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the reply from my MP

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this is the reply from my MP after i wrote to her regarding the problems we have claiming DLA and getting blue badges.

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26 Replies

i hope you can read it !!!

in reply to

i will copy it in full below

buny993 profile image
buny993 in reply to

no i cant to small sory bob

junegirl profile image
junegirl

Hi Krazylady, sorry i cant read it i do have bad eyes but even with contacts in cant read it. Glad u finally got a response though, maybe u could give me the gist of what was said? xx

reply from my MP, Fiojna McTaggart

"Thank you for writing to me about the Government's treatment of people with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.

I'm sorry to hear about the problems that you have experienced in getting your blue badge and your ongoing issues with accessing DLA. I understand how frustrating it must be and I have written to Lord Freud, Minister for the Department for Work and Pensions, to pass on your concerns.

You may also be aware of the Government have recently decided to replace DLA with the new Personal Independant Payment(PIP). I have a number of serious concerns about this. I am particulary concerned that the government have not adequately ensured that the new benefit and assessment arrangements for PIP will work fairly and effectively before they are introduced and that,as a number of disability groups and disabled people have warned, this could mean that 500,000 people with disabilities will lose their benefits or see them cut.

That is why I supported an amendment to the Welfare Reform Act that would have delayed the transition from DLA to PIP until after an independant report and assessment had been completed and that would have required the introduction of PIP to be piloted before being Rolled-out accross the country.The ammendment would have added certain safeguards to ensure that the transition process is managed properly. I am disappointed that this was rejected by the government.

I assure you however, that i will continue to challenge the Government on their reforms to the welfare system to ensure that payments go to the people who need them most."

in reply to

That's very encouraging krazylady, I would say a good response.

Well done.

junegirl profile image
junegirl

Hi thank u for that , thats good to know for when i see my mp end of month, ive just sent off all my evidence for reconsideration , really dont want it to get to appeal ive heard its horrible. Fingers crossed we can make a difference for everyone in our situation xx

Totally agree - i think we need to fight the fight but the question is how? i read posts on here about people being refused DLA, ESA and blue badges and get so upset to see people stress, making the illness worse, because of the unfairness of this.

good luck with the appeal.

K

junegirl profile image
junegirl in reply to

hi krazylady, i had my letter from dla today stating that their descision is still the same, im not entiltled to anything. Im gutted dont know if i have it in me to appeal, saw nurse consultant yesturday and she has put me on steriods for 6 wks as breathing/chest is so bad and just no energy for a long time/ spend most of my time washed out or asleep! AND YES the stress is making it worse, basically seems they want people on a slab before they r entitled to anything, what the hell is wrong with these decision makers?? d xx

tyran57 profile image
tyran57

hi, junegirl ive been to two tribunals one for incapacity when i first became ill and one for dla i can t speak for anyone else but both were fine the people who decided were lovely and gave me the oppertunity to put my side i have to say i am glad the decision maker changed the decision i was fit for work and put me in the support group so i dont have to go to a tribunal this time but that was because for the 9 months it takes i wouldve had to live on £71!!! Gather all the evidence you can you can even print off things from the internet to explain how your illness affects you send the trinbunal copies dont send these to the dwp but to the actul tribunal address and take copies with you just in case i also took my medical reprt from atos covered in highlighter over everything i disagreed with. The dwp say tribunals are like going to court they are not the only thing court like is the legal aspect, good luck and think positive sandra

Perce profile image
Perce

A good response, she sounds like she actually cares which is unusual for an MP.

i have to admit she has always been very interested in the goings on in her constituency and will always be there if she can to support charities and fundraisers, but even i was surprised by her letter , thought it was really supportive.

oh dear Gordon -i am wondering now if they havea template xx lol

mrWheezy profile image
mrWheezy

hi guys and girls, I think there have been some positive results from shouting about the fight we have to endure to get what is rightfully ours,but to play devils advocate for a moment i wonder what party your MP's represent and have to ask the question of Are they using this topic to bring their own political agenda into the house of commons? The similarities in the wording between the two responses would suggest they are merely using our real problems as a way of discrediting the current government to gain power themselves.

Thoughts.................

in reply to mrWheezy

that's a good point Mr Wheezy -

in reply to mrWheezy

there are actually some great folk who are politicians ... otherwise we wouldn't have made the progress in welfare and health services and so much more last century. ... hmm .... almost all by Labour and Liberal parties though if you look at history. People power can only go so far. These MPs had both already tried hard to make these changes fairer by proposed amendments that govt did not accept.

there is lots of uptodate information on the web site below any new or existing claims will be reassessed 2013 if the claiment is under 65, which will mean people being ask to claim twice with no guaranties of success

Auntymary

dwp.gov.uk/pip

San15 profile image
San15

Hi everyone, the replies sound encouraging, though with so many similarities, makes you wonder. I managed to get lower rate dla for mobility and care before diagnosed with copd and i managed to get my blue badge, its esa i am having trouble getting and my gp isnt supporting me either to get esa with my copd. I lost my appeal for esa and now having to apply all over again. A member of the CAB called me and told me that i could appeal the appeal decision and would get the member of CAB who has been organising my appeal to contact me, that was 2 or 3 weeks ago now, i still havent heard anything there again, whenever i called the CAB and asked whether she had any news, or done the things she said she was going to do, she never seemed to have and couldnt remember what she was meant to be doing and would say that she would dig my file out and read it again, seems like i am trying to fight the battle on my own. I wrote to the pm ages ago, had a reply back, wrote to labour, never had a reply at all.

mrWheezy profile image
mrWheezy

Gordon, i am aware that it is the purpose of the opposition to discredit the current government in every move they make and decision they influence, if you read my comment i was merely playing devils advocate and as such provoking thoughts about our MP's intentions. I honestly doubt if only one or two MP's raise the issues we are experiencing that anything of value to us will be done,I am also aware that the more MP's we provoke into action the more our plight will be brought to light. I wonder if a Panorama documentary may have more effect though.

in reply to mrWheezy

great idea - Panorama could really help .

purpose of opposition :

6. Role of the Leader of the Opposition

The following are the main duties of the Leader of the Opposition as identified by the

academic Rodney Brazier8:

• “the paramount constitutional duty of the Leader of the Opposition is to be ready to

take office as Prime Minister”;

• “leading his party in Parliament and in the country”; and

• “Plainly a major purpose of an Opposition is to oppose. But the Leader of the

Opposition occasionally has to decide whether to set aside that purpose so as to

offer limited co-operation to the Prime Minister, when the Prime Minister offers him

access to confidential official information, or invites him to enter into consultations on

government policy”.

c'mom folks...let's be thought leaders in tackling the widespread cynicism rather than just join in it - so easy to be a cynic ...harder to really try to understand and apply our analytical minds.

buny993 profile image
buny993

Hi all never knew about pip but when pesion increase between me an my whife with the loss of garanteed sory pesion garantee we got nothing and the had to pay towards health care

ewondering if this will be the same get one lose another bob

timber profile image
timber

I note the words "discredit the current Government"recurring throughout this thread . I am amazed that anyone who is interested in this site and therefore are either very ill with COPD or is the carer ,family or friend of someone with this illness can talk in such terms .

To anyone with half a brain this current government must be already totally discredited,they are destroying the NHS which we all depend on .Local authority budgets to help/assist the disabled are being cut to the quick.Thousands of disabled people are being told by a hugely profitable private company that they are fit for work,and lose vital benefits as a result,thousands more disabled very ill people live in fear of new medical assessments and change to the DLA system.

In order to get away with this the government propaganda machine as managed to convince many of the electorate that most of us are in fact work-shy and state scroungers,disability hatred in this country is growing at an alarming rate.

The last government could have done a great deal more to help the weak,the ill,the disabled and other vulnerable members of our society,but this government attack such groups with a vengeance .

i hate to throw oil on the fire but i think it makes no difference which party is in power - they all make cuts to save money - i just believe ( and in my job i see other ways the government can save billions) they make the cuts in the wrong places.

timber profile image
timber

Good morning to all,rather surprised by the lack of response to my post yesterday,I half expected lot's of people telling me it was far too political.I felt 3 years ago how very frightening it was to be going into older age with a tory government and a tory controlled local authority,and that indeed is the case ,I find it scary,

To krazycat comment I do not disagree but I did make the point the last government could have done a great deal more ,but one fact is indisputable the last Government put money into OUR NHS,this government is cutting it's funding and wants to flog half of it off to their mates in the private sector.

Of course they all make cuts in the wrong places,how many millions did they find for the Queens jubilee,and the olympics,theres always millions to spend on the red ,white and blue,whilst food banks are feeding the hungary in many of our cities,and the bloodsuckers in the private sector are eyeing up the national blood transfusion service.

I am afraid we are not above politics ,what politicians decide effects us all.

Catel profile image
Catel

12 years on disability, basically 1 lung,after Tuberculosis,Double pneumonia, broken ribs, chronic pain, pleurisy, morphine 24/7, antidepressants x 2 . DLA, Mobility, I have mobility car.Dont see GP unless to increase pain meds, wont get better ever, now panicking, slipping back into depression, become a recluse again cos of these pip rules and the inadequacy of atos or any government to have a slightly sensible operation. Rely on non medical money savers for life support, now severely worried

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