When welfare is warfare

Stories are doing the rounds that DWP are not following the own regulations in dealing with PIP claims.

Several stories going around but the gist is that mandatory reconsiderations are  being sent out before claimants have decison  notices. They didn't ask for one, because the law says you can't before you have a decision notice. MR is the first part of the appeal process. It is for claimants  not DWP to decide if this step is taken.  It is in my opinion a cynical and dangerous attempt to squander claimants rights, and ensure they face an appeal wasting public funds. Instead the aim should be to improve the decision making process, to reduce the need for the appeal process to be used, and where it is, resolving disputes at the earliest opportunity, making it a quicker, cheaper and less stressful process.

This is very serious because it denies the right to defend rights, the right to challange. It is another flaw in a flawed system, the purpose of which seems to be to deny those who qualify their rightful enritlement. The aim should be to support those who need it, instead the process seems hellbent on proving that nobody does. It should be radically changed before it isn't used because blanket refusal becomes a given.

Original Source Disability News Service

Action not reflection needed

As civil servants faced the UN Committee on the Rights of Disabled People and faced criticism, the Government have pledged to reflect on its failure to engage with disabled people and their organisations.  It is nowhere near enough, and lack of engagement is not the only serious failing

After tens of thousands of deaths, and many more disabled and vulnerable people seriously harmed urgent action is needed to stop further welfare related deaths.

The Govenment has a record of hiding death rates and other information that hides the truth of the dangers of this regime. It is currently pursuing court action to hide a Work Capability Assessment outcome report in order to protect commercisl.inrerests. Those who facilitate this regime should not be protected, those subject to the risks of it must be.

Many of those subject to the punitive regime had genuine reasons for not complying. Some were in hospital seriously ill, even close to death, or they had already died before being sanctioned. Some had appointments cancelled or rearranged by contractors but still face sanctions for not attending the original assessment. Othera had genuine disability related reasons such as mental health that affected their ability to comply, not being able to read letters, or not being able to access assistance with claims. This is meant to allowed for instead many were sactioned. Not having money to pay rent or buy food puts people at serious risk. Many have lost their homes or been malnourished, some starved to death.

A court decison found those needing assistance because of psychological distress should qualify for PIP, or get increased payments. The government response was to change criteria to exclude those claiments from PIP. Other such changes have been made when Government decided too many people qualified under equipment provisions.

Many Government policies involving cuts  have been aimed at disabled and vulnerable people and despite many demands the Govern refused to carry out a culmative risk assessment.

There were concerns about the effects of the WCA expressed, and known to the Government they were ignored, many claimaints paid the ultimate price.

David Gauke, Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, lied in parliament only recently that PIP appeals were low, on the day they reached record levels. Around 2/3 are successful. They clearly want to hide the fact the system is failing, and more so that challenges to it are mainly successful.

The time for reflection is over, there must be speedy and definite action to correct a system that causes serious harm to those it is designed to support. The welfare system itself is not fit for work. This must stop, there must be no more deaths.

Source Disability News Service

No more welfare deaths, act now

David Metcalf had  mental health conditions that meant he could not work for nine years. He was found dead on a beach after his sickness benefits were stopped.The coroner gave an open verdict unsure if Mr Metcalf had meant to enter the water. He had recently been seen by mental workers and police after concerns were raised after  he gave personal documents to someone saying he didn't need them anymore. I hope he rests in peace.

He is just one of tens of thousands of people who have died shortly after their benefits have stopped. Some committed suicide, some died of their assessed conditions, having been assessed as fit for work, or having lost disability benefits because they were no longer deemed to have the appeopriate care and mobility needs to qualify. Many thousands more hsve suffered serious harm for the same reasons, either by self harm or because their assessed conditions have worsened through being made to seek or undertake work, or not having the care or mobility support they need. How many more will be allowed to die or be harmed?

The Government know that concerns have been raised about the WCA the test for ESA, and that appeals against PIP decisons are at their highest levels with around two thirds having benefits reinstated or increased. The Government is being investigated by the UN for human rights abuse of disabled people. The Government have, and continue to hide damaging welfare statistics that would tell the truth about their dangerous regime.

If this isn't enough for them to be stopped nothing ever will be. If people aren't angry enough to fight for rights it will be too late. There must be no more deaths, too many have paid with their lives. Nobody can predict if they will ever need the support of the welfare state, if we don't act now future claimants may not survive the experience.

PIP petition please support the Labour Campaign

Please sign and share the petition to ensure disabled people get the support tbey need. The Conservatives are trying to overturn a court ruling so that they can stop 160K getting the level of PIP or personal.Independance Payment they are entitled to.