Man had benefits docked because he was having surgery

We all know this is a ridiculous situation, with the exception of the DWP. For them to not understand the stupidity of progressing with sanctions when there are plausible reasons, proves they are beyond comprehension and any reasonable organisation would implement changes to ensure these ridiculous situations do not continue to reoccur. But we are dealing with a Government department who are beyond comprehension and have no desire to change no matter how foolish they appear.

This is not about saving money, reducing dependence on benefits, promoting independence or any other supposed aspects, but purely to cause harm, distress and even death of disabled and vulnerable people.

There is no shred of humanity in any of these policies.

Man criticises Government after being found ‘fit to work’ while on Universal Credit.

Both Jakes GP and the mental health charity Healthy Minds are currently stating that he is not fit to work, but the DWP are solely relying on the evidence of a doctor who saw him for some 40 mins. Who knows if this doctor has any knowledge of mental health issues.

Also as Jake say is his state of dress any bearing on his ability to work and his mental health, they are just clutching at straws to bring as many persons into the ‘fit to work’ category as they can irrespective of whether they are totally fit to work. For days follow days and with some mental health issues how you are one day will not be the same you are the next or the next, even through one day you can go through many degrees of fitness due to your mental health conditions.

They should leave health assessments to the health experts and not just use someone who may be more concerned with their employment with DWP than the health of the individual they are assessing.

The DWP are just abusing their position and are abusers to many claimants.

You’re losing everything – but you don’t understand why : BBC News

A run of bad luck leaves one man struggling to make sense of the UK benefits system. Very soon he is left with no income and at risk of losing the roof over his head. Can he find his way through a bafflingly complex maze of rules? Put yourself in his shoes.

Your name is Tony Rice. You’re the sort of bloke who gets along with everyone. Always making people laugh. Ever since you left school you’ve been in and out of all sorts of jobs. Manual labour, mostly – builder, dustman, crane driver, painter and decorator. Hawker Siddeley, the aerospace company – you like it there, until the factory shuts.

You split up with your girlfriend so you ask your mum to put you up until you can sort out a flat. Save a few quid. You’re very close to your mum and dad. They’re your best friends, really. Your dad has lung cancer and needs a bit of looking after. You take him for a drive most days because he doesn’t like staying in all the time. He’s like you, not a man to sit about. At one time he worked three jobs, all at once. Still does half an hour each morning in the garden.

So you’re back in the council house in Chingford, north-east London, that you’ve

 

Source: You’re losing everything – but you don’t understand why : BBC News

EU vows to save Iran deal, fears for North Korea mediation – Middle East – Jerusalem Post

The European Union already has members of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps under sanctions, which Trump on Friday singled out as he detailed a more aggressive approach to Tehran.

Source: EU vows to save Iran deal, fears for North Korea mediation – Middle East – Jerusalem Post

Sanctioned for not being able to sign on on bank holiday Monday. Tears, frustration and rain.

The poor side of life

Today’s demo started rather hurriedly and to be honest I didn’t know if I was coming or going. This feeling was amplified because it was cold, rainy and my daughter was a bit fed up. understandable of course. But she soon settled down into our usual routine and all was well.

We are seeing a lot of new faces due to Stalybridge Jobcentre shutting. They don’t know us and what we are doing, and we don’t know them or their situations either. So we have to start from scratch, which at times isn’t easy.  But it’s a whole lot harder for them.

I started a conversation with a man who had been previously attending Stalybridge Jobcentre for his appointments. The first thing that he said to me was that he couldn’t believe how rude the front desk staff are at  Ashton Jobcentre, and how rude some of the advisors are also…

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Pushed to the Brink – Black Triangle Campaign

Alice Kirby tells Ruth Hunt how DWP benefit assessment practices contribute to the deterioration of claimants’ mental health, causing an increase in suicidal feelings

Of late, there have been great strides made regarding the understanding of mental illness and suicide, attempted suicide and suicidal feelings. Unfortunately, this hasn’t reached the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), despite its “disability-confident” slogans.

You would think it would want to avoid any more bad press but this dysfunctional and dangerous department can’t seem to help it, especially with regard to the now-notorious Work Capability Assessment (WCA) for Employment Support Allowance (ESA) and the Personal Independence Payment (PIP) assessment.

Recent research conducted by Jemina Napier from Edinburgh’s Heriot-Watt University has found that the ESA assessment process “caused a deterioration in people’s mental health, which individuals did not recover from. In the worst case, the WCA experience led to thoughts of suicide.”

Debbie Abrahams, shadow secretary for Work and Pensions, said this proved the system is “not only unfit for purpose but is causing harm to some disabled people.”

The despair and suicidal feelings some people experience are hardly surprising as they live for months with the threat of financial insecurity hanging over them. Once on such benefit, they still face arbitrary and bewildering decisions to sanction them by removing their benefit for a period of time.

A freedom of information request in 2013 showed that six out of 10 sanctions were given to those with a mental health condition and/or a learning disability — so when Tories talk about the “safety net’ for the vulnerable, those affected know it’s so threadbare many fall through.

Suicide and suicidal feelings are complex — often there is more than a single reason why someone takes their own life. Research has pointed to various indicators that would alert a nurse or doctor. Financial insecurity or the threat of financial insecurity — the brown envelope on the doormat — and previous suicide attempts should be an automatic red flag.

Thankfully, most organisations and mental health professionals have moved on from the days where suicidal feelings or attempted suicide were seen as just “attention seeking.”

However, the DWP is one of those organisations still stuck in the past. Its WCA and PIP assessments are based on an outdated medical model of disability, with little interest being shown in what actually disables someone.

It takes a lot of courage for someone to reply to questions about suicidal feelings and/or suicide attempts especially in the high-pressured environment of a benefits assessment, but we have to ask why these questions are asked at all.

Source: Pushed to the Brink – Black Triangle Campaign

Another must lose – DPAC

For He Who Is Winning, Another Must Lose A song about social justice (or the lack thereof). Written and performed by Ryan Fox. (Lyrics below) Rich is a wolf, he cheats and he steals He’s jolly well banking on insider deals He lies in his den with a grin full of sin As Sarah the… Continue Reading Another must lose

Source: Another must lose – DPAC

New Labour shadow reveals PMQs access nightmare… and ‘social model’ ignorance | DisabledGo News and Blog

Labour’s new shadow minister for disabled people has spoken about her new role, and the access problems she faces as a disabled MP during prime minister’s questions. Marie Rimmer, one of parliament’s few disabled MPs, was appointed to the role on 1 February, less than two years after she was elected for the first time as MP for St Helens South and Whiston. Born in St Helens, she is a former trade union shop steward and became a Labour councillor in 1978. She led St Helens Council for a total of nearly 20 years over three spells. She told Disability News Service that she does not under-estimate the importance of her new position as shadow minister, or “the magnitude of the role”. “We have got a government that since 2010 has systematically burdened , taken away from finances, affected their housing, their independence… “They seem to have very little understanding of disabled people, and the fact that they are human beings,” she says. Although she did not speak out frequently in the

Source: New Labour shadow reveals PMQs access nightmare… and ‘social model’ ignorance | DisabledGo News and Blog

Sister launches judicial review claim in bid for sanctions death inquest | DisabledGo News and Blog

The sister of a disabled man who died after being left destitute by having his benefits sanctioned has launched a high court legal challenge over a coroner’s refusal to hold an inquest into his death. David Clapson, who had diabetes, died in July 2013 as a result of an acute lack of insulin, three weeks after having his jobseeker’s allowance sanctioned. Because he had no money, he couldn’t afford to pay for electricity that would have kept the fridge where he kept his insulin working, in the height of summer, and he had also run out of food. An autopsy held after his death found his stomach was empty, and the only food left in his flat in Stevenage was six tea bags, a tin of soup and an out-of-date can of sardines. He had just £3.44 left in his bank account. But despite the circumstances of his death, and clear links with the sanctions system, no inquest was ever held, even though DWP admitted that it knew he was insulin-dependent. Now Clapson’s sister, Gill Thompson, has issued a

Source: Sister launches judicial review claim in bid for sanctions death inquest | DisabledGo News and Blog

DWP Apologise And Cancel Assessment Of “Three Year Old” Georgina

Unfortunately the DWP are not listening or more likely do not care, for they are solely interested in removing any persons from benefits without any valid justification.

Benefits are there for a reason and that is to ensure the persons receiving benefits have some contribution to lead a reasonable life, but who defines reasonable.

There may be and are some wicked people who do claim benefits, which they have no justification to receive, but in the total of the numbers receiving benefits these people represent a very small number. It is these people the DWP should be targeting and not persons who are correctly claiming these benefits.

It is a pity that the Government officials do not undertake the same strength of effort to sanction MPs and Lords in their claiming of expenses.

Same Difference

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