UC gives disabled people just two years to find a job – or lose EVERYTHING
The Department for Work and Pensions office in London.
Skwawkbox has an alarming report today, showing that Universal Credit is rigged to do maximum harm to people with disabilities, in a very short time.
A source has told the site that UC contains what’s known as a “JSA [Jobseekers’ Allowance] equivalent time-out clause” that gives claimants just 24 months to find a job – or they will be sanctioned for an entire year.
That’s right: This means people with disabilities, who may be unable to take a job because of their condition, or who may be refused a job because of it, could be thrown off-benefit, with no means of support at all.
Skwawkbox reports that the claim was corroborated by an “insider” within the DWP.
It seems that claimants in the Work-Related Activity Group (WRAG) are in danger: “If WRAG claimants haven’t found work within two years, under the new rules they will be sanctioned for a year.”
Skwawkbox writer Steve Walker puts this into context:
Blanket, deadline-based sanctioning of 100% of the people put into a group by a medical assessment that is widely considered arbitrary.
That’s right – the assessment system is fatally flawed and is basically a matter of whether the person carrying out the test has met their quota of people to remove from benefit on that day.
The sanction (allegedly) cuts off claimants’ life-supporting benefits after two years. They are then left to survive on what resources are available to them, and then to die when those resources run out.
And you know what the worst part is?
The government does not monitor the health of former claimants beyond a narrow, two-week period around the time when they are notified that their claim will cease. If a disabled person dies, as a result of having their benefit sanctioned, but after that two-week period, the government will never accept blame for the death.
But if it won’t willingly do so, it should be made to.
It is social murder.
Vox Political would like to appeal for those of you who know a person in this situation to keep a very close watch on their health and well-being. Keep a diary of changes in their situation due to the actions of the DWP. And, if they are sanctioned off-benefit under these rules, take careful note of what happens to them afterwards.
Evidence. That’s what we need – and lots of it.
Otherwise the murderers will get away with it.
I expect they’re already calling it the perfect crime.
NOTE: Some readers have contacted me to question the information in the Skwawkbox article. I have therefore written to the Department for Work and Pensions, requesting clarity.
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Without doubt these Tories are evil b*****ds, absolutely evil.
Everyone who voted Tory has blood on their hands. No ifs no buts.
This is awful, if true.
So we need more to go on.
Can we be sure of your source? Do you have any corroborating evidence?
Please don’t resort to sensationalism, if this turns out to be false, the system is horrific enough as it is.
Yes I like the term Social Murder as used recently to describe the tower block deaths it is a more suitable term and far more appropriate than just murder.
disgusting. just wondering though…can they still claim housing benefit under that sanction? would at least be a roof over their heads. though gas electric food…. thats another matter.
Yes! The claimant needs to reapply and declare 0% income.
Try finding social housing of any description. The Cons have the worst social housing builds score than any government which must be part of the master plan or the majority of Councils are run by Cons who will not invest in new housing. The Cons have also attacked the private rented sector such many are moving out and it is the poor and vulnerable that will suffer not the professional renters. Meanwhile the media remain silent doing their masters bidding in not publicising damning news against the Cons.
It sounds like a First degree murder to me,
I was on the esa even though I was disable and couldn’t hold a job down, I WAS HARRASSED, BY the DWP to get work it took me about two years and developed Vascular Dementia, when I received a letter of my diagnosis and passed it over to DWP on my works appointments and the look on the fella doing my interview was sooo sad to read my letter, he genuinely sulked, he said I won’t be able to deal with this, gave my letter back and told me to it, lol, I can’t remember where to.Next came ATOS DONT GIVE ATOS, HOME INTERVEIW AND THAT WAS THAT SORTED. So let’s keep fighting the powers that be.
I have emailed my MP about the Skwawkbox article to ask him to ask the DWP to verify or deny it, and I don’t want the usual platitudes and obfuscation from the DWP.
A lot of Work Coaches are on UC & have to see another Work Coach because they also have to fill out a claimant commitment form.
Once PIP & ESA transfers onto UC they will need to fill out a claimant commitment form & look for work. UC means no one is sick or disabled. Also it brings down the unemployment figures because while on UC you are not a unemployment figure.
If you can fart you can press a button by farting
The Tories with the DWP, ATOS & MAXIMUS will cure disability with Work Pays the DUP. Maximus £500Million a year DWP contract is getting a bonus of £500Million once the year is up.
Sanctions on disabled people for not getting a job is illegal under the UN Human Rights Act & the UK`s Equality Laws.
Social Murder – DWP Assisted Suicide – Genocide of the disabled – Corporate Manslaughter.
Getting well past 40,000 DWP deaths as a result of the Welfare Reforms of 2010.
Tory Genocide that makes Hitler look like a saint. Because the Tories have killed not only 40,000 disabled but many more ten of thousands with Bedroom Tax – Universal Credit – Housing Benefit – Child Poverty – Ethnic Cleansing & Human Rights Breaches.
Denial Factories Kill.
The reason nobody will have heard of this before is because it isn’t true. DPAC members are currently trying to get Skwawkbox to amend or delete the article as otherwise it will cause a great deal of concern and upset. As DPAC member Anita Bellows told me ‘there is nothing in the law which provides for that’ or as @Refuted more bluntly calls it fake news
I know Anita and she hasn’t got in touch with me. In any case I have written to the DWP. We’ll get to the bottom of it.
I’m not happy with independent journalists and writers making claims that they haven’t verified, especially about policy. Disabled people have a lot to be frightened about atm, as it is. We certainly don’t need the added problem of people writing inaccurate articles about policies that don’t exist. It’s needlessly distressing for us, and this has angered me.
There is a huge amount of uncertainty about this.
I have submitted a FOI request about it – but the DWP tells me it is unlikely to respond before August 14.
In the meantime, from the reports I’ve seen, DWP staff are confused about what they’re doing.
I should add that the original Skwawkbox article included comments from two separate sources, including one within the DWP.
I agree. This sounds too implausible to be true. Even if it were true any Judge in any British court would throw it out on grounds of discrimination. While the Tories might be quite happy to do such things if they could get away with it after Grenfall and the disasters associated with Universal Credit’s roll-out (which the government is still in denial about and trying to sell to the public as a success) I can’t believe that, with no big majority, even the Conservatives would dare to be quite so openly cruel given the state of play.
They’re determined to kill every last one of us I’m sure… Whats going to happen in the near future when most jobs use robots to do the work?
They’ll be a lot of redundant people what will happen to them? The future us scary..
don’t surprise me, they have been doing similar all along under ESA sanctioning people removing there entitlements, they are not benefits they are entitlements that the disabled people should receive. What people have to do is record there meetings and phone calls so when things go wrong you can claim against who made the wrongs decisions against you, have the names and qualification’s of the doctors when you attend a medical so you can hold them responsible for the examination if they do not write it all up and explain your condition correctly , hence why I say demand that the meeting is recorded for both your sakes , these people who work for the DWP have been known to lie massively to meet targets. I have had first hand knowledge with these people DWP I have helped a few people out to get back there money and there entitlements that they do not want to help you with, I would like to add please find the help from others that are knowledgeable on disability as when you are genuine the help is there eventually for most,,,, all the best
Mike, this needs to be verified so I sent an urgent FoI to the DWP and also asked John Pring, of Disability News Service, to phone that department.
I’ve also sent a request for information to the DWP.
A worker at cab with a law degree and says she’s a welfare rights officer says this is fake news. They would have heard about it at the cab. You’ve made me worried sick tonight even having dark thoughts. Be careful what you write without proof as its got very vulnerable people really worried.
I considered it worth passing on, because it is better to be aware of a possible threat and then find out it has been overstated than it is to be unaware and then be taken by surprise. Steve Walker over at Skwawkbox clearly trusts his sources, otherwise he would not have published the article. I have requested clarity from the DWP.
Thank you Mike, I have contacted Karl Turner’s office. A member of his team are looking into it. If it is true, it will be brought up in parliament. He has said he is also looking forward to the summer recess, because that is when the Tories are going to fight like a pack of wild injured animals! Things could be different afterwards.
There won’t be an election this year though, unfortunately, though I still harbour hopes that he is wrong!
They the dwp the tories realy are…..monsters…how can or could people so powerfull bully harras or leave destitute someone who is disabled ….there so f..king twisted….thats what they the dwp and tories are….f..king twisted…..bitter twisted inadaquates they deliberately harm people who cant fight back the most vulnerable
This is the US system.
which explains the dominance of US companies sniffing around these so called services…. especially the NHS
That wouldn’t last for long since it is obviously discriminatory in respect to the sick and disabled and could be challenged in court. The DWP would appeal and appeal but eventually lose. Dangerous and deadly nastiness like this simply couldn’t stand.
Also on Evolve Politics
New Tory rules for Disabled Universal Credit claimants: Get a job or lose all money for a year
http://evolvepolitics.com/new-tory-rules-disabled-universal-credit-claimants-get-job-lose-money-year/
Yes, they cited the same source – Skwawkbox blog. Someone will need to put right the error if it is found out, as I suspect, to be wrong
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look on the bright side if you get to survive the DWP your get a visit from Kate and William NO DOUBT ?