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What some have been asking for, but others have feared.

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anotheoldgit | 10:17 Mon 04th Apr 2011 | News
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http://tinyurl.com/3c7zxz8

Thousands of letters will go out this week to recipients of incapacity benefit.

Will this be what the country needs or will it prove to be a failure?
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There are plenty of ways the Government could save money from the other end of the social spectrum, why target the most vulnerable in society?
Question Author
Well what do you suggest they do?

Carry on with the present system of which many cheats, are costing millions, while at the same time continuously depriving genuine claimants of a proper living allowance?
This is why the 'entire' system needs overhauling.
It's far too easy to grab hold of one part and say that you are going to rid the system of all the cheats and fiddlers.
Yes, I'm not disputing there are some cheating the system, but then there are cheats in parliament claiming dodgy expenses, there are cheats in big business avoiding taxes, target those before you hit on the weak.
well i for one am all for it.

We have at last a government who seems to trying its damnest to tackle this problem. Here's hoping they succeed.
I'm not saying that they shouldn't try.
I just have grave reservations about quite 'how' it would be implemented.......
what about the guy who won his football team the league by scoring a diving header but is unable to work through a neck injury and has claimed over 1 million in benefits! it would take most people 50years to earn this sort of money so why should he just be given it!
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alleath

Excuse me I was in no way generalising that many many claimants are feckless work-shy scroungers, that would be just silly.

Of course there are many, many who would love to be able to enjoy the good health that is needed to work, but then there are many who are just scroungers, and this fact that cannot be denied.

Take yourself for instance how could I possibly know that you would love to get back into work, or that you were too sick to do so? I take offence to your suggestion that I was being insulting in any way whatsoever, also that I said that if they should drop the sick's benefit to £60 per week, and that all claimants of ESA (whatever that is) are scroungers.

These accusations are a complete fabrication on your part, and I demand an apology.
But in AOG's defence, the figures already found seem to back up the theory that there are feckless workshy scroungers out there....

"Of 1,626 claimants assessed in “work capability” trials in Burnley and Aberdeen, 32 per cent were found fit to work immediately and were placed on the less generous Jobseeker’s Allowance."
My concerns run more to illnesses dificult to diagnose, treat etc ( ME springs to mind) and to varying mental illnesses. Many people with mental health issues cna function perfectly well one day but be in a state of utter flux and inability to funciton another. If you take their assessment on a ' good' day they'd be fit for work but of course not really- this will have massive fall out for those people and for the country as a whole if that is how we choose to treat some of the most vulnerable people in society.
<<Of 1,626 claimants assessed in “work capability” trials in Burnley and Aberdeen, 32 per cent were found fit to work immediately and were placed on the less generous Jobseeker’s Allowance.>>

On the face of it, that statement seems cut and dried. However, there will be people who have 'real' physical difficulties who will have been seen for 5 minutes and declared 'fit for work'. It's a non-qualified statement and makes it sound as if they have all been swinging the lead and came scampering out of the examination room...
Surely then Jack they can appeal the decision and go on to have further, more indepth, tests?

I'm afraid, i have nothing but admiration, for anyone who's attempting to tackle this massive problem, one which we can ill afford. Sure there might be hiccups along the way, but unless they try to rectify it, we'll be forever in the crapper.

instead of moaning, does anyone else, who dislikes this plan, have a better one?
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/// There are plenty of ways the Government could save money from the other end of the social spectrum, why target the most vulnerable in society? ///

The idle layabouts are not the most vulnerable in society, and it is these that the government are targeting not the genuine claimants.

As regards other ways that the government could save money, or the subject of their expenses, or from the other end of the social spectrum, have all been debated in the past, and don't come under this present discussion.
AOG

No apologies.
The appeal process is lengthy and weighted against you from the start.
Whatever the 'success' figures that are trumpeted about initially you can bet your bottom dollar that there will be a sizeable amount quietly 're-entitled' and the cost of the exercise will take a chunk out of any savings.
Maybe Jack, it may become a failure, but they're trying! Can't knock 'em for that. As I've asked, does anyone else have a better plan they can implement instead?
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Nox,

/// If you take their assessment on a ' good' day they'd be fit for work but of course not really- ///

Yes I can see where you are coming from, but I don't think the assessments will be that strict.

In a mental health issue such as that where the patient fluctuates from day to day, surely they will have medical and psychiatric records to back up on their condition.
Question Author
B00

/// As I've asked, does anyone else have a better plan they can implement instead? ///

I also BOO but I am still waiting.
Question Author
alleath

/// No apologies.///

Nothing more than I expected, perhaps I have said something that has upset you, I was wondering why "Maybe you doth protest too much"
A statement that is often quoted by those on invalidity benefit or similar is : " How would you critics like to live on £90 a week ? " Which would be a fair comment if true but in reality they don't . There are numerous other benefits that automatically become available as soon as you they are " on benefit ". Housing benefit being a major one where your rent is paid as an example.

My ex-neighbour lost his job,( aged 52 ), he saw his GP who gave him sick notes for six months when he automatically was transferred to invalidity benefit and he never had another medical . He was fit and healthy, played tennis regularly , had an allotement , ran a car , enjoyed foreign holidays. Last year he was 65 and is now on his retirement pension.
The last time I saw him he said " Now at last no one can call me a scrounger . "

From the government's point of view he was not counted as unemployed, which suited both Tory and Lab parties when they were in power.

There are genuine claiments but there are thousands who were/are not.

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