Not really, no. We lost. The Condemns have got their way, they will be saving 20% by abolishing DLA and replacing it with PIP. Here are the day’s events just in case you missed it. guardian.co.uk/society/blog...
So on we go, despite this defeat we still need to fight on and everybody who has taken part has done a fantastic job. It’s a great shame this has happened and still the myths being perpetuated about DLA are still being put about by the media. I’ve just watched a report on Newsnight (BBC2) and listened to a guy (I forget his name) utter not one but two pieces of such misinformation. 1) Most people on DLA don’t get reassessed – that’s a myth, I, for one will have to re-apply in about 12 months. 2) People can apply without medical evidence, that’s also a myth, applications lacking evidence from a doctor will most likely be declined, and in fact lots of people’s applications get declined WITH medical evidence.
We are however very pleased that Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson fought our corner and very grateful for her support. There is a list floating about somewhere which shows how the Lords voted. I’ll search it out and share it with you within the next couple of days.
I do feel as though the rug has been pulled from underneath me, when I’ll be reapplying for DLA I won’t be, I’ll be applying for Personal Independence Payment, which may I remind you has just 2 care components as opposed to the current 3 care component and 2 mobility components like DLA currently has. So this will most definitely apply to me –
“Claimants who cannot prepare and cook a simple meal will not be entitled to any award of PIP on those grounds alone, whereas they are currently entitled to the lower rate of the care component of DLA.”
Ah well, what shall I have for dinner tonight? Ummm…..nothing.
It’s not just the PIP it’s self it’s those other things that you may get as a result of being disabled and eligible for help, travel passes, free cinema tickets for carers, there’s loads of things….well a few more, not loads.
One very useful thing that a couple of fellow ticcers have been able to access as a result of being eligible for DLA is access to work, along with their DLA this has enabled them to be able to stay in work, to help them to get there and to help them do their job, be it extra help or adjustments/equipment. Without PIP they would have to give up their jobs and be unemployed, they would absolutely HATE it.
Another problem I see with the changes is the face-to-face interview, as with the Work Capability Assessment administered by the dreaded ATOS, the assessment will be carried out by a general healthcare professional that won’t have any specific knowledge of your disability. What happened to trusting the judgement of my consultant? You know that guy who’s written loads of papers on TS, the same feller that sees ticcers day in day out and our problems. Now his opinion means didily squat. Believe you me the WCA assessment is no picnic.
I had another thought earlier also, it applies to just us ticcers. It’s only recently that other people have started to believe the difficulties that we face (not just getting a slap across the face on the bus after an outburst of coprolalia) but the problems we face doing daily tasks, the problems we face due to the mental health problems that many of us deal with. Currently when people ask “Is Tourette’s really a disability?” you can answer confidently “YES, it as I’m eligible for DLA” now in the near future we’ll get relegated to that grey zone “is it a disability, or isn’t it?” we know the truth but without that confirmation from the DWP we’re in the zone we’re accused of swinging the lead, Tourette’s syndrome is now a joke again, not a disability. What rights do we have in the workplace?
Something else that has bothered me today, it’s bothered a lot of people actually and that’s Nadine Dorries, the Tory MP, she’s been busy tweeting, she tweeted that she would like to see any disabled people that have been campaign online to be prosecuted. Why, does she think we are now fit to work? I’d love a job; the first person to offer me a job will get a big kiss on the lips from me. Is that because she thinks that we’re s**t stirring or spoiling her fun? Does she have other plans for the disabled community? Play fair now Nadine. It makes me feel like a suffragette, you’ll either see me in court or chained to some railings, or probably shelf stacking in Poundland.
Now I’m off for some shut eye, night, night.
Keep up the good work Cath. 