Taxing the disabled *@~#

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magicaxeman

magicaxeman

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I remember Cameron talking about the coming changes to benefits and stating "No genuinely disabled person will be worse off under our reforms".

Well I'm genuinely severely disabled (bed bound 24/7 and completely reliant on carers for those that don't know) and I now find myself over £100 per month worse off thanks to the reforms of council tax benefit & the bedroom tax.

Previously the severely disabled living in specially adapted properties where exempt from paying council tax as it was recognised that having to pay out of our benefits would impact our ability to pay for our care and also meet the increased costs we have with energy bills, special diets and aids/bedding etc.

Now thats gone out of the window and council tax benefit has gone, any help is discretionary from each council and not classed as a benefit so that there is no automatic entitlement, my council decided not to give any help to anyone on council tax and as its no longer classed as a benefit they can do as they wish.

Added to this I live in a small ground floor flat with 2 small bedrooms, I live in one, my carers and family use the other.
As I didn't qualify for overnight care, overnight care is provided by my family, namely my 75 yr old father and my niece when she can as she is a professional carer.
I applied for a discretionary payment with respect to the bedroom tax on the grounds that I needed the room for those who care for me when I need help during the night and also on the grounds that moving to the other side of town to a 1 bed property would not be feasible on several grounds.

1 - I would need to be moved there by ambulance & paramedics as I cant even sit.
2 - I would lose my GP who is fantastic at visiting and managing my condition and end up with a third rate GP who I have had in the past when I lived that side of town.
3 - I would lose my local support network of neighbours and friends including local shop keepers, I only have to pick up the phone and they will help.
4 - I would be 30mins away from my family who would no longer be able to visit as frequently as they do, they can be here in 4mins in the case of an emergency and should anything happen to my father I would not be able to see my mother at all as unlike here the new place is not on a local bus route, here my mother can get on a bus outside her house and get off at the top of my road, she can manage the short distance on her crutches.

I've just been told I wont get any help as I dont meet the criteria, ie having professional paid carers staying every night from dusk to dawn.
I pointed out my niece IS a professional carer, but apparently as I dont pay her, she doesn't count.
Also apparently only professional carers need a bed to sleep on when looking after you, family members in particular a 75yr old can sleep on the floor!

It's beyond a joke, do they not realise that this money has to come directly from the extra I have to pay each week to top up my care? thus I will have to decrease my care hours in order to pay them.

Even worse is to come apparently when we change to pip instead of DLA and universal credit.

Ps - No I dont have satellite tv/items on credit, credit card etc etc and it goes without saying that I dont go down the pub or anything lol.
 
It's a ridiculous system.

Knock through the wall then it's only a one bedroom place ;)

Article in the local paper perhaps?? That's usually a good way of shaming local authorities into doing the right thing.

If you don't meet the criteria for help then I can't see how anyone would meet it.
 
It really is a joke. It's bad enough reading analyses of the changes when looking at that bigger picture but reading a personal story such as yours really does make my blood boil. I can't really say anymore without making it political.
 
I really do feel for you Ian!

What gets me is those who don't *really* need the help will still find a way to bend the system to suit them and those who do really need it get shafted. Just so bloody unfair :(

I hear so many examples of this it's unreal! My old next door neighbour had a stroke last year, he's in his early 60s, had worked for the MOD Police most of his working life but "retired" there and set up as a part-time minibus driver.

He was in hospital for a while after his stroke and lost the use of his left side. The guy's 6ft 6in tall so it was very difficult for his friends/family to care for him and they looked to the state for help. Can't remember the exact whys & wherefores but when they first looked into it they were told he basically couldn't claim anything (or very little) but they went to the CAB who were really helpful and eventually he did get some financial assistance.

It's the same old story and it sucks!!!
 
I have harassed more MP's than I care to remember about these issues (which include many millions of working people in the changes), which are set to get a whole lot worse if you read the fine print of the legislation they are forcing through like a gang bang in a prison shower block.

All this is put on the belief (and lies of IDS) that half of those are playing the system, like you say with the 2000" plasma TV's 6 mobiles on contract, Bentlys etc (from £70 a week? get real FFS).

Which more fool on people for not taking 5 minutes to read the official figures and seeing 0.03% ever making it to court for fraud, and a worrying number of those are eastern european (not to slate all those that come and work hard for the system).

System wasn't great to begin with either, My old man was diagnosed with cancer, worked right up to the operation to have it surgically removed and bar the sick pay, being in a hospital bed for weeks then unable to walk for several months and then thanks to the nature of his work unable to return was refused any help.

Well, until McMillan stepped in and managed to set up what he was technically entitled to after months.

So have also witnessed first hand the stress it causes.

He is also retired now, gives an insight to his age when he was on the sick register for only 2>3 years and how the reality of finding other work you can do is a extremely vague and unrealistic expectation.
 
In before the politics lock..


I have nothing else serious to add other than try the media route like someone else suggested. And that its a shame that genuine cases have to suffer because of other people's milking of the system..
 
:plusone:

....for the media approach.

....also maybe your local MP?


The louder you can make noise the more they will want to keep you quiet!

....absolutely despicable IMO.


Heather
 
As above, local and national media (although you might want to "downgrade" the camera if it comes up that you have a bit of a hobby), and your local MPs (yes plural).
They'll be looking your vote.

I'm not a great one for politics, but it seems this lot (and more so the Tories) are almost as bad as the last lot.
And I don't think it'd be any better if Boris was head prefect instead of Call Me Dave!
 
I have one final appeal left, so will get cracking on that and also send of a letter to my MP, but I'm very wary of the media, especially the nationals, I haven't seen a single case where someone talking about their benefits hasn't been painted in a bad light.

And thanks for your comments guys, it gives me encouragement knowing people care about these issues.
 
For what you have shared I would hazard a guess you are on the top rate of DLA Ian?

I would certainly appeal the decisions if I were you Ian because they are wrong
 
Sad to hear yet another issue where those for whom the care system was designed are the very people who are heavily affected by spite and disinterest from politico screwing the country.

That the press have been encouraged to be attack dogs in singling our those on Benefits as cheats thieves and scroungers whilst many had paid into the systems all their working lives.

The press (in particular the Daily Mail) were glad to turn on the disabled in particular. Forgetting that DLA was an ALLOWANCE to assist with mobility costs and carers not a BENEFIT. It was designed to help both the long term chronically ill to maintain a reasonable expectation of life with assistance. It was also desined to help those with bad but temporal health issues - incl those recovering from cancer, children with terminal illnesses. etc

I am ashamed more and more for the purposeful stereotyping of people in that state.

What a nasty little country we have become.

This bully boy idiocy extended when those whose bedroom curtains were closed during tbe day were also described as job shy shirkers. First my eldest son knew of it was when a stinking lickspittle accused him of being a benefits thief as he noted his bedroom curtains closed during the day. He is a hospital emergency electrical engineer who works a permanent NIGHT SHIFT.

Easy to throw brickbats when ignorance reigns supreme.

This is not a rant against politicians they will have to face their own consciences). It is a plea for honesty and respect but not mindless unfounded prejudice and hate to be at the forefront of our communities and society as a whole

A population is judged on how it treats and supports those weakest and at risk


Steve
 
Indeed DLA is not a means tested benefit and is an allowance that is not only paid to the unemployed but to the employed as well.

The above seems to be a fact that most people are unaware of when they go on there rants about scroungers and benefit cheats.
 
That's a really despicable situation to find yourself in. The depths of Tory depravity never fail to sicken me.

I very much hope you get the right outcome.

And you probably deserve a bit of satellite TV, to be honest. I certainly wouldn't begrudge you it.
 
mid_gen said:
I know more people taking the **** with benefits than are getting a rough deal. The New Labour fostered culture of no personal responsibility and state dependence is the problem.
Click to expand...

You know nothing of the sort then

Your comment makes a huge generalisation and reveals the lack of knowledge

This thread is not about benefit cheats. Its about cheated disabled citizens most of whom worked productively until illness took away their ability to work. Their families often work tirelessly supportjng said people without putting their hands out for mone

Disability Living Allowanace recipients often use that to enable them to work and pay taxes and live their lives productively and some like the OP hang in tere being degraded by a growing despicable society that sees them as a burden.

If you know these cheats then join in the witch hunt and denounce them...... history is littered with such upstanding citizens...

An adapyation of Niemollers 1939 piece should act as a pointer for when you need something....

First they came for the Communists,
and I didn't speak up,
because I wasn't a Communist.
Then they came for the Jews,
and I didn't speak up,
because I wasn't a Jew.
Then they came for the Catholics,
and I didn't speak up,
because I was a Protestant.
Then they came for me,
and by that time there was no one
left to speak up for me.
 
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Of course all us OAP's are going to hand back the winter fuel allowance and although I don't have a bus pass those that do will stop using them, I don't think. I notice PM's arn't giving up their expense claims.

Realspeed
 
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