Benefits system?

I thought this might be of interest to those with similar experience. Maybe take you experience to your MP, together with this: do they really want to prove Dispatches right?

theguardian.com/commentisfr...

[rosewine]

Having read this article I can believe it. Both my husband and I have been through the ESA assessments so know what it is like. It took the OH two years to get his decision overturned by a tribunal with 2 tribunal visits and I saw what it did to his mental health which at that time was already poor as he had had to give up a job he had enjoyed and had done for 38 years. I originally was granted ESA but when I was sent again for reassessment was refused and was going to go to tribunal. My husband's experience had been so bad that he begged me not to go as I was by this time just 5 months before retirement when ESA would have been stopped in any case. When I was due for renewing my DLA my not taking my case for ESA to tribunal was actually stated as one of the reasons of refusing me DLA???? Their theory being if I was sure of winning I would have carried on. Fortunately for me I noticed that one one of the main thing they said that they had based their supposed decision on was a letter from my GP that had never been sent because he had not received a requst from them. I pointed that out and said that this time I was more than prepared to go to tribunal and would be be bringing that particular point up and asked them if they would like to look at my case again and suddenly they changed their minds.

I did take our cases to my local MP who did take it seriously (at that time he was an MP for the government who originally brought in the tests). He was actually amazed himself as to what was going on and wrote to the Job Centre, etc and copied the letters to me. He apologised as he could not beat the system and said my husband and I were not the people they were trying to "catch" but we had unfortunately swum into a net where there was no escape.

I used to train the unemployed and at one time the staff at the Job Centre were marvellous and did everything in their power to help people even suggesting to people who were carers that they would be better off going on benefits and concentrating on caring rather than getting a job and trying to juggle the two things and they themselves then becoming ill because of the burden of doing both. How times have changed.x

[Hidden in reply to rosewine]

Good for you for standing up!

[Furry]

This is awful and not surprising at all, I am clinging on to my job by the skin of my teeth at the moment and I am dreading having to go through the enevitable stressful process of claiming esa. In my department at work if the conversation turns to benefits almost everyone is scathing and condemning towards people claiming any benefits. I have had so many arguments about this and tried to get them imagine what it would be like for them to be in that position. Anyone can become ill! It makes my blood boil. This government have encouraged people to tread on the sick and poor. Phew sorry I've ranted on a bit there. Thanks for the post. Take care. X

[fenbadger]

The Dispatches was an appalling view. I wonder if why the DWP statements don't mesh with what the reporter saw.

[TheAuthor]

Very interesting, thanks for sharing.

Take care

Ken

[teddybear7]

This must be why there are reports of job centre staff crying in front of people because they are being put under so much pressure. I've heard if they don't get so many to an interview they are disaplined. And have broken down in front of genuinely disabled people because they can't attend interviews. Appalling state of affairs.

[Peace2014]

I can believe this. My daughter who has learning difficulties and mental health issues - anxiety, etc was found fit for work after trying to commit suicide. She had just attend college for three years on specials needs courses and received DLA. They gave her zero points at her medical. We went to tribuneral and it was overturned with 27 points. She was called to medical assessment again, but I contacted my MP when they refused to do a home visit and said I had got to ring the day before the medical to see if it was possible. After intervention by my MP she was put in the support group. About 2 months later my health strarted to deteriorate and I was diagnosed with Fibro 18 months later. I blame the stress and lack of support.

[gracesgrandma]

This makes me sick to my back teeth. Since Jan 2014 when we sent off my ESA forms we have heard nothing. I wait each day dreading the letterbox waiting for that brown envelope. On a separate note we had a final appeal letter saying that my brother was fit for work and that we are not allowed to appeal any more. They still do not recognise the evidence even though he died on the 1st Sept 2013. The Solicitor acting on his behalf was so adamant and carried on on his behalf and cannot believe that he could not get it overturned. Hay ho easy to pick on someone who can't talk for them self :o( Good Luck everyone who has the misfortune of being on this merry-go-round xx

[budgiefriend]

I wonder if MPs are really interested in changing all this. The government did give the new contract to a similar organisation which has many of the same managers in it, in the same building, etc. Nothing is changed and the govt. continues to spend billions of pounds on this hopeless mess, while telling us they have 'helped a lot of people back to work' and that unemployment rates are down. Many people have given up and are just living with family members or hand to mouth because they can't handle this corrupt and punishing system. Where are there any employers who want to employ people who can't work because they are too sick to turn up most days or because they haven't the ability due to mental and physical disabilities? It's absolutely ludicrous to put people in a position of pretending to find work for those who should be supported by the society they live in. Inhumane doesn't begin to describe it. I had heard something about the United Nations sending someone to investigate such things in the UK... that was a few years back. I wonder what happened to that. I guess we will not know what strings were pulled to stop them making all this an international matter of urgency and shame on Britain.

[marmaris in reply to budgiefriend]

I could not agree more with you budgiefriend, well stated. It is all the TRUTH, and I would like to see what happens to these so called Polititians should they fall ill. Walk a mile in our shoes.......