would treat another human this way.
The difference!!!????
The DWP are not HUMAN BEINGS
They are trained Robots who do not give a shit & anyone who works for the DWP, Please ask yourself this simple question!: will you sleep tonight for how you have been towards another human being today who asked you, in floods of tears for your HELP???? Exactly, very very Sad!!!!
The entire DWP situation is a total disgrace. I have spent hours and hours phoning them over the last 2-years. And wrote countless times. It is not unusual for claims to lie for months without even being looked at. And the call centre people usually do not know anything. So it is extremely frustrating. And getting worse. They are deliberately making vulnerable people go through hell, just to get what they clearly need.
We need more politicians as well everyday people to spk up for the oppressed in the society dwp are slowly killing and torturing the most needy and vulnerable in our communities someone somewhere must be able to finally put a stop to this cleansing of vulnerable ppl
My Husband also has mental health problems. He was previously in the support group but after a recent assessment he has been put into the employment group and has to attend meetings. This has caused my husband’s depression to worsen. I see a common theme occurring here. We will be fighting this.
Did your husband appeal the decision to put him in the Work Related Activity Group? The rules with being in the WRAG is you can only be on it for 12 months, after that time your husband will have to claim JSA or Universal Credit, or make a fresh claim for ESA if he thinks his health has worsened significantly.
We are going to appeal it. His conditions are getting worse not better.
I had to give up my job to look after my mum, she had cancer. I was depressed and that was quoted on my sick line and signed by my doctor every month!! I was sanction several times, left with very little money for months on end!! Couldn’t look for jobs as my mum got worse and although it’s VULGAR to talk about money in these circumstances, I was Sanctioned 13 wks before my mum died, I was told my appeal had been successful on the eve of my mums death!!! Ironically I was able to afford a New Suit for my mums Funeral and Flowers 💐. We’re not ALL thieves and beggars, some of us actually SAVE THE SYSTEM THOUSANDS, by looking after our Sick family members.
Your right you do, when I was paying for carers from 6am while 6pm for 5 days a week it cost £350 per week.. Times that by two for 24 hr care 5 days a week that’s £700 not including weekend which normally are more expensive so your looking about £800 to 1000 per week for full time care. I’m so sorry for your loss .please contact your MP Its amazing how that changes things. I’ve had to do it a number of times, They can really help sort things and support you ,send them a email and they normally contact you. They no how wrong the system is and how stupid things are. Plus they need to hear peoples feedback about the policies and how they effect normal people. The more people complain to there MP then the more they will realise the harm and distress they cause.
depends on where you live. Postcode lottery whether your MP cares.
I agree with that to an extent. I think Nina is right to say that some MPs are very helpful – certainly a few have helped people I’ve sent their way sort their very serious benefit problems out – but it does depend where you are. MP in this case is some hopeless bloody Tory name of Peter Bone whose only achievement in life appears to have been gluing himself to various rightwing voting lines. https://www.theyworkforyou.com/mp/11915/peter_bone/wellingborough/votes Useless as a tit on a bull
After having a resection and a metastatic tumor removed from my bowel..given the talk + or – 5years statistics talk of life expectancy. With the bowel cancer i have,Doing a grueling 6 rounds of chemo surviving 20 months of side affects…..I’m being harassed by the DWP to go back to work…..guess working the 25+ years tax and contributions paid count for nothing…what a con..I just try to keep going….The only thing left to loose now is my life
How awful and stress can bring cancer back. I hope you get into the support groip. Cruel vile government.
Please get in touch with your MP let them fight while you fight to stay healthy you really DON’T need the stress..They helped me so much please get in touch with them. Send then a email and tell them the impact of all this. Never be afraid of your MP they are simply there to represent you and thousands like you.
my late husband was denied pip despite being on dialysis, slowly losing his sight,and having had all but three toes amputated. he died in April so he is one less person for the dwp to bully.cos that’s how they are doing their job by bullying vulnerable sick people. they are no better than the Nazis were.
Mercenaries in Dwp Westminster is a den of iniquity its about time a great purge is needed they have a damn cheek to allow those people to have an eleven percent pay rise when they are cutting benefits from pensioners. Shame on them
These idiots that are put in these jobs are playing with peoples lives. They think they are god, you would think they hold the purze that pays or it comes outof their own pocket. Are they on a bonus??? As many kicked off as they csn more monies in their pocket. Put them in the situation these people are in and see how they like someone playing god with their heads and life. Total sc!!!
Same here, my carers allowance was stopped after the lady l was caring for went to a PIP Atos assessment, declared fit for work ha ha, she cant walk and suffers from extreme IBS and she is 64 years old, what a fucking joke ! The DWP and its mentors are nothing but a shower of shit.
l was forced to attend a UC meeting to discuss my situation, after listening to the diatribe of rules and regulations l told them that they are sanctioned and they can stick their universal credit up their arseholes, l then walked out. lm now happy to report that l have joined the cash for hire industry and make 10 times the amount UC pay weekly ( £74 ) They can all fuck off !!
The DWP are now creating a whole new cash payment industry from employment, they have spent years trying to stamp it out.
Universal Credit is not available for 6 – 8 weeks, your rent arrears accrued during this time allows your landlord to evict you from your home. So… if your lucky you will end up homeless and sanctioned without any means of support. If you have children to feed you will feed them its nature, so get out there and fucking rob and steal, contribute towards a new crime rate, you dont have a choice, l am and its great.
But what about them that cant work?? We have no choice to be treated like animals and be forced through the system that doesn’t work. It’s killing people you have two.choices die or work that’s it.
If it wasn’t for food banks people would starve to death.
We’ve gone back to Victorian times.
We’ve been back in the victorian era for some years now and it’s only going to slide further into it and it won’t ever return to what is was. Our country is lost, we have lost and we have to some how feed and fend for ourselves. We have a government without ears, and they aren’t interested in the people!., especially disabled people, we are the unwanted lepers but I fear if we make too much noise we may find ourselves banished to God knows where!!! Very sad but very true and we must harden ourselves for what is coming, first it was ESA,then DWP and now pip, the next step isn’t worth thinking about!!,. And we thought it couldn’t possibly get any worse didn’t we!!.
I feel for and worry terribly for us all.
LuLuRose.
What is cash for hire?
What do you meen cash for hire
This is another example of the ‘Golden Crutches’ theory of disability.
Where people are suspected of not being nearly as sick or disabled as they make out. A sickening, inhuman attitude to disabled claimants that this government has forced through over the last seven years.
Backed up by a whole state apparatus of deliberate repression.
The DWP, the appalling WCA tests, the endless stress and fear of re-testing.
Media attacks on the disabled and unemployed, based on a tiny minority.
The ‘disabled’ mountain -climber, the ‘disabled’ karate-instructor etc,
discovered claiming benefits. As if this justifies all the rest.
It is a national disgrace, along with this government’s callous attitude to the United Nations condemnation of what has happened.
Some people are too sick, too ill and too disabled to work, and the DWP need to be made to realise this.
I think the whole point is that it’s being dismantled. It’s being completely shut for. There won’t be any sick or disabled benefits.
That also means all those working for them carrying out their dirty work will be unemployed
Shut down *
i had my money stopped for nearly three months due to my reconsideration failing and im now stresed about the tribunal as i dont know when its going to be and why the hundreds of pages of in depth reports where not enough
I had a serious bike smash 4 months ago.still have a broken femur and elbow. 2 weeks ago I got a call from dwp telling me I’m fit to work. I’m now on antidepressants as well as a bunch of painkillers including oramorph. These idiots should let me break their ankle,thigh,hip,ribs and elbow and see if they can worka
I am currently going through the appeal process as at assessment my dla highest rate mobility was taken away completely on the pip system.i couldnt believe the statements on the refusal letter.i asked for a mandatory reconsideration and was turned down again.i am now waiting for a tribunal date but have been warned this could take months.the whole process and upset has made me much more ill and very depressed.i have now lost the home help i received and feel abandoned and that i live in a world where no one cares.
Please look up benefits at work or benefits and work. It’s a charity based organisation and they’re fantastic!
Have you sent the DWP and CDHA emails telling them you want the decision makers and the HP to appear to answer questions on their works of fiction and decision on the report? I have a list of questions I would love them to answer but can never get one to a hearing. They keep sending solicitors who have no medical knowledge and the medical person on the panel can only assume an answer. My answer to assumption is It’s the mother of all fuck-ups.
How can they say for certain what books, pages, paragraphs, sentences they read on medical conditions. What websites they searched google for to try and learn about your condition. Why the search wasn’t forwarded to the DWP DM and sent in your SAR.
I did this after my 2008 failed tribunal where the medical person on the tribunal said and I quote “Can you do this now?” The assessment was about a day not what can be done now, I wanted to go for the person and rip his head off but thought no enjoy fucking up the jobcentre
I do think that this sort of case has a connection with the ‘sex scandals’ in Parliament, in that the ‘sex scandals’ in Parliament are really about abuse rather than about making love with people.
Has this person got all the info in the form of a Subject Access Request? Has she done the Tory-Con as I call it, Mandatory reconsideration? Has she told them she wants to appeal? I have some questions I would ask the Tribunal
1. How long have you worked for the assessment company?
2. Part time or full time?
3. How many books/pages/paragraphs or sentences have you read on my medical conditions, including websites you looked at on reading the ESA50/PIP02?
4. What is your field of medical expertise?
5. What makes your opinion take precedence over that of an expert in their field on my conditions?
6. How do you keep your registration as a nurse current if all you do is write reports that are passed to the DWP?
7. Surely you must do some actual psychical work to keep your registration current?
For A Decision Maker
1. How long have you worked for the DWP as a Decision Maker?
2. Part Time or full time?
3. Did you read any medical books or websites/pages on my medical conditions to try and help you?
4. What is your field of medical expertise?
5. What makes your opinion take precedence over that of an expert in the fields of medicine for my conditions?
6. How many reports do you get through on average a day?
Depending on the answer: That is less/more than one report every XX minutes. 7. What is your speed of reading and understanding a page of text?
I wish I could share all I’ve learnt about how it all works. It is truly twisted how people are treated by most departments now.
People who were suffering from cancer and disabilities used to be delt with care. But not now we are all classed the same sponges on the system and tax payers.
Even if you’ve worked most of your life you are still classed the same if you have to go on the sick before you retire.. most working class people do manual jobs normally by their 60th birthday their backs gone and knees. They need up claiming benefits to be met by a nightmare of a system.
Government need to ask the people how their experiences. They don’t so we have one chance to contact our MP in high numbers and tell them how bad it really is. Tell them your kids went to bed hungry tell them.your freezing because you have no gas and electricity. Ask them were our human rights? Why are we been treated this way? Why is it our children are suffering? Yet we give people who come in to this country all the help? Why? There is only so much in the tax payers pot but yet I know personally two ladies who brought their 3 children and 2 children from EU countries got a council houses on benefits because they don’t work. I asked why they left their beautiful country ? She was honest and said Its hard to live at home then the UK because there are little benefits at home but here in UK you are better off . She was totally honest with me. She said I know people don’t like immigrants but its legal for us to be here so we come and bring our children for a better life.
We all want best for our children so I.can totally understand. But wants happened there isn’t enough in the pot support us all.
The reason why they cut benefits to sick and disabled we are easy target. They won’t go after pensioners because of the vote and general election so unfortunately its the sick that suffer.
We now have to fight for every penny and every breath. Do they really mind if it makes your condition worse. or you die even better you won’t need to claim any disability benefits again. Problems solved another off the benefit system, but yet for each one of us that dies we get replaced by another immigrant and so the system carries on. It’s going to break. Uk is no longer great any more. My grandfather and great grandfather who fought in both world wars would be heartbroken. They believed in our country.. I know we need immigration but we need to choose skills not just let anyone in. The EU broken the system and our pensions..Soon there will be no safety nets at all ,we are nearly there now.
Yes, it’s legal for the immigrant to be here, of course they get their benefits and their houses, it’s the British disabled person who isn’t wanted, they don’t want and definitely won’t receive our votes again but that doesn’t seem to bother them!. We are, quite literally, fucked but then if you think about it, there are an awful lot of us and indeed we have people who also care about us and would stand beside us, if we decide to stand up to them NOW!!!!!!!
It’s because of the new ‘interpretation’ of the rules.. if they think having a job will ‘benefit’ you they put you in WRAG.
The way this is going lots of people end up dead as stressful in human torture of losing your money your good name made to feel like useless money is important to those who are sick and Diane it’s time to people of this country still together and help one another to get help I’m afraid this is only the start of a bigger disaster which is the come . We will end up being put into shantytowns and soup kitchens relying on the food hand outs and living on the streets because we can’t pay the rent I see there’s going to be a revolution if things do not turn around . People must help one another more than ever or more will die tomorrow and up on the street we got the vote government out
Exactly the same has recently happened to me. I have been in the support group for three years but recently was called for a face to face assessment. A few weeks later i was sent a letter saying id been moved to the WRAG group and no reason was given. I rang asking for the report from my assessment. It has things in it that are untrue. I am doing a mandatory reconsideration but you only get 30 days from the date of the initial letter they sent you..not 30 days from the date you receive the report..which was approx 12 days after the initial letter! So time is ticking and against me before i even start. My moneys been lowered by almost 30 pound a week and it clearly states in their report that im not able to work or ready for work. So all theyve done is renamed which group im in and deducted 30 a week for doing so. My health my ability to work has not changed!
I am a kinship carer gave up my full time job to take on full time care for my granddaughter. I am treated the same as a single parent in the benefit system. I have paid taxes for over 30 years and saving the system thousands by taking on the care of my granddaughter at the same time as suffering personal financial hardship. I love my granddaughter and wouldn’t have wanted her in the care system but why should I be penalised because of this.
After attending a pip assessment my pip has been down graded from high to standard rate living component, this is with my mobility being much worse than when I originally applied for this benefit. So I’m now having to go through the whole appeals process
Hi Kate im from northants Disabled people against cuts, northantsdpac@gmail.com please let the person know we exist and at least try and get some solidarity with them cheers John
Brilliant John will pass that on. Much appreciated
In 2016 I was deemed fit for work and cut from esa regardless of pending a knee op and was forced to aggravate the wound travelling to places on yet another course come the op what should have been simple keyhole surgery turned to hell and I lost the use of my left leg.It doesnt end their Folks hahaha theyve just stopped my benefits again after destroying my life. Theyve destroyed any chance I have of going back to my great job now ime told we the DWP are literally not going to pay for it . Somethings got be done this is ILLEGAL!!!. I feel for you all because so many of your are not capable of fighting due to illness but you could try writing to your local MP I have. .
What you should do is get a solicitor and sue the bastard’s for personal injury, these people have a duty of care just like any other corporate entity ,if their actions cause you personal injury then they are liable for compensation.
You will need a medical report from qualified professionals confirming your condition and their opinion as to whether the demands of the DWP are exacerbating your condition .
Nobody can believe any of the things that are going on the sick and disabled are fair game offered up by the government!
Shockingly the public in the main, seem to me to be shuffling around with their hands in their pockets looking away whilst all this is going on saying well, they should go to work.
I’ve got news for those of you with that attitude! They’ve been to work contributing to the maintenance of the support system. Myself included!
Nobody ever came up to me saying Well, what do you recon to that lazy lot of sick disabled scroungers and me saying they’re a drain on society! This is the modern outlook now.
Still as the saying goes, IT’S YOUR TURN NEXT!!!! MY PRESENT, YOUR FUTURE!!!
Your right wait and see once they’ve given all they can and broken their body. I think.its so wrong how we are treated.
No wonder disabled hate crime is doubled in past year.
Ww are back to Victorian times,
Unfortunately this goverment used the disabled Olympic to start target practice on us.
How many disabled could actually take part in those games. Without having s team of medical doctors pumping them full.of dugs so they can.compete in the games. Its about time the world saw the true side of disability, been house bound living in one room.because you cant get upstairs. Your house is classed not suitable for you, you dont get any help from the disability grant to help you.pay for alterations.to help you live a normal life.lol..I was told to buy a bungalow. But I can’t get a mortgage because I dont earn nothing. Then we asked for social housing and was told my.age went against me.. I was basically too young.. but what I dont understand if someone joins isis then.comes home they’ll jump the queue and they’ll help.them.get work.. Disabled people now get treated like we have no rights no say. Do they really think people like living like this everyday I feel like I’m just waiting to die. At least them I’m no longer classed disabled. To which was caused by not spotting a spinal injury so yes I was misdiagnosed. My neurosurgeon was so angry the way I ended up. and the way I was treated..iknow I have to fight but you get so fed up of excuses false promises. Goverment services say they can’t believe we fell through the safety net. The reason.is they don’t really care, they go home every month with their pay, iit makes me angry because they just dont do their job they make false promises and then walk away after been sat on your sofa for two hours learning about your most intermat personal problems you have. I’ve told my story over and over I’m done.. I don’t know what will end up happening to us all its frightening.
Maybe we’ll go back to Victorian times when you saw badly disabled people begging for food. Or do what hiltler did , hat would solve the problem.. our human rights have been.destoryed .already.
Please excuse spelling my eyes are that dry I.can hardly see anything..
It is a deliberately cruel and nasty system designed to poison the whole process of claiming benefits. An online workhouse, and with just the same contempt built-in for those desperate enough to have to use it.
What a crup system !!!! My ESA was stopped as the corrupt assessor gave the reason that I was able to dress smart not knowing that even some one in a wheel chair can dress smart
Hi I’ve just done a tribunal about my ESA I have phleripheral vascular disease of the brain and serious back problem, plus severely deaf. When I walk in the court the judge told me I had no points from my visit to atos, we completed the hearing and the judge awarded me 15 points. I can’t understand how this sort of system can cary on as I was left depressed, and feeling like a criminal. Not a sick person, Adam.
One of the statements T.May kept banging on about during her Campaign to be voted in As prime Minister was Mental Health, and that she and her team was going to address this problem.. She spelt it out loud and clear about the shambles of waiting for help..
The YouTube videos are still available to prove it.. And just keep coming…..
So someone please tell me how much progress has she or her team made so far?
Oh.. OK I guess that’s a zero…
so tell me exactly what is her plan (if any)? It’s about time somebody gathered up all her statements of facts and the seemingly false promises to fix the system.
I see a storm coming..a big one….
The trouble is.. Most people with Mental Health Care needs are not actually fit or able to fight for them selves.. And need very good friends or family to step up and fight for them… We all need to step up as a society and ask:
WHEN WILL SHE FOLLOW THROUGH?
Even this is a disgrace..
Twelve years ago our family kept getting pushed from pillow to post.. Until I started asking for Medical records, school records and hospital records.. Only then did prick their ears up and start taking me seriously!
I have personally lost over 8years work at 40k/yr caring for someone… Should I and 100’s of thousands of other carers sue the government for loss of earnings? And moreover sue them for neglect? Because if I speak my mind they are guilty of neglect.
Does the hospital, local GP, or the Mental Health Teams FOLLOW up patients and make sure that they attend import appointments medicals, or blood tests, or reschedule aborted appointments..! We are talking about Mental Health patients who can not think straight. Some might even be homeless..!
Not every person with some Mental Health issues have self inflicted their own problems..
They are as helpless as children in need..
If we neglected children we would be all the news.. Why is an adult with M.H. Any less vulnerable?
And these contractors that are doing these DWP assessments need to be exposed and we should have the money totally reclaimed from them (as they are not fit for purpose)..
The reclaimed money should be used to help full fill unkept promises to fix. MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT.
Just one simple example of many videos that show what shambles this government is in terns of M.H.
https://youtu.be/TGvyJzcO3g0
There are many more examples..
I am one of those who has severe mental health issues, I have worked for 30 years and every day was a Major struggle you just hide it. Well after some recent events it all came crashing down and could not do hardly anything. I left my job as I couldn’t work I tried but after 10 or so sick days in the space of time I spoke with my boss who let me hand in my resignation due to my hard work I had put in for a Very long time.
I signed onto Esa. Just basic and was on this for around three months, health assessment by a kid who looked about 16 and just left school. He kindly scored me 0.
Worst thing they informed me two weeks later!!!! Told me I had to go on jobseekers. OK I went for mandatory reconsideration but same result. Then letters for tribunal and appeal etc came through. I’m not strong enough to go through all of that I can hardly get into a mental state to get ready and go to the local shops. So I went to JSA
Here’s to what’s remaining of my health at this time! Cheers and I hope you got your commission.
Another couple of months or do with the support I had to get also I probably could have pulled myself together.
Here’s to working your whole life and asking for the smallest bit of help from the government.
What a total and utter joke. The river looks inviting at this time of day.
Ive got my tribinel on Thursday as i scored O points at my accessment. I have depression just being diagnosed with epalepsy two bulldging discs in .my back i take tramadol and other medication had to move to a warden controlled flat were i have to wear a pendent in case of falls or seizure have to use aids in my flat and yet they think im fit anough to work what are my chances at the tribunel im worried sick cant eat or sleep with the stress .
I was on support group of was for 5 years now I had a assent of was now they put work cappty I am proundfully deaf suffers from blackouts have up to 5 day they still want me to work I had 2 @ the esa assent a few weeks ago now I ‘ve my pip so I appealing for that one as for esa my money has gone down by 45 pounds. the Dwp they don,t care about disabled people @ all. I ‘ve my no helping me with the appeal with pip also I ‘ve a welfare rights lady as well helping me too. I did work nearly 10 half years but they sacked me because of the blackouts which will never go away.
It truly is a Tory War on the poor, the unemployed and the disabled.
They seem to think they can justify anything in the name of work.
And they use the concept of so-called ‘work’, zero-hours and low pay,
as a useful cover for their great scheme of changing society.
Destroying the hated welfare state, privatising the NHS, and putting the
mass of the working-class back into their rightful place in society.
The same one they had in the 1930’s.
Where the fuck are the Labour Party, you know….the *Opposition* ? Why don’t they say something about all of this? At least tell us where they stand on scrapping Universal Credit (erm…or not).
The Labour Party are half the problem in this. First Gordon Brown, who wouldn’t resign when his own party begged him to do so. He’d rather see the Liberal Democrats get the Tories into power. Then the Ed Miliband years, pathetic appeasement of the Tories by the Labour Party. Voting for the 2012 Welfare Reform Act with the Tories. Doing nothing when the Disabled Living Allowance was stopped, looking the other way when the Work Capability Assessments were introduced. Watching Universal Credit get started, and doing nothing about it. But I will say this for Labour, they have made a spectacular job of doing nothing for a long, long time.
Couldn’t agree more. I don’t think Labour is keen to scrap UC. Pause, not scrap. Which means eff all.
Your right Labour started this, the Tories will now finish everyone of us off.
People hate disabled people, because of the press, trying to label us all fakes and lazy lay arounds..
Don’t people think.we’d much rather work, then live like this.
It’s like waiting for doomsday everyday. Living on a knife edge
Now they are also closing job centres. It will make face to face visits near impossible for some.
But on the upside those jobs worths who treat people like dirt will find out how it feels
I am having to go for another medical Ardent house hate that place so upsetting experience am on income support and care r for my husband was awarded pip but had my disabled car taken of me even though 20 years ago was awarded it for life joke. Anyway to cut a long story short am dreading going back as they will obviously try and take some of my benefit of me or god knows say I’m fit for work I’m really distraught about going but if I don’t will lose benefit dwp sick don’t care about individual just want to cross another one of the books pleases keep fingers crossed for me.
They’ve done exactly the same to me. I have severe mental health problems and have been refused on my mandatory reconsideration and am now in the process of an appeal. I attended a meeting with welfare rights to be told I’m wasting my time. Unless I’m house bound they won’t consider changing me back to the support group.
I’m on pip looking into working online for health reasons but first entering an online lottery to win money at the home visit I had dad their for support best desition ever I mainly use microwave or slow cooker rather than mainstream cooker well according to the letter I got back apparently this means I can’t cook wtf I will be using my vote and not for Tories I agree with the individual who said about great Britain being a joke if I win the lottery I’ll have to declair any money I win but I’m doing it and looking into working online I can use my tablet lying down with a hot water bottle
I applied for ESA in January got a text today saying my payment would go threw today but nothing
I also applied for PIP in April after the assessment it was declined and when reading threw the paper work and reasons for desicion I THINK THEY INTERVIEWED SOMEONE ELSE
The answers on paper work where 100% not the answers I gave
Was January I applied for ESA still dont have my payment and they only back date for 14 weeks 😬 in my calculations that’s about 8 months they have robbede of to give thereselve wonderful pay rises
I am trying to start a FB page on this and gather as many stories as possible
Tax & universal credits victim group
Not only for tax and universal but all issues, we owe £8000 according to tax credits even though the initial mistake was made by them? I informed them of the issue but was told all was ok. But now they are saying I didn’t. Oh and they have no evidence now apparently.
I could claim ESA if I wanted too in fact I did but because of all the mistakes I am now so worried there will be more I cancelled it.
We are also facing eviction because of landlord wanting property back, cannot rent anywhere else as now landlords will not take anyone on any benefit. Council are at best incompetent. Couple with 4 children me with a disability and a community serving wife yet we are way down the list.
Something needs to give even if it takes a civil non violent uprising.
Sadly familiar story. I spent all morning on the phone yesterday listening to Vivaldi and waiting for answers as to why I had not received a payment I was entitled to. I had to make three separate calls to three departments and in the end discovered a mistake by the DWP was the cause. I have serious mental health problems , am on two kinds of medication and my disabled partner whom I cared for full time died six weeks ago. I explained this on the phone hoping that the staffer would sort their mistake internally but no, they just shrugged and told me to call someone else.
The inequalities and injustice of our society sickens me daily and does nothing to stop me from having the kind of extreme pessimistic thoughts that have brought me to needing psychiatric help. Next stop for me will be to be told I’m fit for work while the rich and powerful encourage the rest to fight amongst ourselves so they can continue to exploit us all.
I can’t see the quoted text “We’re cutting your benefit, but won’t say why. Get your arse to the jobcentre” anywhere in the letter. If you’re paraphrasing you shouldn’t use quotation marks unless it was deliberate click bait.
It’s simply been paraphrased as an article heading. Which is more important, bringing these issues to public attention, as Kate is doing, or nitpicking the grammar ?
Two shorten the road – Traditional Irish proverb
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After 30 yrs as a civil servent and recently dismissed on grounds of mental health I applied for UC only to be told I am not entitled to a penny not even CTC for my son who suffers frm ADHD and ADD plus ODD. This is a stressful daily challenge for us both. I have very minimal savings which is dissapearing fast to pay my mortgage bills food etc. This is below the limit of what you can have. Come the New Year I will have nothing and will have to complete a new claim form which all takes time along with having someone to complete it for me. Thats GREAT Briton for ya looks after others only just arrived to this glorious country who get everythg starting with £205pw thats more than pensioners get. But for other sufferers and people in my situation you get fek all. Why dont they just chops the likes of us up and feed us to the FAT PIGS of Westminster cant have them going hungry and without
I had an ESA medical almost 3 weeks ago, still waiting to hear. I am on PIP as well as getting the severe disability premium added to my ESA.
I’ve got depression, a heart problem, bad breathing problem when moving about, have anxiety and panic attacks, am reliant on my car to get about, shoulder, neck and back problem and carpul tunel in both hands and diabetic.
My support worker came with me to medical and he said the doctor who carried it out covered everything, and really did her job well.
As well as dreading what will happen, the wait for the envelope to come is stressful. I will let you know the outcome
I suffer from severe depression & anxiety,osteoarthritis in back & legs & arthritis in arms n neck & shoulders I was pulled in for esa medical & deemed fit for work, & i be been left without a penny for 13wks, my child tax credits & benefit is supposed to b enough for me to live on for 4weekly, been to foodbank twice, I wish I was able & fit to work but due to my health I’m not, these medical assessment people shouldn’t decide if we’re fit or not it should be our own gp who knows us & our conditions.
The Labour Party is like a country bus service. You wait a long time for a battered old bus to come along. It’s not very good. But it’s all there is.
I am waiting for a pip assesment have received it for 3 years as have secondary scoliosis after Harrington rod was fitted 45 years ago & is now causing me serious pain in lower back ? What should I be prepared for or what’s the best approach to this assesment ? If anyone can help I would appreciate your feedback as I do not get any other benefits. Regards Jon
I have my interview with maximus next week, i suffer from non-epileptic attack disorder and i expect to have my esa removed 🙁 when I spoke to the dwp about my concerns, they outright sidelined my concerns over a relatively unknown condition I felt that those at the dwp are ignoring the problems with maximus decisions 🙁
I have bipolar disorder and generalised anxiety disorder (worse than it sounds!) I had to leave part time work in April. I could no longer do my job and was never there. My health was bad then but the whole benefits system has made me far, far worse. I have now missed 3 health assessments because I can’t leave the house most of the time. Why is it so hard to claim something I paid into? I will never be fit for work at this rate!