This may affect the future of people in the ESA Support Group . They are consulting individuals as well as professionals and includes the reforming of the WCA. It is a long questionnaire so you don’t have to answer all the questions but if you don’t do anything else, please try and answer the questions on ESA...they are planning to ‘target’ those in the Support Group for some sort of Work Related Activity and it will be focussed on those with mental health and muscularskeletal illnesses. I know these consultations are often a whitewash but if none of us fill them in they’ll think we’re OK with it.
You can do it all online anonymously but if you need to save and come back to it you need to give an email.
Closing date: 17th February 2017
You can find out more about it from this blog too:
I don't like the idea of being "tested" for work by a Job Centre person called bizarrely "employability professionals, non specialist health officials and work coaches", who do not have a medical background.
It does make you wonder that if you have an accident at the work you can supposedly do, who would be liable, you, your employer or the person who said you were fit enough to work?
It is all very worrying, Bluebell. It is all part of coercing already very ill people in the Support Group. The DWP and their paid private health professionals have been downgrading the expertise from GPs for a long time. I have taken part in the consultation for what it's worth though I fear it's a done deal x
There is no may be about it they have already made their minds up as this is an easy target. They won't be happy until there is no welfare. I guess mental health and muscular skeletal groups must be the largest groups of claimants so they are picking on these without a thought to how much help these people need or how unpredictable these conditions can be. Its all about numbers not about the people it attacks. Yes it does help some people to be able to work but how much support will they get to obtain work and how much understanding will they get when in work. I suspect not much at all. Ive already read several comments talking of suicide if it goes ahead. They can't even support well people to get in work. The ministers who think these ideas up should walk a day in our shoes.
Indeed, hebden. As you say, there's already things built into the structure to help people who can and want to work, it's called Permitted Work...I have both of the conditions they're targeted so feel I am ****ed basically. Terrifies me.
I have both conditions targeted too and if this goes ahead I will end up homeless as I am just about surviving on this income now. If it gets cut Ive had it. I lost my job a little over a year ago because my conditions affected my work and I was struggling to be at work. My employer could not re deploy me because of this and I am worse health wise now than I was then. The stress of this constant worry is killing me.
So sorry to hear, hebden. It is all so very stressful. I am hoping that the bill will get rejected. There has already been concern over it and the cost needed to run it. It is only a Green paper at this stage. It is easy to get scared by all of this but there is much help online to help us get the help we need. I think there is a benefit adviser on here and I can also recommend Benefits&Work. Not sure if I'm allowed to put the link up here but I am a member and although they charge a small annual fee it is well worth it for their very detailed and thorough manuals. Without them I don't think I'd have done as well with my PIP. (((Gentle hugs))))
I started to do this today, but after 45 minutes there was still more questions. I was tired, brain foggy and had a headache! I got fed up and quit. Yes, I could have saved it and returned to it another day, but that meant giving my email, which would mean it's not anonymous.
Maybe I'm being paranoid but I don't like giving information like this to anyone without the security of anonymity. I didn't give my email to the DWP on my claim forms and there not getting it this way! I know, definitely paranoid. It did make me wonder how they were going to use it.
I don't fill any form in with my email address, not after discovering even government agencies use it and the DVLA sells it along with your phone number. Ever wondered where all those Blame claim and insurance claim companies get your number from? Exactly!
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