Disabled benefit claimants are sidelined* again as DWP assessors diverted to Universal Credit
Once again the Tory government shafts people with disabilities.
More than a quarter of a million people who should be receiving sickness and/or disability benefits are falling into debt because the DWP is forcing them to wait for a decision while it deals with coronavirus-related Universal Credit claims.
Yes – it is important to help the people claiming UC because the government’s lockdown deprived them of their income. We must not hold a grudge against them because they were dumped in a bad situation.
But the Tory government has a responsibility of care – in which it failed by diverting staff to handle UC and cutting PIP (Personal Independence Payment) and ESA (Employment and Support Allowance) claimants adrift.
Why not just divert staff who would have been working in job centres? Why not employ somebody new, on a temporary basis, if necessary?
These are rhetorical questions.
The answer is that no Conservative government will lift a finger to help people with illnesses and disabilities if it can find an excuse not to.
People who are physically or mentally infirm are unable to work for Tory-supporting employers and are therefore of no use to that party.
As Tories consider all working people to be nothing more than “stock”, we may conclude that they consider sick or disabled people to be defective stock, and therefore fit only to be scrapped.
This is the only rational explanation for the way Tories have treated people who deserve as much respect as anybody else.
The worst of it is that these overlooked claimants probably expect to receive attention as soon as the coronavirus crisis ends. This is doubtful; the Tories will find another excuse to make them wait.
Reason: making sick and disabled people wait is a great way of making them die, without any fear of blame.
Figures published by the DWP in response to a parliamentary written question show that as of 27 April there were 166,630 personal independence payment (PIP) claimants with either an assessment scheduled or awaiting scheduling. As of 4 May, 101,910 people were waiting on employment support allowance (ESA) claims.
Charities are also concerned that people who are trying to appeal decisions to reduce their sickness and disability benefits are facing longer than usual delays.
*Feel free to read in a more colourful verb of your choice.
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40 days was the reply from dwp on m d .ops I asked my ex-service personal how long 40 days on his decision on his pip claim which was declined by dwp has the very highly trained HCP underscored him how quaint nah it’s happening to often but they found another way of screwing the sick disabled mentally ill
Thanks for raising this issue. DWP axed my ESA in February after one of their bogus assessments. I requested a Mandatory Reconsideration but have to wait until 19th May for their decision. This automatically hit my housing benefit too.
I fear if they turn me down and I have to appeal, I will be unable to return to university in September for my final year. This would leave me with 2 years of student debt and no degree. Worse still, I’d have to apply for UC.
It’s been a total nightmare and the stress has severely impacted my studies, on top of the difficulty and stress of trying to study from home during lockdown.
If the Social Security system wasn’t such a train wreck to begin with these problems wouldn’t arise to such an extent. It’s coming unstuck because of all the damage the Tories have previously done to Welfare. They should have introduced a Universal Basic Income.
I know it’s not your fault Mike but there is an advert now appearing on here that is intended to mislead, making out that “Seniors” can/should “claim a new Benefit”, but it’s an advert for life Insurance to cover funeral costs. It is presented as though it is announcing a new form of Benefit (uses those words) and looks quasi-Official. I don’t usually take any notice of the Ads but this is appalling.
That’s not a lot to go on. I can block ads but I need to know who they’re for. If you see it again – or any other reader – please let me know the brand name or web address of the advertiser, and I’ll have a look with a view to blocking it.
Well done fascist tories for continuing to murder thousands and thousands of disabled women and men who have ‘no commercial value!’ Remember government for over 10 years has been only about pursuing/promoting male owned corporate business interests.
Government working for the people ended over 10 years ago and now fascist tories are ridding themselves of all those ‘worthless women and men’ because only the able bodied women and men matter – provided they continue working and increase the fascist tories wealth!
“Male owned” corporate business interests?
If you continue with this misandry, I’m going to have to stop you from commenting here. This site does not support sexism.
The company appears to be called ‘Funeral Planning’ but it’s not showing the same Ad on their site as what was being shown on here.
https://funeral-planning.co.uk/2020/01/Funerals/FP_M11?tracker=ADTOPIA&pixel=2526143778&atp_source=FuneralPlanning_Advertorial_Display&atp_vendor=google-display&atp_sub1=5_2&atp_sub2=EAIaIQobChMIvJHDpLKw6QIVQ2DTCh2EEACHEAEYASAAEgKaHfD_BwE&atp_sub3=&url_id=1173&lp_id=1182&lp_custom=&ext_var1=&token=Z2E1em11eEVrQXRTdkFndGsrMVk5QTh4Ry9ERURTZ3JUT05BSXhyNUs1ST0=&atp_sub4=&utm_source=GOOGLE-DISPLAY&utm_medium=FUNERAL-PLANNING1&utm_campaign=FUNERALPLANNING_ADVERTORIAL_DISPLAY&utm_term=funeral-planning.co.uk
Thanks – hopefully I’ve sorted it.