Shocking — Scope | Disability forum
Please read our updated community house rules and community guidelines.

Shocking

aries
aries Community member Posts: 46 Courageous
edited June 2017 in PIP, DLA, and AA
Listening to my local news (Midlands) I was very shocked to hear about 2 women who had committed suicide due to PIP payments being stopped or potentially being stopped. The Coroner linked the 2 suicides to DWP benefit procedures regarding PIP.

I think it's about time the people who have the ability to change these ridiculous assessments, should do so! Before we hear of any more related suicides to DWP practices!

My thoughts and condolences go out to the families and friends of these 2 women.
So very sad

Comments

  • Geoark
    Geoark Community member Posts: 1,463 Disability Gamechanger
    @aries I am not shocked any more, I just feel numb at the continued losses.

    http://calumslist.org

    Compared with 35 people killed by 'Islamic' terrorists in the UK since 2010, I know who scares me most.

    As an individual I stood alone.
    As a member of a group I did things.
    As part of a community I helped to create change!

  • aries
    aries Community member Posts: 46 Courageous
    Totally agree! It scares me too.
    But this is about disabilities invisible and visible, mental and physical. 

    Therefore, with regards to Disability benefits it is very shocking that people are feeling that desperate that they take there own life?

    Regarding terror attacks (wether they are Muslim, Christian or Catholic) it is wrong and yes shocking and very sad, my thoughts and prayers are with those families who have lost some one. 

    I am in no way down grading the affect that this has had on all of British society. But this forum, scope is based around disability and NOT terror attacks.
  • Nystagmite
    Nystagmite Community member Posts: 596 Pioneering
    Awful. But I'm not that surprised any more.
  • Geoark
    Geoark Community member Posts: 1,463 Disability Gamechanger
    @aries

    My apologies to you.

    Seven years of undercutting the financial security of disabled people, people losing their mobility, being forced to jump through loops to try and keep what benefits they have or face sanctions, being vilified by the DWP. Read around and the fear of the DWP is quite palpable among disabled people.

    They have not really tried hard to hide the fact that they are doing everything they can to cut these benefits. Mandatory Reviews are largely a rubber stamping exercise to cut the number of disabled people going to appeal. A recent FOI request revealed that there are targets on agreeing with the original assessment for ESA and these have been passed. So much for being independent. While they deny there is a similar target for PIP around 80% of Mandatory reviews agree with the original assessment. On appeal the success rate is still around 65%, just far fewer people are appealing. On several occasions where they have not got their way they have simply rewritten the rules.

    And the deaths keep rising. And the DWP keeps denying any responsibility.

    This may sound callous, my sympathies go to the families who lost someone, my prayers goes to those who survived, but with disabilities, who are more quickly forgotten and have the DWP to face in the future.

    Forums like this one used to be very different, places where people were supported to understand their disabilities, creating a better understanding of different disabilities. Places where members shared tips on how they got around day to day difficulties and somewhere where disabled people celebrated their achievements, great and small. They were more centred around the day to day lives of the disabled.

    Yes there were some discussions on benefits, but no where near the amount you see now, or people or people looking for advice in desperation as a black hole opens beneath them threatening to swallow them up.

    Fear, desperation, sanctions, increased attacks, homelessness and death. How is this NOT a terror attack on disabled people? The people with the power to change this are the very people who are instigating it.

    terror
    ˈtɛrə/
    noun
    1. 1.
      extreme fear.
      "people fled in terror"
      synonyms:extreme fear, dreadhorror, fear and trembling, frighttrepidationalarmpanic

      I see some of these words being used here by members day in and day out.

    As an individual I stood alone.
    As a member of a group I did things.
    As part of a community I helped to create change!

  • aries
    aries Community member Posts: 46 Courageous
    Thank you for explaining this. 
    I haven't been a part of the forum for very long.
    When I visited my local CAB they said that they had been over whelmed by the amount of people who had been there regarding PIP and DWP problems. They said that some people had, had there benefits just stopped. No assessment and no reason given? 
    The only way I see to change this is to hope and pray June 8th will see a new refreshing outlook to people experiencing disabilities. 
    I listened to the debate last night to the prime minister talking about supporting people with mental health problems. Yea right?? 
    Aries


  • Matilda
    Matilda Community member Posts: 2,593 Disability Gamechanger
    edited June 2017
    Yeah, right!

    The prime minister pays lip service to helping people with mental health problems.  There is sweet nothing in the Tory manifesto about disability.  However, the Labour manifesto includes:  stopping PIP re-assessments for those with degenerative conditions; tailoring PIP assessments to the individual; ending sanctions; scrapping the bedroom tax.
  • Geoark
    Geoark Community member Posts: 1,463 Disability Gamechanger
    @aries

    The problem is Iain Duncan Smith was convinced he was helping disabled people. The idea that being in work is the best route out of poverty, and in a real sense this is true, if the person is capable of working, there are jobs the person is capable of doing available and employers are willing to take them on. The big problem was his approach, he was convinced by pushing them into further poverty they would be forced into work for their own good.

    The other thing is he either completely ignored or possibly is not aware of Maslow's hierarchy of need. The lower you are the more time consumed on the most basic of need, physically and mentally. If  you don't know where your next meal is coming from, if you can afford to stay warm and safe, or even if you can maintain a roof over your head the further you are from being able to concentrate your efforts on higher needs, such as employment.

    Sadly when you hit rock bottom and the only thing you can see is things getting even worse the option of giving up and ending things permanently can be attractive.

    It angers me because it does not have to be this way. Sometimes this anger shows in what I write, and while I understand what I mean it doesn't always come across well.

    As an individual I stood alone.
    As a member of a group I did things.
    As part of a community I helped to create change!

  • Snibbbo
    Snibbbo Community member Posts: 9 Listener
    With regard to benefits I would just stress the need to seek help and use the services of an "advocate"

    It not only makes a difference but can make THE difference. C.A.B services can range from really poor to outstanding. In my area C.A.B make use of a Big Lottery funded charity which is currently employing 42 staff. I have never known a PIP appeal to fail when they are

    involvedhttp://www.communitylawservice.org.uk

    You may not have the equivalent in your area but some searching may find you pro-bono lawers who will represent you. It may be C.A.B, it may not.

    Just mentioning that a leagl advocate will be attending a tribunal/appeal has been enough in some case to reverse a descision without any need for face-to-face. Explore every avenue and every option. Never give up.
  • Blue Frog
    Blue Frog Community member Posts: 358 Pioneering
    Why am I tagged in this discussion?  @Matilda - guessing it was a mistake
  • Matilda
    Matilda Community member Posts: 2,593 Disability Gamechanger
    edited June 2017
    Sorry, @Blue Frog yes, a mistake.  I meant to tag @aries.
  • aries
    aries Community member Posts: 46 Courageous
    Thank you all for your comments.
    i will be asking for an advocate from my local CAB as I'm in no doubt it will go to a tribunal. 
    Just to add I worked with people with additional needs within an educational setting for over 20 years. I paid into a pension which I believed would help me support myself when that time came. Sadly that time came sooner than I thought, and after sending heaps of evidence and reports from my GP they said they were not willing to pay anything out? Even though my GP confirmed I am unable to work now full or part time. They still would not accept this. I never intended to be reliant on benefits I worked for a long time in the belief that my pension would protect me. However, I now know this was never the case.
    I've hit rock bottom several times, but with support from my friends, family, counsellors and Scope I know I'm not the only one going through this and reading comments and other people's experiences has helped me. 
    Aries
  • natzz1988
    natzz1988 Community member Posts: 1 Listener
    I've just been reading a similar post and signed up immediately. Literally 10 mins ago. I found out a couple of weeks ago that the PIP/ESA suicide death toll is now around 2000! I could hardly believe it myself, it's absolutely despicable! I agree that pushing people into poverty in order to push them into work is totally the wrong way to do it and certainly should not include those who simply can't work. I'd love to be able to work, I worked from 14 to 21yo both full time, part time and all through college. It's demeaning when someone asks what you do isn't it? I  was doing well as a personal finance manager before I was let go after a string of minimal/zero trauma injuries. They thought I was lying since I could not explain how I got them. I didn't know what was wrong at the time and not a single Dr would take me seriously for another 3 years until I got pregnant with my daughter at 24! I can't have any more kids because of my disability, not only is there 50/50 chance I'll pass it on but I'd likely be left in a wheel chair. Our medical histories should be taken into account properly. I have Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, which is a genetic connective tissue disorder. It's degenerative and caused by the gene responsible for the control of collagen being faulty. So my joints dislocate all the time, I injure very easily and my muscles work 3 times harder to provide what little support they can. I'm going through a reassessment at the moment for ESA and had my PIP mobility ripped away last year because of a lying assessor. I asked for a MR and was told to wait for something in the post that of course never arrived. I didn't notice until it was too late because my fella went through a severe depression at that time, attempting to take his own life 5 times. He's ok now, thank god. I couldn't understand why they took my mobility and I only got Daily Living by the skin of my teeth while last time I was 1 point away from enhanced rate. How can that be when I'm worse than before and will continue to get worse? I also spend £250 a month in taxis getting my little girl to nursery and trips to the shop and soon it will be £300 when she starts school in September. The DWP are screwing disabled people left, right and centre so don't worry you aren't alone. Legal aid is still available in some cases of low income, like those on JSA and ESA and even if not as long as meet the low income criteria you can still get it. I did a Google search and there's adverts for solicitors that specialise in benefit tribunals. I hope this helps someone in some way as I'm brand new here. It's too late for me to do anything about my MR not being actioned and I spent months believing there was nothing I could do about it going over deadline  but I hope I can help someone else avoid it. Beware of dodgy DWP call centre advice.
  • Geoark
    Geoark Community member Posts: 1,463 Disability Gamechanger
    Hello @natzz1988 and welcome to the forum.

    I am glad to hear your partner is feeling a lot better.

    One option still open to you is to reapply for PIP, at least now you know the process better now and better prepared to handle it. If you want to talk about your options you can call the Scope helpline 0808 800 3333 and talk to one of the trained advisors.

    As an individual I stood alone.
    As a member of a group I did things.
    As part of a community I helped to create change!

Brightness

Do you need advice on your energy costs?


Scope’s Disability Energy Support service is open to any disabled household in England or Wales in which one or more disabled people live. You can get free advice from an expert adviser on managing energy debt, switching tariffs, contacting your supplier and more. Find out more information by visiting our
Disability Energy Support webpage.