It is looking increasingly likely that legal aid for most welfare benefits issues is to end.
As was widely predicted, the coalition have overturned a House of Lords amendment (Members only) to the Legal Aid bill which would have reinstated legal aid for welfare benefits. Equally unsurprisingly, they have used the ‘financial privilege’ convention in an effort to try to prevent the Lords reinstating the amendment.
There will be a few small exceptions where legal aid will still be available for benefits, but the effect will be to make it very much harder to get free advice from advice agencies and law centres once the changes are introduced in April 2013.
RECORDING DLA MEDICALS
Chris Grayling, minister for employment, has confirmed in a letter to a member’s MP (Members only) that claimants having DLA medicals at a medical examination centre can ask to have them recorded for free in the same way that ESA claimants can. We’ve published a copy of the letter, minus the House of Commons emblem, in the members area in case you wish to download it and include it with your request.
In response to a separate freedom of information request the DWP have also finally admitted that secretly recording your medical is not against the law (External link). In the past they have always darkly hinted that such recordings may lead to legal repercussions. However, there is still the danger that the medical may be ended if the health professional discovers they are being recorded.
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gloglo
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15 Replies
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i shudder at this government!! this is why we must sign as many as the e petitions as possible x
we can;t just stand by and let this happen. please take a minute to sign e petition and petition to mp links below x
it is not surprise me one bit that yet again the polititions are doing things against ordinary people. they have always done what is good for them but they convienely foeget people have feelings too. they are greedy,self centred, lazy good for nothings..it is about time they started to talk to the people,this goverment does not like the people they are deaf to people sneeds
What kind of a country do we live in that can allow legal aid for criminals and not for those who are most disadvantaged ?
I think this is a horrific decision by this government and I can only hope that it has the same effect on them that the poll tax debacle had on Margaret Thatcher .
This whole figure massaging exercise by Cameron and his ilk is a national disgrace . Because that's all we are to them , statistics.
the system is failing the poor and disabled and will get terrifylingly worse
any fool who voted conservative should be ashamed
has anyone personal independance claim form?
its so basic and misses vital points its unwinable
get this government
as for d.l.a make sure you have serious back up
i.e. drs letters pain management clinic letters
all medication rises any operations
im due epidural second time
my medication has gone up again
my hands are sore 24/7 and shake frequently
my feet are extremely sore 24/7 hard to describe pain but feels like they clamped by a pincushion i wake up to toes feeling twisted hard
very hard to walk
rely on taxis hoping to sort a car out next month
i have at last got a blue badge
goverment does not realise our pain is downward spiral
but theyll still punish us more and more--like how dare we be ill/disabled
as for legal aid crimanals get to much help and frequently escape punishment
i agree totally .,...
''If they are hungry let them eat the cake from our bins, let it be known the bins are especially plentiful following a secret Power Lunch with my Fat Cat Elite! Umm maybe we could raise a flag on bin day, now that would be helping the disadvantaged would you not say What! What! ..'' crowed Mr Cameron.
not been able to eat for two days now due to symptoms from my disability....... suppose those suffering illness do not deserve to eat! or receive legal aid! VICTIMIZATION OF THE VULNERABLE IN SOCIETY, WHAT A GOVERNMENT!!!
To be disabled in this country is getting very bad we are being treated like Scroungers. We need help, support and advice when filling out forms and so many people need to appeal. The government puts disabled people in working groups instead of support groups then take their benefits away after a year (if it goes through) but you are still disabled. We have rights and this bloody government don't care one bit
Has a date been set for when this will happen? I am in the middle of the process at the moment and also have a complaint going through with my NHS trust which I had been told I would get legal aid for if they did not deal with my complaint properly. Now all we will have left are dodgy 'no win - no fee' solicitors who may not even want to take on such cases!
Sorry should have said, all I want is the benefits I need and the NHS care that I need which is being withheld because of my complaint! Have worked since I was 13 during school holidays and paid tax then on 2 shllings an hour! Gave the Education department 10 years of service and over 20 in the NHS. I think I have paid many times over for what I need. I rose to quite a senior position and so was in the 40% tax bracket for a few years. Then I got too ill to work and I am treated like a scrounger.
But about petitions, I signed many on the NHS bill and benefit changes but they went ahead anyway. This government of priveliged bully boys are so far right they want to take us back to the 1940s when people starved to death if there was no work.
I don't know what we need to do to get them to listen.
It is only when it ends up on the news and in the public domain that they start to worry about votes that they do anything. Maybe we should all try to get local and national papers to report on our cases. I'm sure there would be some good headlines there!
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spread the word using social networking sites like facebook, twitter, u tube.
you could also try telling 'your story' to nsp groups but i think our illness is a complete cover up and most papers tory boys anyway
Dito Dito Dito ........ worked my cotton socks off since 11 years, then rose to head of advertising agency paying 40% tax for over 15 years. now this goverment are victimising the disabled and making us all feel like malingers and scrungers. make my blood boil
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VICTIMIZATION OF THE VULNERABLE IN SOCIETY, WHAT A GOVERNMENT!!!
DLA statement of reasons legal help
ATOS home visit refused
ARGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
Appealing to the Upper Tribunal against a First-tier Tribunal decision. Go get em Tiger!
Repeat ESA medical referrals deferred for two years!
