I saw this post on facebook from an organisation that helps people with their PIP applications last night

I have my PIP reassessment tomorrow, they know I have anxiety and today I have received 3 phone calls, every 2 hours from a withheld number… I haven’t answered. I fully suspect its the DWP trying this tactic and even despite my thinking that, its still succeeding in triggering my anxiety

Update: Turns out it was PIP phoning, it was one of the first things they said to me on my phone assessment. Supposedly the 4 phone calls (another happened after I made this post) from a withheld number were to remind me for my appointment today but they sent me a text during the day inbetween 2 of the calls and you’d think they’d leave a voicemail so yeah its crafty and the worst part is it worked, today its not only triggered my anxiety but its also made my fibro & ME flare up today with increased pain and fatigue (not helped by me not getting any sleep last night), its flared my ibs and gave me a migraine after the call ended

So. While the current arsehole serving as UK PM is currently coming out with all kinds of nasty policies to appeal to the worst of his voter base, I wanted to say two things to fellow disabled and long term sick Brits.

Firstly, Sunak does not believe he or the Conservatives are going to be in power by the end of the year, so most of this shit isn't going to happen. While the alternatives are also not great, they are marginally less horrible.

Secondly, if/when you are forced to go through a Work Capability Assessment, it is your right to demand it be recorded. They will try to dissuade you, but you can refuse an appointment unless and until they agree. You receive a copy of the recording (just put it somewhere safe, don't listen to it unless you need to). Now you have concrete proof of what happened in the assessment, which makes it harder for them to screw you over.

My last WCA was during lockdown, so it was a remote one. It was delayed for 2 months because I demanded a recording. And it was the second time ever in 15 years that I didn't have to go to tribunal. I also was moved from the limited work group to the support group.

Hopefully this helps someone. Hang in there everyone. We are worth it.

Hey guys, IRL Autumn here. As much as I'd love to be here with my usual jokes, This is something much more serious.

For those who don't know, the UK government has recently announced plans to cut Disabled benefits by 4.6K a year if a person isn't or won't find a work from home position.

To massively simplify the current system, Disabled benefits have 2 levels of pay, depending on your capacity for work. Those who are deemed fully incapable of work get full pay, and those who can work part time, or in a select few low impact workplaces get half pay.

The new system would require everyone no matter where they lay on that scale to find employment. For the thousands, if not millions of people that have been declared fully incapable of work, this means bending over backwards for an impossible task.

And the pay cut for those who "refuse" to comply (which in reality is the vast majority being completely unable to comply to impossible demands) is not an insignificant amount.

That is a payment reduction of over half of what that person currently recieves. An amount that already is barely sufficient to survive on.

Being disabled is inherently expensive, be it due to needing specialized equipment, specific transport needs or even specific needs in general day-to-day living.

This is not a scheme to help the current system which is admittedly underfunded. This is a system designed to force disabled people to sacrifice themselves for an unsustainable system, or die trying.

And believe me, there will be death.

This is a deliberate target of some of the most vulnerable people in our society.

This is not "toughing through the hard times for the good of the country"

This is a slaughter.

The UK government is being criticised after a Department for Work and Pensions video was released on Twitter alongside the caption: “‘We will track you down. We will find you. And we will bring you to justice’ – minister for disabled people Tom Pursglove.

“At DWP we have a very particular set of skills that we use in conjunction with the police to tackle fraud,” it continued.

The warning is an apparent reference to a scene in the film taken, starring Liam Neeson, in which he threatens the drug gang which has kidnapped his daughter.

In the DWP video, at least half a dozen officers are seen ascending a staircase before making an arrest on an alleged benefit fraudster. All the while action film-like music is playing in the background.

Scottish Green MSP Maggie Chapman said: “We know benefit fraud makes up a minuscule amount of money lost to the system. This is just grotesque targeting of the already vulnerable.”

📢🗣️ In case anyone doesn't know, in the UK, warm home discount has changed & you have to ring 0800 107 8004 to apply for the £150 discount, instead of going via your supplier 📢🗣️

You will need your electricity account information available & you only have until the 28th February 2023.

Lines open 8am to 6pm.

✨Share to your low income friends & family so they can stay warm for the rest of the winter without having to worry about debt. We can do this together✨

At this point, someone could die and the government, mainly Rishi Sunak, would show up to the funeral, place a hand on the casket and literally say, "How could you do this to your work place, they are so understaffed right now-"

The briefing, by civil servants at the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), says that under the plans, new applicants for disability benefits in England and Wales would only qualify for cold weather payments if they passed a much harsher assessment than exists at present.

“We recognise that this recommendation will result in fewer low-income people being eligible for [cold weather payments],” the briefing says, adding that some higher-income people will gain access to them.

Tories punishing those who have the bad luck to be disabled and poor again. And observe who's not all over this - the Labour 'opposition'. I imagine that Starmer's too busy taking notes.

this might be a radical opinion, but as a disabled person in chronic pain i feel like i shouldn't have to justify my existence by how useful i am to society. especially when said society can't even fix the things that debilitate me in the first place

Recent polling for the Joseph Rowntree Foundation and the Trussell Trust found 66 per cent of the public agree that Universal Credit payment rates are too low. But millions of disabled households have to live off this, because systems and structures are stacked against them.   Some disabled people may never be able to work for no fault of their own. Should this group just be left to fend for themselves?

Many have tried to work but have been written-off time and time again. Many have lost the will to keep trying as our welfare system discourages them from fulfilling ambitions. Benefit sanctions make it harder for people to get jobs, not easier, and employer attitudes on who can work are stuck in the past.

We want the media, the press, and journalists to report on the failures of our welfare system, to shine a light on the levels of poverty in this country, and to speak to disabled people about what needs to change.

This damaging framing of welfare, benefits, people out of work, and disability misses the point and makes matters worse.

We’d like to see more attention given to:

The number of disabled lives lost because of the benefit assessment process.

The huge amount of time it can take to access benefits and the impact this has on the lives of disabled people.

The fact that many people who claim benefits are in-work.

How interacting with the welfare system has led to untold stress, anxiety, fear and poor mental health for disabled people.

These are the real problems facing the welfare system in this country. Writing off millions of people as a burden on taxpayers, through no fault of their own, is a lazy, damaging narrative to peddle. One that writes off the huge contributions and value our diverse disabled population gives to society.

“On its own, the reform of the Work Capability Assessment for sick and disabled people is expected to add only 10,000 workers by 2028-2029. The OBR says a far larger number of claimants — 342,000 — will be placed in lower-paying categories in the benefit system that require them to look for some work. These changes apply to new claimants, not existing ones, avoiding a cliff-edge for many. But giving so many people less money than they would otherwise receive will surely anger welfare campaigners — while achieving little net change to the workforce. The Treasury does, however, predict it will save £1.265 billion by 2028-2029.”

I need him gone, please and thank

Here are some top tips for PIP assessments from someone awarded enhanced daily living and enhanced mobility.

- Talk about it like its your worst day and dont let them down play anything. For example

Me: I really struggle to walk a lot of the time.

The assessor: but you can sometimes.

Me: yes but most of the time i cant and when i can its very painful

-Have the meeting recorded. They are less likely to try and twist your words if its being recorded. It is also helpful for if you want to apply for mandatory reconsideration you have a record of everything that was said

-If you can, have someone with you. I personally had my partner with me and they answered a lot of the questions for me as i was getting overwhelmed and needed support. Having someone there to support you and advocate for you if needed can be a big help.

-If possible have it done over the phone rather than in person. A lot of people say they were judged for what they wore how much eye contact they made e.c.t. if its possible having it over the phone limits how much of a judgement they can make based on looks

-Evidence! Get as much evidence as possible even if you think its irrelevant i sent in 150 pages worth of medical records even if it wasnt all relevent it made a huge difference that there was a lot backing up what i said

-If youre struggling to write out the forms and its possible i highly suggest seeking support. I personally used my local autism hub for help but citizens advice are also able to help you through the process

- Be gentle with yourself. The people doing the assessment and the benefits system, in general can be so so mean. Remember you deserve help.

If anyone else has any other tips feel free to add them below. My dms are open if anyone has any questions or feel free to ask in a comment. Sorry this was long but i hope it helps.

So they cancelled my PIP

Now I have to appeal, and they'll probably reject me again so I'll have to go to a tribunal, meanwhile I'm down £300 odd a month during a COL crisis

I'm so. Angry.

Fuck DWP and the benefits system. It’s so ducked up. Can’t have more than £6000 in savings or my benefits start to go down, so how am I ever supposed to save for anything? This includes having an ISA where the money can only be used to buy a house or for retirement.

I mean, I get they can only do so much and stuff, but the way everything is laid out is just so fucked up. It takes forever to even get benefits and a lot of people who need the give up trying to get them because it’s so damn difficult and there’s so many hoops to jump through.

I want to start my own business to try and earn a little so I don’t have to completely rely on benefits, but apparently the business account amount also counts towards my savings, which is ridiculous to me because it’s not my money, it’s the companies money. Sure, I own the company, but the money in that business account would purely be for reinvesting in the business, for buying more stock and materials. If the money were to be transferred to my personal account then it’d be mine, cause it’d be my wages, not that it would even be much. I just think it’s stupid.

Then there’s the fact that when I’m able to move in with my boyfriend, I don’t get treated as a separate person. It won’t be my savings only that affect my benefits, it’ll be our savings so I probably won’t get anything at all, which is insane because I can’t expect my boyfriend to pay for absolutely everything, all by himself. I need to be able to split the bills, especially since the majority of power used will be used by me since I’m always home. I need to be able to help pay for the food we eat and for my own stuff like my toiletries and any kind of entertainment I use to get me through the day so I’m not mindlessly staring out the window depressed all day because I can’t work. I can understand they want to take your partners earnings into account, but I should still be treated as an individual person. Sure, if I were to move in with a millionaire, done give me benefits, because as much as I’d like to be able to pay my own way with stuff it would be ridiculous to claim benefits while being with someone rich who can afford to pay for everything, even if you should be able to pull your own weight, which you would be doing if you were able to work properly. Unfortunately my boyfriend is not a millionaire (though I wouldn’t change a thing, I love him to pieces), and therefore will not be able to pay for everything all by himself. If I don’t get any benefits and I struggle running my own business, either in terms of sales or I’m terms of energy to keep it running in order to make anything to sell, then I’m stuck with nothing coming in and having to rely solely on my boyfriend, and that’s so unfair.

We need to be able to save for a house so we can live together. We need to be able to have savings in case anything goes wrong, like the boiler breaks or we have to pay for something in an emergency. We need to be able to pay for food, to pay the bills, to pay for the car for getting around, to pay for insurance etc. There’s so much stuff you have to pay for, and to have two people relying on one income that is only suitable for one person isn’t right.

Sorry, rant over, I just had to complain somewhere. Money is stressing me out and I’m worrying about the future and how we’ll manage everything. I want to enjoy the now but I’m just so stressed about the future and trying to plan things out it’s just not going that way at the moment. Fingers crossed my health improves and I can either get a normal job again or I can have enough energy to make my business a success and actually earn decent money to contribute to everything we want to pay for in the future.

Wishing everyone well and hoping things improve for everyone asap, especially for people struggling with their health, money, any struggles they’re currently facing tbh. I wish the world were a better place.

Just out of genuine curioustly: will this going after people on sick leave and people without jobs for either medical reasons or other reasons, include the royal family??? Or is it again, the rest of the country that has to suffer while the royal family get to take all the sick leave they want and not work at all???