Disability Benefit Is 'Broken'

[Strokes]

The mother of her 18 yr old daughter who has learning disability, autism and epilepsy made this video of her going through a ESA/PIP questionnaire. Most of the questions on what she can do she answered 'yes' even though she did not understand what some words meant. Full article here 

She was lucky that she had someone  to help her with the form.

 

https://youtu.be/w7lUdGe1shU

Yeah it seems ridiculous to send someone a form that has mental health issues, surely the form should be aimed at her guardian/carer.

[Rincewind]

The trouble is it is all computerised. The forms are standard and sent automatically to all those on the old DLA and no account is taken into what the reason was. I know a couple of people that have been signed off long term. They are savvy though and able to give 'legitimate' reasons. One has sanitary issues and says it means that he is eligible without question. The other has problems with his legs and on painkillers. Both manage to get about pub to pub. I am not saying they do not deserve it just that they know how to fill a form in to get it. Many do not and the worry of it makes them worse.

I don't know if the form contains questions about mental conditions but if a person living on their own has them how can they fill the form in right? Asking a question like 'can you pick up an empty box?' has nothing to do with it. Most people can pick up a box but it does not mean they know what to do with it afterwards.

Because of a lot of bad publicity people are now scared of going for assessments but the ones i mentioned are not. The second person uses his late mother's walking frame when going for a check up. It is more exaggerating his condition than trying to give false information. His condition can change day to day.  

[Rincewind]

Do immigrants come here for benefits? According to this the UK is one of the least generous in Western Europe.

Too late to read it in detail now and it is the Mirror. Sorry.I cannot give an opinion at this time.

 

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/britains-benefits-among-least-generous-7390983

[Ross-Kemp]

I know a couple of people that have been signed off long term. They are savvy though and able to give 'legitimate' reasons.

One has sanitary issues and says it means that he is eligible without question. The other has problems with his legs and on painkillers.

Both manage to get about pub to pub.

The second person uses his late mother's walking frame when going for a check up. It is more exaggerating his condition than trying to give false information. His condition can change day to day.

Ken, have you reported these people?

[Rincewind]

Ken, have you reported these people?

No. Because I do not  know the full extent of their disability. All I  was saying that from the POV of a person that does not know they seem OK. One does use a walking stick now and has good and bad days. The other has to carry bags around for toiletry needs.  It does not mean they are confined to home in a wheelchair.

I just cannot understand how so many  fail to qualify when their condition is much more obvious.

Maybe I should have said the walking frame part was a rumour.

[DJ Barry Hammond]

Ken - to be fair, given the stories behind these claimant tests and the like, I'd make sure I had everything in my favour going into one, even if it did mean hamming it up a little.

We've all put on an ensensuated "sick voice" when phoning into the office on a morning... even if we are actually quite ill. It's a natural psychological reaction, because people want to be believed, but with an illness it isn't always obvious from the outside - so people will put on additional visual or audio clues.

[Rincewind]

Ken - to be fair, given the stories behind these claimant tests and the like, I'd make sure I had everything in my favour going into one, even if it did mean hamming it up a little.

We've all put on an ensensuated "sick voice" when phoning into the office on a morning... even if we are actually quite ill. It's a natural psychological reaction, because people want to be believed, but with an illness it isn't always obvious from the outside - so people will put on additional visual or audio clues.

I agree  but my point was that I am a member pf a group on Facebook and everyday there are people worrying themselves over going for PIP or ESA tests. Some list multiple medical conditions and some are waiting for appeals to be resolved. These cases are often won on appeal mainly because they produce more evidence. Some are not in a position to know who to ask for help, They may live on their own with some mental disorder and do not want to share their problems with strangers. The stress of  waiting then going through a test makes matters worse. Did you see the video I posted of a mother going through questions with her 18 year old mentally ill daughter? There were questions like can you pick a pen up? Ccan you pick an empty box up? Other questions she did not understand yet still answered  yes. If there was noone to help with the form she would be passed fit by an assessor.

The two I mentioned most likely had their medical records with them and they would have said OK all is in order come back in two years.

[Rincewind]

Just watched a programme that was on last night presented by Ian Hislop called Workers or Shirkers. Shows how difficult the welfare system is_{. Some of the ideas that} were brought in during the Victorian era were similar to today. That is not knocking the present government. It is that different reformers had their own way to tackle the problem of poverty one extreme as the other.

 

This is on BBC Iplayer http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b076vtmz/workers-or-shirkers-ian-hislops-victorian-benefits

 

I thought I had posted this but cannot find where.