DLA recipients to face medical assessment

I am very suspicious of why they are targetting DLA, as we all know the medicals these goverments create for such benefits are with a view to getting people off them, geneuine or not, rather then weeding out those who are conning the system.

Also I am a full time carer and I have been in the position where twice my wife had to appeal to get her DLA back and won both times, but while waiting not only did we lose certain benefits, but I also lost my status as a carer as it is tied in with carers allowance which one can only get if the person you care for gets high rate care.

Thus I can see the scenerio where many will be dissallowed at these medicals, have to appeal and in the mean time have no end of problems.

Does anybody know if people on DLA and have it for a indefinate period will be going through the medical?

the medical is going to be for everyone regardless of wether they have dla awarded for a limited period or like myself for life.

no thinks for life today

It's not ensuring we're getting the right amount or targeting, it's political bull. The government knows the number of inaccurate or fraudulent claims are not worth pursuing.

Stop spending on new assessments and schemes to chase those least able to help themselves and that would save millions.

Doctors - they would happily send you to Auswitch if they had an extra bonus on top of their ridiculously high pay already.

WHAT BEATS IS THAT CLEG AND CAMERON GO ON ABOUT BENEFIT FRAUD...LOK HOW MUCH FRAD WENT ON WITH THE POITICIANS EXPENCE SCANDLE,, AND THAT WAS ONLY TAKEN BACK SEVEN YEARS WORTH,,HOW LONG HAS IT REALLY BEEN GOING ON FOR..AND WOULD IT HAVE STOPPED EVEN NOW DURING THIS CURRENT RECESSION IF IT HADENT CAME TO LIGHT THE WAY IT DID....NO I DONT THINK SO..IT WOULD STILL HAVE BEEN GOING TODAY IF IT HADENT BEEN DISCOVERED ,,SOME FOOD FOR THOUGHT,,,SEEMS TO ME IT`S CASE OF DONT DO AS I DO BUT DO AS I SAY....

I went through a tribunal and 2 medicals before I even got DLA now since I have got worse I am frightened to apply for higher rates in case I get a nurse practitioner that doesn't know anything about my illness getting my money stopped. It always seems to me that people that become disabled through being in an accident or illness seem to be being punished for having the audacity to get ill in the 1st place. Just in case you don't know the government has already changed the medical rules it is now perfectly legal for the DWP to send a nurse practitioner around to asses you it no longer has to be a doctor. Let alone future medicals being forced onto us. I thought my grand father fought a war to stop this sort of persecution and now the government has seemingly become just as much Nazis as Hiltler was. What next are they going to do rename the DWP back to social security (SS) as they already act like the Gystapo they might aswell be named properly.

Re Disability Living Allowance, it is a MUST that people with CHRONIC illness and Neurological disabilities that will NEVER improve, and will only get worse are treated properly. They MUST NOT BE MADE TO have an repeat medical assessments, as these illnesses will only get worse until they die, and MUST NOT BE TREATED THE SAME AS ILLNESSES THAT PEOPLE GET BETTER FROM. If people with these illnesses are made to regularly attend medical assessments it makes there illnesses worse!

My leg is unlikely to grow back but I bet I will be obliged to have one of these 'assessments', no doubt lining the pocket of a doctor and wasting public funds in the process.

I can understand the need for the medicals for new claimants and people who have the benefit for a period of time, but why do we need to give people medicals that have already been given the benefit for a indefinate period, anybody got any answers on that one?

It doesn't make sense, does it, Melanie?

That is, until you realise that -

a) The politicians seem incapable of understanding that DLA is designed to help people of working age stay in work.

b) That if you have a severe disability (which you have to have to qualify for DLA) the odds of you securing a job are much reduced.

c) That all they care about are figures on a spreadsheet and not the people behind the figures.

It's blatant disability discrimination (e.g. Do you have to visit a doctor, whose not your GP, to claim Child Benefit?) and I would just love one of them to try to walk a mile in my shoes!

I am extremley worried about the proposals to assess DLA claimants particulaly those who have life long conditions eg i myself have a severe non verbal learning disability which affects me in many ways eg perception cooking balance and mental health problems i also have severe brittle asthma and diabetes i have had my non verbal learning disability from birth and will have it until the day i die.therefore i feel that people who have life long conditions which can be backed up from their GP / specalist should be exempt from these medicals i also have got a 13 page physciological assessment detailing my non verbal disability which i can present to a dla assessor.

I feel those of us who have genunine disabilities need to whether flucuating or lifelong need to protest in the strongest way to the government prehaps a good way would be to write or visit our mps also i would like if possible with help with someone or disability groups etc get a petition going if anyone is willing to help me in this please contact me on 07837305235

I was awarded highest rate care component and higher rate mobility component in about 1993, "FOR LIFE" in both cases. Several years ago, however, I noticed that that the wording had been surreptitiously altered to "indefinitely" on the annual increase letter. I telephoned Blackpool and was told that "they both mean the same" (although it's patently obvious that they DON'T).

I believe that "for life" means until they put me in a box and bury it iin a hole, not just until the current resident of 11 Downing Street decides to move the goalposts.

I urge anyone else with an EXPLICIT lifetime award to contact Blackpool and ask for a copy of your ORIGINAL adjudication decision (their _geographic_ phone number is 01367 730222, which may save you a fair sum of money).

My question is who is going to assess the Assessors, if they are being paid by and monitored for meeting "targets" i.e. getting people off DLA, by the government. Then aren't they "Subjective" rather than "Objective" assessors?

I agree we need to get rid of those scrounging off the state who have no right to DLA, in fact they infuriate me, I for one would pay every penny back tomorrow if the government could cure me but unfortunately they can't. I fear that instead this will be used to rob vulnerable, ill and disabled people off what little life line they have.

I use my dla to buy items not supplied by my local Health Trust, without this my quality of life would seriously go down the toilet.

I wish people would stop using the word Disability in this matter, because the D.L.A is only exclusive to people with mobility problems, sighted problems or long term illness's (apparently), this benefit does not cover All disabilitys and is seen as excluding Deaf people... unless they have other underlined problems with there health... Its about time they renamed this Benefit to suit the exclusive illness or mobility problems... Like Mobility Living Allowance... otherwise call it life limiting allowance.. :)

Sorry for the rant...

i think we should take a few test cases to the the court of human rights in the haig as i think theses new rules will infring on our human rights

put me on your list,

Just bringing back what they used to do!!

Well here we go again ,same fight with a diffrent goverment,this is going to cost millions to do ,as the medical records of people on DLA are DESTROYED after a certain amount of time under the data protection act,so DLA have NO RECORDS or letters from your specialist,or for that matter little or no information about you at all after the time passes for them to destroy your medical records,
Now we come to the EMP is he/she a qualified Nuroligst Rhumatoligist or a specialist in any field that might concern you?,no i would not think so,unless he/she WAS they would NOT be able to make a ACCURATE and JUST DECISION about a persons needs
so how can he/she assertain what your needs are ?, in truth he or she can not
So now we all have to flood our Hospital specialists with letters to reiterate what they have said before, but sadly this action will not be well recieved well ,as the workload for our specialist is more often too high ,and that is with out our requests for documents to prove our disabilitys, as all our hospital records will have to be sent for, looked through,and parts copied for this new assasment,and this copying of our medical records all has to be paid for,and all this providing our specialist will agree to do this on top of his or her workload
My opinion is we can exspect a lot of hardship heading our way as i know many specialists just do not have the time,or the extra funds to do hospital records search's

Lord Freud has also announced a DLA review to examine why only 17% of DLA recipients are in work. The combined changes are a significant concern and Disability Alliance is seeking further information from the new Government on both measures at the earliest opportunity."

The point below about the diminishingly small possibility of one's legs growing back is well made and surely should be the subject of a campaign. If an assessment has been made for a DLA component to be for life then it means life and is a contract! Is there an organisation out there willing to take a class action case to court on behalf of those of us with such awards. Perhaps even on the grounds that it contravenes anti-discrimination legislation. On a political level I am completely disgusted with those MPOs who still have the effrontery to call themselves liberals. This is not a cost saving exercise but an attack on the most vulnerable group in society. DLA actually supports those who work despite their disability. Fat cats cutting those benefits that the poor rely on is obscene. Like many people in their sixties it is a long while since I was a political activist... seems like time to pick up the banners and get behind the barricades!

I agree with almost every post on this subject but who will look after the genuine people on DLA.
I know many people like myself who live on a tight budget and are not cheats.
58 years old, unable to work for being in cronic pain, £94 a week private pension to live on plus I get DLA Mobility component at Higher rate £49.85 a week which I give up for the use of a car and Care component at £18.95 a week to feed me. And this lot in government thinks I'm a cheat? Who will fight our corner?

I welcome the changes. I feel it will better target the money to those that really need it.
If you have nothing to hide then a medical will not be a problem.

What an ignorant comment!

Ms "LizMc" has obviously never claimed DLA. What she doesn't realise is the extent of sheer dishonesty that exists among the "doctors" that the DWP uses, who literally LIE about a claimant and say he "can do" everything whatever the claimant may say and even in the face of the opinions of the claimant's specialist(s).

The medical examiner has to fill in a complicated form on which the SAME set of questions about what the claimant can and cannot do are repeated twice: first, the examiner has to ask the claimant the questions and write down the answers given (and this is all that is shown to the claimant), and then (typically after the interview or examination is over), he has to answer all the same questions "in his prtofessional opinion". The result is that the FIRST set of answers will be a mixture of "cans" and can'ts" (because claimants usually tell the truth and even have a tendency to exaggerate how much they can do themselves), while the SECOND set of answers will be a long list of "cans".

A great many claims are rejected and are then granted on appeal, but the appeal process is long, frustrating and intimidating and a lot of claimants are worn down and give up before reaching the end.

"If you have nothing to hide then a medical will not be a problem"? This may be true in a perfect world but, in the REAL world, the DWP's medical examiners are employed specifically to reject DLA claims and they frequently do just that.

Well actually I have filled in those silly forms for DLA I claimed it on behalf of my mother who was terminal ill and got it under the fast track rules.
My own son has been on it for 25 years. And I am the one that has to claim it for him as he is very severely disabled and needs total care. When I first claimed it for him it was back in the days when a Dr came to the house to do the assessment he then had a further assessment just before his 5th birthday in order to claim the mobility component.
He has the award for life but I would have no problem with him having a medical.
I have seen a number of people that I know on it and anyone with any common sense would question why they are even on it.
Like I said if you have nothing to hide then it won’t be a problem

I do not want to see this site degenerate into a personal slanging match but, really.... I am sure all the REAL disability living allowance claimants are laughing at your fatuous attempts to defend the DWP shambles and its dishonest "medical examiners" (who are only working for the DWP because they're such lousy doctors that they couldn't make a living in general practice).

well actually it was my own GP that did the assesment for my sons mobility component as he used to do them all for this area. I would not call him a lousy Dr

Are you saying that my son is not a real disabliliy living allowance claimant ?

I already said I didn't want to see this site degenerate into a personal slanging match.... I've said my bit, let's leave it at that.

I agree with others concerning Ms LizMc's comments and I dare say they have bewildered and angered a fair few as they have myself. For someone who qoute, has 'filled in those silly forms for DLA I claimed it on behalf of my mother who was terminal ill and got it under the fast track rules.
My own son has been on it for 25 years. And I am the one that has to claim it for him as he is very severely disabled and needs total care.' I am surprized. Then I would like to ask Ms Mc what if any personal not family experience she has had living herself with a disability. There are a whole range of disabilities, the forms are complex and for a reason, the DWP needs to gather infomation so it can assess which Doctors and Hospital specialists it needs to approach concerning each applicant. They are NOT silly forms, they are essential, they are just daunting for the disabled person trying to fill them out without any support of professional help. That is why it is often advised that someone takes advice on how to fill these forms out correctly. Once they have been filled out, a persons GP, Hospital Consultant, Oncologist Pain Clinic or whatever department is relevant are allwritten quite rightly written too . It is just the forms themselves which are daunting to someone. they are not stupid as MS Liz Mc states.

I ask Ms Liz Mc if she knows how it is to face things as a disabled person and I suspect that she will come back and say yes, through her son, well that is not what I mean. Many of us are not as fortunate as her Son to have a caring Mother to do this for us. Yes, we may have caring Mothers or did have but we are adults and many of us quite vocal or literate. We are just disabled. We have filled out the forms. Various Doctors, Hospital Specialists and Pain Clinics have been consulted and then the infomation has been collated by people trained to put together enough infomation and decide what rate of care or mobility someone is entitled too and in many cases they have got that right. It is a system, agreed no system is infallible bu t it works and to have to fill out more and yet more forms because a Goverment decides it has to scrape back money is an insult. The daily stresses a disabled person has to face would be to many intolerable. It is only when one is faced with a major disability or unforunatly several disabilities as often becomes the case that one realises how strong they have become mentally. However, there is only so much someone can take so please Ms Liz Mc, Please keep your ignorant comments to yourself, however well meaning they have insulted a fair few people on here including myself and think before you comment the next time. we have been assesed, it is hard enough have daily reminders such as constant medication and that endless round of hospital appointments, having to starve yourself once a month for ultra sound etc, life is not just about being a carer to oneself it is a grind and some people give in under the strain. The thought of having to write it all down again and list this and that is too depressing for most of us to have to contemplate. I dare say you don't or haven't thought about that one have you. Please be sensitive to the thoughts of the disabled. We understand you are a carer and it's hard, I'm sorry to hear about your Mother. We also need your support not your argument.

I care full time for my 8yr old daugther. She has a neuromuscular condition of a type that causes muscle fatigue & severe respiratory issues. Her condition varies enormously from day to day. Sometimes she can walk unaided but will use her respiratory equipment when she sleeps at school. Sometimes she will walk & need occasional use of her wheechair during the day but no respiratory aid. Sometimes she is TOTALLY dependant on her wheelchair & respiratory aid. No two days are ever the same!
How on earth does the government propose they will assess her? Bearing in mind that under the current DLA assessment, they are not carried out by medical consultants or specialists but by tactitions & decision makers of BASIC or NO medical knowledge.

On the subject of the new LHA proposals, I live in a house that is not big enough for my family to live in. This is because when I bought my house I had savings in the bank to put towards a bigger mortgage for a bigger house. Unfortunately, because my daughters condition has progressively worsened over the years, our savings have gone & we cannot afford to move. My daughter now recieves care in the home from community carers during the day twice a week. The problem comes from the fact that she cannot recieve overnight care because my house is not big enough to offer this. So she will not benefit from the new LHA payment at all!
It seems to me that it will benefit the well off who have family members who require care that also have large enough homes to accommodate them.
sdriver

Like the majority of folk here, I too have been awarded DLA mobility high and Care middle for the indefinate period, it was given as for life at the start.

Having went through seven appeals with the seventh going to the Court of Session in Edinburgh, who then said "we do not have the power to give a determination on such grounds as DLA", the DWP then awarded me the benefits as I said at the court.....I was "BIPD", the doctors who gave the medical examination was not independent as they were paid directly by the DWP/Central Government, which means they are not independent. A bit like traffic wardens who are paid by their employers to issues tickets on the premise of you are paid by the number of tickets etc....

The budget that was given by the new "coalition" is and will be tested by many. The DLA reforms will be seen like the "Poll-Tax was to the Scots.....its a levy on the needy and shall hit the needy and real genuine cases.

It is true that the new reforms shall indeed breach the disabled persons rights under the ECHR (articles 6 to 22) and will also breach the DDA and the new Welfare Act bill.

What ever happens, please do not give in to the machinery of politics, stick up for your rights and if you are genuine and your illness or disability is true, then who can take that away from you?

If you have no leg, no arm or have other disabilities such as mental health issues, then who gives the politician the right to say who or what we are? ............... Lets have a real united front on this and come out fighting.

Oh by the way, I am not working as every employer who sees my CV and as I state that I am disabled, every one of those employers have said no....we do not employ disabled persons as they cost far too much. Hence the reason why I am currently on my 14 Employment Tribunal Case, lost two so far.

So, if your reading this DWP or Mr Coalition Government man, take notice.....some of us do want to work, just stop these muppets called employers from turning us away and give us all a good wage?

Regards

The ex-GPs employed to assess DLA, and other, claimants, are highly paid. If they want to keep that very lucrative job they have to be very careful not to accept the claims of too many applicants. If they do they will be replaced by someone who will fail a higher number of applicants .... and this may be repeated until the DWP has found enough ex-GPs who will do their bidding.

So it is simply a matter of "agree that these claimants are ill and you will lose your very lucrative part-time highly paid job ... so you know what to do, irrespective of how ill the person actually is".

So it comes down to ex-GPs, already claiming large pensions, with their snouts in the trough and disabled people left in hardship.

But do DLA claimants realise what effect they would have if they were willing to vote against the Tories at the next General Election ... they could alone put them out of power. Something to think about ... but a long time to wait!

Voting the Conservative government out won't help as Brown's and Darling's lot were even worse.

They have stated that these new reviews for new and exisiting DLA claimants will begin in 2013. That does not preclude the possibility that they will begin hauling in people for reviews next week as the DWP has the power to do just that at any time.

I too was award DLA for life, which I have turned in Motablity, this allows me to have a reasonable amount of mobility and freedom

I suffer from sudo-condeplaisa my circumstances will NEVER change, they will only deteriate, i.e. hips replacement, knee replacements etc

I was assessed 1 Year ago, even though I was awarded DLA for Life!!

The Doctor came to my home and scrutinised me rigorously. This brought me down to practically begging him not to remove my allowance. As without my mobility vehicle I would lose my freedom and independence. After a week or two worrying to death, my DLA award was reinstated.

Do you think I will have to go thru this all again, and again and again???

http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/UK-News/Benefits-Cheat-Kevin-Freeman-Caught-Playing-Football-While-Claiming-Disability-Allowance/Article/201006415654393?lpos=UK_News_Carousel_Region_3&lid=ARTICLE_15654393_Benefits_Cheat_Kevin_Freeman_Caught_Playing_Football_While_Claiming_Disability_Allowance

Such cases are very few and far between because DLA is so hard to get in the first place. Sure, there will always be one or two who manage to beat the system, but they're actually a drop in the ocean.

The media, however, give a very different impression when (as I saw on an "experts' analysis" programme on the BBC after the emergency budget) one of these so-called "experts" (I didn't catch his name) informs the gullible public that DLA "can often be awarded without any medical examination at all"--complete poppycock of course, but many who don't know any better believe this kind of anti-disabled propaganda and governments of all shades like to foster such erroneous impressions because it makes it easier for them to get away with their frequent attacks on disability benefits.

I have been diagnosed with fibromyalgia, and now there's a view to looking for ME, MS and sudden onset arthritis. To really make things interesting, my son is diagnosed autistic and hyperactive. He doesn't "look" autistic (whatever that means) and that was a real fight to get everything sorted out, which I did thanks to keeping loads of documentation. He can claim for disability; I however,will have to fight for it because my own ailments aren't obvious, even though I'm now nearly incapable of walking or climbing stairs.

I get that people have issues with the "scroungers" (and perhaps one person in particular!) but those sorts of "oooo, look at the people abusing the system!" stories are RARE cases which just come out now and again to stir people up. I know firsthand that it seems the best way to blame everything wrong with the UK is to find a single mother and point - even though I was working at the time. The truth of the matter is I didn't have a crystal ball that said "As long as you both shall live" was only going to last until my exhusband met the 26 year old mistress, that my son was going to be diagnosed disabled, and my own condition was going to deteriorate rapidly within the space of a year. One person who works the system doesn't mean we all are, and it's ridiculous to tar us all with that same brush.

Now, as I'm just feeling I can breathe a bit and concentrate on my own health issues, which I've put off in order to help my son, I'm facing trepidation again - my conditions are of the sort that 50% of GPs don't even believe they exist; because I'm female it seems many doctors believe I'm just a hysterical woman with a low pain threshold. The fact I am an ex-welder, blacksmith/silversmith, bodybuilder, and athlete don't come into it - it's all about appearances, and right now they see a fat woman who can't move, and they think I just need to walk about a bit (how?!) No one can assess pain unless you experience it; you have no idea what mental fatigue is unless you're living it. No amount of cute metaphors about spoons or cars with brakes on ever cuts it, really. I'm not "unmotivated", I'm disabled. End of.

I'd attend these sorts of things if I thought they might actually do some good, but as it's taken well over 10 years to even start to get any sort of further diagnosis for me, I'm not too hopeful about what people think I'm capable of workwise. I just gave up my business, which I loved, this week because I know for a fact I literally cannot work right now.

I think all disabled people who feel passionate about these changes should get together and set up a online petition as well as write to their mps we should not be beaten by politicans who do not have any idea howwe as disabled people live. if anyone wants to help with this pleae ring me on 07837305235

That's all very well, but many disabled people don't know how to do this or, even worse, just cannot do it because they have a hard enough time simply getting through each day. I had a friend (sadly now deceased) who died alone and in poverty and squalor because she couldn't get DLA (although, God knows, she certainly satisfied all the criteria for the higher/est rate of both components) and she simply couldn't put herself through the torture of the endless appeals and so on. How could she have possibly become an "activist" setting up petitions, writing to MPs and so on?

Where are the organisations like RADAR that are supposed to champion the cause of those who can't fight their own corner?

This witch hunt will also mean that many who need care from a carer will also suffer in this respect also as they will not get Carer's allowance if they lose high rate DLA, thus they will not be able to pay a carer or those children, parents or partners who care for them will have to look for work also as it is very unlikley those who get high rate DLA will be fit for employment as employers will not want them.

It is obvious that this goverment has no idea of the issues involved or just does not care I think.

Totally agree with a petition.
The disabled people in this country should ALL sign this petition and let the coalition duo know exactly what we think of this reform they are suggesting today.
I for one am worried about my future DLA payments and I know that a lot of other people are too.
This is a digraceful way to treat people who are genuinely ill through no fault of their own and to have them worry like this is just unforgiveable.

Why announce it 3 years in advance and cause so many people so much worry for such a long period of time.Ah! of course political posturing. This must be a major headache for the Motability Scheme as we won't know how long we will have our Higher Rate Mobility payment.
As others have commented I dont feel this will be a fair assessment just a numbers game to arrive at a lot less people on DLA and a lot more people left really struggling and all because of a small percentage of cheats and scroungers.

In total agreement with your comments.

After receiving a home visit from a medical doctor in 2002. he came the morning on the afternoon I moved out of my house into a rented flat. I am in receipt of a 'life time' award of medium rate mobility. low rate care, due to chronic heart failure, and am currently looking for work.

I was on incapacity, but got assessed and lost it, in 2005. since which I have been on jobseekers and have the usual problems getting a job with my poor health.

<as an aside, I did appeal against the decision, with the help of a paid C.A.B. appeals person, who turned up late, and apologised to the panel for bringing my case to them. he then said this is Mr x and left me to do my own appeal. I did get my points increased to 9 >

up to the emergency budget, I was well prepared to take a low paid job, in the full knowledge that my pay would be boosted by my DLA ( and topped up by the disabled tax credits).

however, now it is possible that my DLA may be changed or lost, plus and disabled tax credit, it means that I now have to think very carefully about what jobs I go after,
in respect of the location, and the wage, as if I lose my disabled benefits, I would lose my concessionary travel, and if I had brought one, I may not be able to maintain the use of a car (mobility or not). So for me, the advanced notice is well received.

As far as reviews go, it all depends on who they go after first. it may take several years to go afer all the lifers, and the system may of changed by then

i still have my award for life which was issiued in dec 1993. my wife retained all the paper work and on top of my disability i now have age related diabetes.i was recently put straight through for e.s.a after consultation with my doctor and medical records.why have we got to go through it all again. i thought cameran would have understood after listening to his heartbreaking statement about how hard it was bringing up their disabled child and they have money and resources. obvousley a hard hearted tory dont give a damn as long as his alright jack.

I knew this would happen if they got in again! my son who was born with one leg had his stopped at 16, it was ABSOLUTE HELL going to get it back, 2 appeal courts, we got the lower care and higher mob, he also has a deformed back and hip, chronic asthma and now is losing is sight!... my husband has severe emphysema, cant walk most days, and im going blind, lost it in one eye and losing it in my right, i also had an ovarian tumour and they damaged my back during the operation, i REALLY think ALL of us will be extremely lucky to get it back...
They are totally changing the rules of entitlement to D.L.A and yet i know several people who claim to have a bad back or epilepsy yet manage to go dancing every weekend! knowing the system i honestly believe the scammers will be allowed and the real needy will go through hell, the worry of it is making me ill... its no good Liz saying " if you are really disabled you will pass the medical!" it doesn't work like that, i had to fight for my one legged son, they came to the hospital where he was having his good leg shortened to take the car!!! the rich get richer and the rest suffer! good luck one and all getting any of it back.x

Forgot to mention, does anyone know what the new rules will be?? at least if we knew what the new criteria is we would know if its a lost cause!

Dear Ann Mass

I would just like to inform you that i am one of the many who suffer with a bad back as you put it. I had an injury when i was a teenager and badly injured by spine, i have cervical spondylosis and lumber spondylosis (osteoarthritis) so dont think im one of those scroungers, ive been but through medicals and awarded dla for a indefinate period. My husband is one of those people that as epilepsy he started about six years ago due to a head injury he lost his lively hood work and his liecence he suffers with epilepsy and non epilepsy siezure disorder, he as countless fits petit mal and grand mal upto 8 a day losing bowel and bladder movement so dont tell me that all people with bad backs and epilepsy go out dancing we carnt afford to that, we dont drink or smoke our only entertainment is the sky tv. He to was awarded dla for a indefinate period but nothing is for life is it. We to will have to fight for it like everyone else unless they decide to leave those people on life but with this goverment i dont think they will, but i have nothing to hide neither as my hubby. If my husband had a choice he would like to go back to what he love to be a HGV driver but that is never going to happen and he is only 38 this as really it him hard and he still as yet to come to terms with it.So please dont insult people that are genuine.

snuggles..... i DIDN'T SAY ALL people who have epilepsy or a bad back are scroungers, as i have a damaged back from a tumour! however i cannot go to a club, i struggle to walk, stand or sit, i said i know people who claim to have these conditions but as they can go out where there are strobe lights and dance, proving they ARE scroungers, this is NOT a forum to have a go at others, if you re read my post im sure you are an intelligent person and can see exactly what im saying???? and i would LOVE to be able to go back to a job, but i look after my son AND my hubby who is on oxygen, both need 24 hr care and i REALLY STRUGGLE myself too, it will hit people who, like me, really have problems! not just claiming for the cash benefit.

really feel upset after reading all the comments,thing is so much of it has been going on for awhile ,about 7 months ago two people i know well were called for medicals [actualy took place in their own homes ] one a 58 year old man who had worked all his life but now has the worse kind of leukemia,& the other a woman who is a carer for her mentally handicapped daughter,within a couple of weeks they both had their dla stopped ,Have you ever seen a man sob his heart out , because i did, he was so despairing & contemplated suicide [i,m talking about someone who is on constant morphine here,.the handicapped daughter who has several fits a year was told that she could find work!!!, oh yeah, now lets see what about serving tea in a cafe ...massive fit ...customers get scolded...fit for work my a---! where does health & safety come into this then?Also, if i was running a buisness i wouldnt want some who is in poor health working for me!!...whats the point of that. The two people i have mentioned did get their dla reinstated very quickly after receiving very stiff letters! but the stress caused was unbelievable,.no one really cares anymore, its all about money.so if you are genuine ,try not to feel intimidated by some shallow moron...research . fight it. try & get someone to stand beside you, i know its difficult if you are in pain .its bad enough to not be able bodied .ill, trapped,tired ,upset & then on top of all that to be persecuted....for being that way ...I know what it reminds me of...kind of like an ethnic cleansing type of thing for want of better words.but thats how it comes across...belinda

I myself get DLA for a back injury received from a car bomb explosion in 1998
i broke my back in three places and now suffer chronic pain and have to attend a consultant for an injection into my lower back every four weeks the concern i have is that my dla was calculated till i was 65 and took of my claim for injuries as lost of earning i asked about this and got this reply {and this is fro the mouth of a queens councilor the governments not going to pay you twice you will never lose your dla after getting the highest award for back injury now i stand the chance of losing again plus the pressure of going through medicals is this fair

For those concerned about visual impairment, those who may qualify for the higher rate DLA to come into effect from April 2011, are being assessed this autumn. Others on lower rate DLA will be assessed from 2013.

There's an article about this on the Royal National Institute for the Blind's web site.

Sincerely Chris

If you feel strongly about the changes that are being proposed to DLA as well as the unfair way people are being assessed for ESA then Join this group on facebook it is called Simon Doesnotliketories- Doctor Maders it does not matter what political affilliation you are to join this group.

when we have enough people in the group we will be writing a petition to sign against the introduction of assessing every body on DLA and the unfair way people are assessed for ESA. We Also want to inform the press regarding the unfairness of how people with genuine lifelong disabilities both physical & mental are treated by this government.

Apparently only 17% of DLA claiments are working, but some of us haved worked with our disabilities, are now diservedly retired but still receive DLA because quite rightly we still have a disability or chronic illness. So now the government once again is going to medical us to see if we are fit for work, DLA is not a work dependent benefit it is supposed to help with extra costs disability incurs whether one is working or not. What a waste of money to medical people who aren't going to go back to work but who are entitled due to chronic illness or severe disability.And what services do they propose to introduce to replace the ones we can no longer pay for as we don't receive DLA. This total contradicts the new community care policies which are supposed to promote independence and the means to idividually do so

As a mother of a young child with downs syndrome, she is never getting going to get better, but like one of the other comments on here she will have good days and bad days,why would they assess her i dont know as she is not old enough to work yet !! I thought that incapacity benefit was different to DLA. DLA is not just for people who cant work why put us through all of it again, the 50 pages every two years is enough

thanx

I am the full time carer for my wife, who has multiple sclerosis and is permanently in a wheelchair. She is 85% disabled.

What concerns me is that if my wife has to receive a new medical reassessment for the purposes of DLA this will cause her great unnecessary stress and upset because she finds any intrusion into our home completely unacceptable and will lead to her having a panic attack!

My greatest desire is for my wife to be able to walk again and to live a normal life but realistically she would need a Biblical miracle to be able to do so.

It does seem a complete waste of time and money to give a medical reassessment to someone as severely disabled as my wife!

Ondaeus44 My only question is, where did you obtain the figure 85% disabled? I have never understood this need to place a percentage on a disability and what constitues 10% a pinky? 30% a thumb? 50% lower leg below the knee? etc etc. It is simply a question and not in anyway a critism.

You said "Apparently only 17% of DLA claiments are working" and someone asked why only 17%

BECAUSE THEYRE ILL, obviously this has to be spelled out to MP,s as if being stupid was an illness they would pass.

DLA should be replaced by some form of direct payment to make sure it is spent on the costs incurred by a persons disability. I work with people with severe mental health problems. I KNOW from direct experience that probably 50% of DLA is spent on X Boxes and drugs. Fact. I agree that people with terminal or progressive illness should not be put through a medical. What I do believe is that they should be provided with appropriate support perhaps by direct payments, perhaps by social services. DLA is not a wage to compensate for not being able to work. It is to help offset the costs the disability causes or to provide care. More accountability is needed for how the money is actually spent. Maybe then we would be enabling people to get the help they need, especially people who may be unable or incapable of making informed choices themselves and rely on 'carers' to do this for them. The entire benefit needs overhauling and replacing with something that actually works....

Firstly lets get one point clear. DLA is not a benefit to just help you go to work. It is given to disabled people who cannot work as well but because of their impairment their needs are higher (such as having to buy special equipment. It also means that if you get the higher rate of mobility you are elegible for motability 9a gods send to me as there was no way I could afford to buy a w/c accessible vehicle) even with DLA I still had to take a loan out to put down a deposit as WAV's are financially more than ordinary vehicles.
Incapacity Benefit is what you get if you can't go to work and if like me you are 50 or over and left work to bring up kids you do not have enough NI to get this. If you are married even if your husband is retired forget it!! you might not even get pension credit, if your assessed as being 50pence a week over the threshold.
Why have I written all this because to make people see that DLA is vital for the thousands of people in my predicament, let alone the thousands of others. It is not for luxuries but for getting by.
Being awarded it indefinately is a joke it can still be taken off you. Okay people like me may be able to (with more pain/stress/heatache/ get through the medical but what about people who do not have support are alone, with little confidence, cannot fill out huge forms.
I have never commented before but was incensed by 2 remarks one, that 550 of dla is spent on xboxes ect (i am a registered nurse who specialised in mental health/ and then L/D, doesn't the chap who works in MH field understand that often things like these are used to as a tool to help or cover with loneliness/feelings of inadequecy,
/depression
(we also used them in l/d to help with dexterity ect
What would you say if I said a neighbour whose husband has dementia has used some of his DLA to have sky. IS THIS WRONG!! no he loves sport and will actually sit and watch it for an hour, he will not entertain any one apart from his wife as his carer,has challenging behaviour but this gives hermuch needed respite from her 24/7 care
role. We are now going forwarded into the personalisation of care, when users of care are supposed to be looked at as individuals This is a goverment driven agenda will this mean that the Dr who assesses me will treat me as an individual and not a tick box (I don't think so.
Yes we all know a person who abuses the system but are government going to be in a position of paying out loads of money to medical examiners (who in most cases are poor excuses of the medical profession) to catch a small percentage of people.
Personally I am all for incapacity being overhauled, as I believe there should be a better system and there certainly are a lot of people who abuse this benefit.But DLA is a different kettle of fish LEAVE IT ALONE!!!

is the government going to drag o.a.ps in for medical for d.l.a..old people 65 to 70 ??? this would be persecuting old people ..the government should hang there head in shame ,if they do this ..

Since I was awarded high rate mobility award indef. I decided to purchase a car on dla finance..payable from my monthly award..so if I lose my award within the payment term..what happens re the the finance agreement..as I will not beable to keep up the payments from my meagre State pension.. does this affect anybody else on here???

Hi Evelyn
I too have a motability car,which allows me to get out of the house, if only once or twice a week.
I cannot go on buses and taxis are just as bad because of the hight steps.
I have arthritis of my feet, knees, hips, 2 places in my spine, a slipped disc and ankolysing spondylitis. My whole life is about taking tablets and chronic pain. I appreciate that there are a lot of people out there who are a lot worse than me, but there is just no way I could now go out and work. I am 51 years of age and have been like this, for over 5 years.
I have to give up job I loved because I was struggling with pain and poor mobility, yet I will have to undergo a medical assessment, despite the fact that the DWP have written proof of mri scans and x rays and the fact that I attended the PAIN CLINIC for over 1 year and had to be let go as they could not help me with my pain.
If I lose my DLA then I lose my car. My husband works very hard but his pay covers the mortgage etc, there is no money left to pay for a car.
So in the end I may lose my DLA payments, my car and effectively my only link to the outside world, as I cannot walk outside unaided.
This reform has not been properly thought through imo, and although I do agree that there are some who do not deserve this benefit, most of us are genuine souls who just happen to have ill health.

ann

I take it that having to undergo a medical assessment as to whether they will pay you or not,could mean that they have actually found me a cure for Parkinson`s,and deep vein thrombosis[inherited from my mum]
and having been assessed for these lifetime conditions,they are still prepared to waste even more money/time??Or,does life not mean life? ? Come on......dont keep us all in suspense;after all, you have since last April,and beleive me,Parkinsons depression is one of the worst!!

I agree with your comment on the medical assessments, how can someone assess you and decide whether you get your dla payment or not, when they dont know you. If we do have to have assessments why dont they get them from our own Doctors and Hospital Consultants, because they dont tell lies, and I know mine would not lie about how my disability effects my life and what chronic diseases I have. How can a stranger tell me how I manage coping with Chronic Asthma, Type 1 Diabetes, Renal Failure Anaema, Eye Disease, Kidney Failure which I have been told will lead to dialysis shortly, I am on 28 insulin injections a week, EPO injections, Intravenous Iron, Blood Pressure medication, and inhalers. Yes I am sure that employers would be willing to take me on! with all my medications and constant hospital visits, and blackouts, and eventually my diaysis!! The genuine people who need the help dont tell lies. I wish like most people on dla that I had a normal healthy life.

What do people think of this i'm totally confused

Maria Miller (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Disabled People), Work and Pensions; Basingstoke, Conservative)

I thank my hon. Friend for her question. I should like to set the record straight on that. There is no intention to introduce a medical assessment for DLA. The work capability assessment, which, after all, tests people's ability to get into work, is very different. DLA is a benefit that is paid to disabled people to make up the additional costs that they incur for being disabled; it is not linked to their ability to work.

I found this on www.theyworkforyou.com this debate took place on the 18th October 2010.

THEN ON THE 20TH OCTOBER 2010

Maria Miller (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Disabled People), Work and Pensions; Basingstoke, Conservative)

Eligibility for the Motability scheme is dependent on a person being entitled to the higher rate mobility component of disability living allowance or the War Pensioners' Mobility Supplement. Entitlement is not determined by medical criteria but by the extent to which a person's disability gives rise to mobility difficulties. This is consistent with Motability's objective of helping severely disabled people with personal mobility needs. The Government announced in the June Emergency Budget that it would reform disability living allowance and will continue to work closely with disabled people, voluntary organisations and medical experts to develop a new independent and objective assessment of need.

If we are to believe what is written above, then we should have nothing to worry about having to go through medicals which most of us do not need anyway, as they already will have written proof of our ailments.

I would hope that someone in that government would have the compassion NOT to put disabled people through a totally unnecessary medical.

Thanks to snuggles for showing us this information.

ann

Just found this on the same site as the person above


The Chancellor announced in the Emergency Budget that the Government will introduce a new assessment for DLA from 2013-14. It has been determined that the new assessment will be a more accurate, objective and consistent assessment to identify those claimants who would benefit most from additional support. DLA is not linked to the ability to work and is paid to claimants who are both in and out of work.

Existing working-age claimants will undergo a new assessment. To support the Department in the development of that new assessment, we are consulting with an independent group of specialists comprising of disabled people, relevant health professionals and others with expertise in this area to develop options for a new assessment.

We will begin a consultation process on the new proposals later this year.


This is totally different to what the same person Maria Miller said above.

Liars the whole lot of them. imo.

Hi Everyone

I have just written to my MP about the comments that Maria Miller made in the debate which took place on the 18th October 2010.
I also sent her an email and her responce was because i was not in her constituant she could not help me and said she would pass my concerns onto the Ministerial Office what ever that means.

I will let you know the out come as soon as i know myself

Hi Snuggles

It will be very inof teresting to see what kind of reply you do receive..................all hot air, no doubt.

ann

Hi Ann
I'm an ex soldier who started my own building firm in 1987 unfortunatly that same year i was involved in a RTA (other persons falt) and as a result damaged my spine cervical and lumber i tried claiming of my insurance but because of red tape i got a token gessture. I applied for dla and incapacity ben after trying to return to work many times. With the info and medical i was awarded it life time. then i got a letter which read indef. I have been through so many meds and tribunals which overturned the dla reps decissions. Well i am haveing to do the same again old story old news. They never change the lies and deciet of the med they give us, the money wasted to acheive what? It dont matter how you answer the questions the quack will put in what they want. (Example) Do you have a dog. Reply Yes, quacks report reads walks dog for miles. Discrim against Disabled people is a def. I have paid my dues like many now its time they come up to the mark and take responsibility. The witch hunt is on and the rules apply to all sink and drown your inoscent, float and live and your burned at the stake.

If disabled persons are to lose mobility allowance why will they need to be medically reexamined? Medicals are supposed to be to assess your entitlement to a benefit so why would the government need to assess you for a benefit you cannot receive as it no longer exists. Or are we to receive some other benefit instead.? This sounds like another load of government hogwash to cover up how much the disabled are going to lose in the welfare reshuffle. Also the severity of your disability will no longer count.It also seems that many of us will lose twice, council benefits and DLA .

I totally agree with you on this one Katie.

I think that its an utter disgrace that they are even considering putting people on DLA through these medical examinations.

The whole of this country needs to get together against this government.

Where I live, you can sit and watch some people on DLA, running for buses and running to the off-licence on a daily basis, people like that should of be taken off this allowance, but what about the biggest majority of us, who are genuine cases, why the hell should we have to undergo tests, just because some people are good actors?
I am all for fairness, but to pick on people who have genuine illnesses is just plain sick.

If I was genuine I would be very eager to take a test to help stop fraud. this fraud is jeopardising your long-term well-being by giving bad publicity to this benefit. if you were working very hard to provide the money to pay for all this, would you then be in favour of everyone being verified as genuinely needy who was receiving it? As a genuinely disabled person are you aware of how many people are avoiding work by using disability as a cover and abusing a very weak system? do you care about this?

I have severe uncontrolled epileptic seizures and receive DLA. Out of the blue when I was 30yrs old ( I am now 52) I started having seizures. My children were young and we had nobody to care for them or me so my husband left work to look after us. We did not know anything about benefits and so took out a second mortgage on our home to live. We were only getting family allowance from the state. Later we lost our house because we couldn't keep up with the mortgage payments. Once the children went to school my husband got a job and has worked ever since and we managed to move closer to family who help me. I was in hospital one day when a man from a charity organisation was going round asking people about their benefits and I told him I wasn't getting any. He told me about DLA and helped me apply. I was awarded it but received nothing backdated at all. I have never got any better. the fits are not controlled, I have them every day, the drugs make me feel tired and sick all day and I get terrible headaches. I live in Yorkshire but am being treated in London as I may be having surgery to try and ease things. I am very well qualified ( I have a degree) and could drive before the epilepsy and so would love to work but it genuinely is immpossible. I dislocated my pelvis and hurt my back when I fell from top to bottom of a flight of stairs during a seizure and so have a lot of pain and trouble walking too far. I also have impaired liver function due to the drugs and a duodenal ulcer. My fits have been recorded in hospital with video telemery and they recorded 7 in 3 days. I really need my DLA for fares to london ( the hospital) a cleaner to help with certain tasks and other neccessary things. My husband is on a low wage and we don't get any other help. I was commended by the last medical I went to 5 years ago as I did not claim for the full amount and was honest in my needs, not trying to claim the highest rate or mobility rate. I was awarded it indefinately but now these medicals are going to take place I am worried sick. I won't be able to claim any other benefits as I only paid the married womans stamp and how on earth we are going to manage on my husbands wage I don't know. Yes it pays the bills but there's nothing left over for my fares etc. I can't work but that won't matter to them, I will just be another statistic. I feel sick with worry and just don't know whats going to happen.

JOIN US AND WE'LL FIGHT BACK TOGETHER!
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Black-Triangle-Anti-Defamation-Campaign-In-Defence-of-Disabled-Claimants/117145668332176?v=info

firstly i am a 59yrs old male i have had one lung removed,with asthma complications i have arthritis in my feet knees fingers and spine, i am on tramadol ,parecetamol, inhales,and a lot more medication i have high rate dla motability. with out the dla my life would alter for the worse my health would definitely deteriorate, I WILL PLEDGE A OATH TO THIS GOVERMENT OR ANY OTHER GOVERMENT that I will take my case to the highest court in Europe if you try to take away my dignity, my right to have transport to and from where ever i am going, I am a citizen of this country and have the right to my freedom and i will not let you take this away from me. Write to your M.P Do not squable amongst yourselfs (who deserves it and who does not) if you are disabled it is YOUR RIGHT

So from what you have written, you obviously deserve it. BUT You are not at all concerned that there are possibly as many cases who do not deserve it, as long as you get your benefit and are not asked to take a test to prove you are entitled or inconvenienced in any way. I really don't understand your attitude. probably if you were paying for it you might be more interested in making sure the money went to genuine claimants. And whether or not it is your right (which is questionable) if there is not enough money to pay you, then whether it is your right or not, you will not be getting any. I would say rather than your right it is a privilege or living in a kind , civilised and nice society, where those who are better off take care of those who are more disadvantaged. This is not the case in many countries
So be grateful for that at least.

d hardman how dare you presume i do not work, the dla is there for people in work as well as out of work through there disabilities, and yes i am concerned about fraud in the social system, if you read my post again i said its every disabled persons right. this government is hitting the vulnerable first because they think we are easy picking. lets see them have a real go at the bankers and break up the top five banks that caused the recession or the tax dodgers who filter billions of tax payers money in off shore accounts

I for one hard working taxpayer will be glad when they kick all the spongers off Benefits. I'm sick to death of seeing spongers sat in the pub moaning about how ill they are supposed to be and people on benefits taking 4 holidays a year. If your genuine you have nothing to worry about, but if your taking money you are not entitled to i hope you all get what you deserve.

well said sick of spongers. any of these people who are genuinely disabled should not be worried. i know several individuals who are claiming this benefit. the majority of these are capable of work admit it themselves in private and make jokes about it. they get all kinds of extra benefits are fraudulently claiming every last penny and are nothing more than idle. In addition they have no social responsibility, seem untouchable in having to be socially minded and are quite capable of disrupting the lives of working people around them who after all are paying for their benefits. The people I know who are clearly entitled to the benefits actually want to be included in society and are trying their best to find a job or in work. Truly disabled people should be directing their anger not at the people proposing tests but at the huge number of lazy people using and abusing the system, in their name. What does sadden me is the examples I have seen of truly needy people being forced to continue in work after the entrance criteria has been tightened when there is a huge hardcore still out there who are still happily claiming benefits un-challenged. Lets put a stop to it all immediately and make everybody re-apply. I heard one person recommending that somebody else apply for DLA. "All you have to do is write down what was your worst day. Its so easy" Well my worst day is every day. getting up in the freezing cold at 6 in the morning walking to work, getting soaking wet, being threatened with disciplinary action because i am 1 minute late when my train was cancelled, being given impossible targets, having to justify everything I do and bite my lip several times a day. In the nasty (especially) post credit crunch world of employment that very many honest working people now find themselves. In dead-end unrewarding jobs with nothing left over at the end of the months but still doing the small things like paying the tv licence making donations to charity. then there is this new elite, who don't have to work and come out with more than the people who are working to keep them. let's weed out these scroungers! I have many examples of cases where people i know claiming these benefits are taking the **** its unbelievable and they do it year after year if anyone is interested.

Why do people who claim they are genuinely disabled seem to ignore this, which is so obvious to most other people and understand that being frustrated by scroungers is not an attack on truely disabled people.

Sadly for disabled people, we have now reached the stage that the country simply can't afford these huge benefit costs. It's not a case of it unfair or unjust it is simply not possible. The best option is to remove fraudulent claimants from the system and hopefully direct whatever smaller resources are available to genuine cases. It is estimated that 10% of the working population is not capable of doing any kind of paid work how ridiculous. Why is this so much higher than in other European countries? I believe labour opened the floodgates with about 1.5 million new claimants. They were probably hoping these would be the type of people who would vote for them.

I am sure that most working taxpayers have many days when work seems daunting, you feel very low too depressed intimidated by work but we just keep going. If my job got me down so much after 25 years working and contributing and I walked out as I could not take it anymore, I would not get a penny in help or assistance, so we have to keep going, doing our best. What if we all just lay around in bed all day, sitting watching Sky sports with a can of lager, or congregated fishing on the canal bank drinking cans of lager. Who would do the work? If we all decided to do that tomorrow, what would happen?

There would be no money at all ? not for the scroungers and not for the genuine.

The budget deficit is still set to rise despite the proposed government cuts. You may find that in years to come any kind of social welfare will become a thing of the past and care returned to family and friends. that would not be the best outcome. It might happen though, people who work and pay taxes will not put up with this abuse for ever. If working people actually had time to sit down and study this, see the scale of this abuse, they would be horrified by the amount of fraud and sponging being allowed.

Besides the scroungers,I also hold the government very much responsible for a system that allows these people to pull the wool over their eyes's, not having the guts to face the criticism of do-gooders. The do-gooders who said, lets make the system more liberal, let people assess themselves, political correctness gone mad. It's like self regulation in the banking sector and we have all seen the results of that.

Let's be realistic about this, we are hopelessly unable to afford these benefits so prepare yourselves, now in your comfy little nests all you scroungers, for change. You might even have to do some work and contribute to society. (Whichever) government is in office.

Mr Hardman I am praying that in the very near future you are put in the position that i and a lot of others are in. My husband worked full time in fact he has worked the whole 18 years we have been married and never claimed for anything. He also used to say why am i paying Thousands a year to the tax man basicly the goverment. When the company my husband worked for went bankrupt my husband could no longer pay for anyone to care for me so he had to take over my care. When he went to the job centre he was told he had to apply for jobs of any kind. My husband explained that i am disabled and he is having to look after me and they said do i get dla he said no she does not. They then said she not disabled then and no allowances will be made. So we had no choice but to put in the claim. 2 years ago I put in a claim for DLA and had one of their so called doctors come and see me and then they wrote back saying i can walk down the road to a bus stop that isnt there and i do not have any care needs and basicly there is nothing wrong with me. I thought wow this doctor has decided all that and i didnt leave my chair. They said there was no evidence other than pain killers that i was even having any issues. There wouldnt be I was diagnosed 10 years ago and had moved doctors. My new doctor said i needed to prove there was a problem. I then had an MRI and was sent to a consultant who informed me i had chronic degerative disc disease which also affects my joints. I live on Morphine and other tablet pain killers. The results was sent to the DLA for review and they wrote back saying no as the doctor who came to see me says i am fit and well.I then had to sit through a 2 hour appeal. The appeal pannel were not sure why i was there as the desicion was easy. They gave me high mobility and middle carers in jan 11 nearly 2 years after i applied. They were very sorry about the fact i had to go through all of that but to top it all one of the DLA representatives said I am going to Physiotherapy soon that may change my needs. I was a bit shocked by that as my disease means 4 of my discs have disintergrated and now the spine is taking all the presure and twisting. So have decided to look again at my claim again in October this year. So i have now got to go through it all again in a few months. I went to physio only to be told that nothing can be done and that if my carer who is my husband could take me to a pool to relieve the pressure of my back that may help my spine but will not fix the pain. So my husband worked all his life and through no fault of my own he has now had no choice but to become my carer as the goverment say you are not classed as dissabled unless you are in receipt of DLA. There are no jobs out their that pay enough for him to go back to work and pay a carer. SO HEAR THIS MR HARD WE ARE NOT SCROUNGERS we paid thousand and thousands to the goverment over many years. Then when we needed the support they left us high and dry. If it wasnt for the fact a young lady who had seen what medication i was on i would have had to apply for work even though i cant even put my own knickers on or go to the toilet by myself. Do you even have any idea how degrading it is not being able to even wipe my own back side. Now they have allowed him to claim carers and say he doesnt have to apply for jobs as he is my carer. So you see Mr Hard some of us are left with no choice but to claim DLA so we can get the help we need. WE ARE NOT SCROUNGERS and i am sad to say i am thinking i wonder how you would feel if you had to put up with just one day with the pain and issues i have how dare you call us or anyone with disabilities scroungers. I know there are people out there that get money when they shouldnt that does not mean we are all like it. I have to basicly be high on drugs just to get me in the car as its so painful to move around. So to those doctors who work for the DLA who claim to be independant but get money for turning us down you do not have xray vision and do not have a clue of what half our problems are rethink next time. To Those who think we are scrounging, when you get up in the night to go to the toilet or get up in the morning spare a thought to us who are unable to even turn ourselves and if we didnt have a carer to help us our bed would become our toilet. My daughter has written this for me so sorry for any spelling mistakes, i just wanted to make my point heard and i hope anyone who thinks of writing rubbish in future please read this first.

I feel very strongly about the last comments that imply that many DLA claimants are just spongers. I have higher rate mobility allowance and middle rate carer allowance and still, until last October managed a full-time job plus a part-time job on top!
I have chronic pain and take controlled drugs to manage it plus mobility and other medical issues and for me the DLA pays for the items I need to keep on working - which although now over 60 I still do - I now have 2 part-time jobs having voluntarily reduced my hours. It pays for a new mattress so I can sleep comfortably and with less pain, it pays for my cleaner and my gardener as these are all jobs I cannot do for myself and work as a University Lecturer. So in fact, whilst I train the employees of the future, I am also generating taxes and paying for people to work now. With my level of disability I could have chosen to retire some years ago but chose not to as I could be supported to continue working. Yet if you saw me in front of a class you would not know I was disabled. So a medical test by someone who does not know my history would probably fail me.
And there is the case of our daughter who has a chronic illness is struggling to obtain higher rate DLA and yet we have to support her medical needs from our income as the DLA is so strict and yet she is in hospital for monthly infusions of drugs and still maintains a high level medical role herself full-time. She was refused higher rate DLA because they could see the medical issues which mean she is also in chronic pain.
If there must be a test to weed out those who don’t need it, then let them take all my medical details from my current doctors not a stranger. These tests must be sensitive to many issues and not the most obvious ones. You cannot always see disability and our worst days are those you won’t see.

I would just like to know how they will view the poor children in our country, currently suffering with various types of cancer (through no fault of their own). My daughter aged 5 was diagnosed with thyroid cancer in July, she has undergone hours of life saving surgery to be left with her neck stripped of all normality and an ear to ear scar and to be on constant medication 4 times a day for the rest of her life. She is currently having radio iodine treatment in London (140 miles) from our home only to be told it has spread to her lungs and into her neck. The implications of this mean years of fingers crossed radio iodine treatment. This has resulted in her having extra care needs like shortness of breath, night time waking and generally being more baby like than a normal 5 year old. She was only awarded her DLA in Dec following a doctors report from her oncologist at Addenbrookes. Surely his word is good enought or are we to doubt the experts who work for the NHS????? Am I now to spend the next however long worrying that if they take away DLA, how do we manage the logistics of hospital visits and treatments, as this is what we use her DLA for. Is this fair????

I have been receiving DLA for just over a year due to a serious mental health condition.I am concerned that if I have an assessment I will get rejected as I have been told in medicals in the past I have a disability you can't see. I really feel this is unfair on genuine people.

You can never trust a politition wether it be an MP or a councilor. Yet again the disabled are easy targets and the first to get hit by a lying Prime Minister. It would have been a good example to the people of this country if the M.P's dicided to take a pay cut. What a laugh. They do not know what it is like to struggle on low rate benefits. Nobody asks to become disabled. Perhaps the Gistapo in Downing street should try living as the disabled do on the money they for a year. They would soon be cring in their champers because they can't afford a loaf of bread.

are over seventies and beyond to face a medical even though they are given DLA for life?

in reading all your concerns in the year 2015 you have a right
to vote use it wisely.

I have been disabled for approx 20yrs with a combination of chronic problems, and in the last year inherited some more by way of my age and through hereditary disposition.I lost my job, my home, and a wife who didn't expect to be looking after a husband who has problems looking after himself for the rest of his life and the toll proved too much.
But hey-ho, I have been reading with increasing annoyance about the DLA re-assessment.
If you have been medically assessed at your medical in previous years and placed on either life/indefinite periods, who's at fault here ,us or the doctors.
If your condition is such at that time the doctor determines that you will not improve/worsen/whatever during the medical due to evidence/examination etc, why should we be forced to have these painful/invasive/unneccessary investigations to our bodies again and again.
You are either disabled enough for them to place you within these time periods or you're not.
It's just a case of politicians yet again changing the goalposts as they see fit and yet again it's the Disabled,Pensioners and low income groups that are in their sights for sacrifice.
However,what I do not understand with the new rules that they are implimenting is this, and you can read it in the new forms directions or online. . . currently you have to qualify for benefit, i.e, have been/resident/ in this country currently for the preceding 26 weeks,but there is a proviso that jumps this, this means if you are an EU member country resident who comes to this country and subsequently applies for DLA or any other benefit, the 26 week rule is waived, EXCUSE ME, who thought that one up?????? AND HELLO!!!!!!!!! what happened to contributing to your N.I.Stamp, nope it does not matter apparently.
So basically if you are from another country, the RULES we have to abide by do not count..How right is that....it just isn't!!!!! I have noticed over the past few years how more and more foreigners are able to take advantage of our system in this way, and please do not throw the 'rascist' comment on a reply blog to this, I am not and never will be.
But I cannot stand the flagrant misuse of our system by some foreigners who have found out that it can be exploited in this way.
We bleat about the scroungers who have conned the system, but what about others who have not even contributed to the N.I. system in any way but are allowed to reap its benefits, simply because they qualify as a member of the EU, even as a member I could not go to any of those member countries and get what these people receive from our system.
It is a joke ,it shows the flaws in the system, it allows others who have not contributed to receive benefits that we have to pay for, its insulting, demeaning, and just plain not right.
So much for Human Rights when a few basic rights are trodden down so easily.
Maybe if Cameron and Clegg implemented a check to see just how many of those people are receiving those benefits I think both of them will have a nasty surprise.
Its not just the scroungers that are causing the problems its the MPs themselves who dream up these daft rules or is it Brussels influence yet again.. . .. . watch this space as they say!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Latest news on how DWP work their magic
They Approach a local doctor from a practice other than your own that is prepaired to feed from 2 troughs at the same time.
By phone call he requests that he visit you in your own home maintaining that he has been asked to do so.He does not wish you to call at his practice (as it may expose him), and he will not use practice stationary for same reason.
These doctors are regular practicing GP's doing a double role as if they are not paid enough cash already. For each case they can give a bad report they receive around £300. They do not do the dirty on their own patients for obvious reasons.
No Specialist reports or your own doctors records requested as this would then expose them. They claim to offer an independent report and do not require this.
What to do - Pass the information on directly to you own doctor and specialist as this is highly irregular. Any fallout from such activity would greatly impact on your own doctors treatment of your illness.
The case currently under investigation at Falkirk is being dealt with concerns a doctor who is attempting to alter a long term care program set up by a specialist, without any knowledge or in this case qualification to do so.
I will post outcome as case unfolds.

I was awarded my DLA indefintely in April. Then I was told a doctor was coming to see me for an assessment. Yesterday I had a letter to say it has been taken off me. Yet I have to have an operation on my spine because of spinal stenosis causing pressure on the scaitic nerve. This results in tremendous pain with every step. How can this be?
I also have scoliosis from age 13 which this doctor did not seem to understand.
Gutted.

Hi
I have been reading a few of your comments.
I personally fought for my DLA for 12 years and eventually won it on an appealls tribunal, first time i got it was for 2 years, then for 3, then awarded high car and mobility for life. I am disgusted as i got a form through several weeks ago, didnt understand why i had to put all my details illnesses and how they affect me again on this form, so i called them and they said the computer were picking out people at random.......Mmmmm not sure about this. Anyway i completed it and got a reply back last week stating " that they could not make a decision as to whether i am entitled or not so they have asked for a report from my Doctor.
I think this is scandellous, so what they are really saying/doing is awarding you for life but then trying to take it back off you, i do not understand any of this.
Anyone out there that can help or shine light on this

I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW HOW ONE DOCTOR CAN GIVE YOU D/L/A then we get a new goverment and we are not able to get D/L/A I LIKE HOW HE AS ONLY PICKED ON THE PEOPLE HOW CANT WORK NOT THE ONE HOW DONT WANT TO LIKE THE YOBS THE DRUGS THE PISS HEADS AND ALL THE PEOPLE THAT HAVE TATTOOS ON THERE FACE HOW THE HELL IS ENY OF THIS A DISABLITY IM GOING TO THE COURT OF HUMAN RIGHTS IF I LOSE MY D/L/A

It seems we're all of us in the lap of the gods and it's causing me sleepless nights, the word disability covers a myriad of conditions MOST of which need very specialist diagnosis, sometimes over many years. The sheer thought of having to put myself through a botched together 'one size fits all 'assessment leaves me feeling completely desperate , I've never had a day when I've actually thought to myself that I really hope I'm on a BAD day with my MS the day of my assessment, sorry guys , but where are we to turn? Seriously!

i was medically retired in 2005 from a long term job that i could no longer do because of my disablity?illness i have rhuematoid arthritis and scoliosis of the spine,and a congenital heart condition i have the highest rate of mobility the lowest rate of care, i live soley on a small private pension and my dla, i get a dam sight less then most people do on dole benefit.
my dla in indefinate but that doesnt seem to matter . im getting worse rather then better and when i was retired i had to be assessed by two independant doctors, my gp and my rhuematologist to get my medical papers..Why the hell do I have to do this all again. i found the medical assement for my retirement very stressfull and it actually made me ill, i still have all my papers stating i am not fit to work( hence my retirement,) but i bet you some unqualified pen pusher that will cost the government a fortune in administrations setting up the re assments will know nothing of my illness and say on my re assement your dla will be stopped coz i walk with sticks rather then go in a wheel chair, regardless of the fact i cant lift my arms and use my hands well, im getting stressed thinking on it. i think the re assement will cause hardship and a great deal of stress in the future, we all know the government will give the assors a guideline to get as many people of the dla whether there genuine or not, i just hope on the day im recalled im in full flare up of my rhuematoid.. i just find it all very depressing and worrying

well i dont see my self as a scrounger i suffer from mental depression from a young age due to being in care for 16 yrs and it was the tories then who were at fault for not looking after me while i was in care as a lot of bad things happened to me and i have seen a lot of bad things happen to others while i was in care and i know what i will do if i lose my dla..i will take the easy road and end my life cause it aint going to get any better..some say well thats a cowards way out but when u aint got anything to live for then wats the point its not my fault im the way i am i should have been give a safe and healthy start in life while i was in the care system i was not put into care cause i was a bad child it was ment to be a place of saftey away from my abussing father.when they took me away i got it twice as bad...today they have cleaned up the care system..but back then well it has destroyed my life which i have to live with for the rest of my life...i cant see ill be around next year i hate my life and i hate this country and world to many getting rich and the poor are getting poorer

I do feel sorry for the genuine claimants that these assessments will no doubt have a profound effect on, however I personally know someone that claims DLA & has been milking the system (claiming IB) for the past 15 years..only now has she decided that her 'legs give way'..'her spine is deteriorating'..'is in constant pain'..etc..funny how it never stopped her coaching a local football team..she lives in a house with the bathroom up at least 20 stairs which she seems to manage just fine..only recently she 'fell down the stairs' whilst 'bringing down a full laundry basket'..all since the government mentioned a clamp down on Incapacity Benefit claimants..the biggest joke? Her partner is her 'full time carer' yet works daily from 9am until at least 7:30pm..how is that fair to all the genuine claimants let alone the tax payer that pays for her to sit on her backside all day contemplating her next ailment. It is an absolute outrage that this sort of thing is allowed to go on but as I mentioned already, it is the genuine claimants that are penalised.