Official thread: ‘Get Britain Working’ White Paper released Tuesday 26th November
Comments
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The DWP as a whole has a duty of care @Catherine21 you actually shared an article mentioning it the other day. I think they call it their six step plan or similar? Which was shown to have a very low error rate currently. You need to remember that they deal with millions of people and we only ever hear about the bad experiences not the positive ones. Though I do think some major changes are needed and a softer approach would be nice.
And goal posts do need to be changed, it's good they're keeping an eye on things and trying to be a bit more proactive and less reactive with potential changes, which was the issue with the last government. Personal opinion of course. 😆
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Did I don't even know what I'm sending
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Night city what would we do without you 😊 Always like Albus a voice of calm and reason ⭐
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Hi Albus,
I have to agree with all you say. I am not a Keir Starmer fan however he will realise his legal limitations and the difference between long-term sickness and disability. I am concerned about the increase in corporate influence and the closer relations with Labour politicians, especially in relations to the NHS.
However there are not that many employers pushing at the governments doors with a desire to employ us. The last government, as I understand it, removed any incentives or funding to make necessary adjustments to enable their employment of a disabled employee and any targets, if the still exist, are never raised in relations to the onus on larger companies to have a minimum percentage or disabled employees. After Covid, there were businesses which wanted to continue working from home but the potential hit on commercial landlords and their influence on the last government seemed to have overcome that rational.
I did hear that it was thought that there would be opportunities for disabled people to work from home, I think this was mainly in the last government, but again employers do not seem to be jumping for joy at the idea. Having worked in a call centre for a major UK company who were in the lead with technologies, persuading the business to allow an existing employee to work from home due to health reasons was almost impossible. They would argue risk awareness, difficulties in management of remote workers, focus or lack of focus of employees working remotely, the issues regarding training, 121's etc. They really did not want to enable the continuing employment of existing staff as remote workers, even those with an exemplary record.
I really can't see their practices change unless there is some sort of benefit in it for them, which would in effect mean that we as taxpayers are subsidising employment costs and increasing profits by such things as working tax credits/UC. I am not saying that working tax credits/UC is not necessary but that those of us paying income tax, might as well cut out the middle man (the government) and give a direct payment to employers. I am a little hypocritical as for a small business or a start-up I can see how WTC/UC can help that business grow and benefit the local community, but how much are we subsidising multinational corporations so they can increase their profits but avoid taxation or investment in the UK economy.
Of course, as disabled job applicants organisations and the job centre tell us not to list your disability. I have been fortunate in that I have always listed mine and have only not got the job twice. Once was because I could not speak Welsh and the second was a job with the DWP back in the 1990's.
My point is that even if the government wants to get disabled benefit claimants back into employment, they have got to fiind employers who will actually hire us. Either that or throw money at employers to incentivise our employment and find that it may well be more expensive to subsidise a disabled person to work than to have them on benefits. Especially if the stress of employment means that we have a higher level of sick leave, which in turn triggers disciplinary action by the emplyer, increasing the employees stress so they take more time off per infinitum until the employee is managed out of employment.
Let's wait until the White Paper is going through parliament and ensure that we are in positions to influence our local MP's as well as organisations such as Scope who will be lobbying at a national level directly to the Prime Minister and Ministers in relevent cabinet positions. Albus is right about the media, on the whole those who support Reform or the Tories are deliberately trying to play different groups within the community against each other and place the blame on us for their own benefits. I also have suspicions that the language being used by this government is designed to appeal to a wider audience because of the percentage of the vote which Reform received when, in effect, they came from nowhere.
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I can add my experience
I had a bad experience on one of the job centre contracted provisions, IPES. I told the job centre, IPES was causing me to self harm, and they called me within about 10 minutes to check up and the next day, the disability advisor contacted me and she was very very supportive and caring.
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Just feel terrified all over again
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But if they change the goal post ie taking certain questions out of wca so we don't qualify it will be up to us to do job searches take us from lwcra to lcw and then to job searches we can't find work money stopped there won't be any compassion they are like vultures circling us it will be our responsibility let's not pretend we are dealing with compassionate individuals they want money and made it more than clear I won't go to appointments I will shut off and it will all fall apart we are not on these benefits for no reason they must think we're all fakes even the uc migration most won't know how to do it so tired of all this
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Are they amending the human rights act ? This is horrendous I think some of us relized labour won't save us it's very hard to trust they have our best interest at heart see how they treated elderly going ahead with migration keeping cruel uc going it is hard to keep grounded
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Oh nightcity we have missed you so much
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I think so far you have to use your common sense to see what actions the Government have already taken.What they have done so far. How much they have listened to the general public,organisations,opposition,even their own mps,did it change outcomes? And the likely hood of things being implemented given what they want to achieve.
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Reading the comments I seem to have very understanding drs, who constantly correspond with my Nurologist and as I have lessions on my brain which cause evil side effects one being on set dementia when I had my telephone appointment regards my pip which lasted 4 hours they said because of my conditions was issued with 10 yrs. I'm not on pip for mental health, I have essential Tremors, Functional Neurological disease, raynaud's and fibromyalgia.. Live in sheltered accommodation because of my health, so have a warden and 24/7 emergency alarm plus more than often need help with personal care - I'm also on ESSA which is ESA but don't have to look for work because if my disability. Regardless who is in power they all steal from the poor only the rich get richer. Whoever voted Labour in though, hope there happy with the chaos there causing for all ages. Now uts just tve waiting game
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I think this government is disgusting. How dare they even sniff at picking on the vulnerable after the attacks the past twelve months, threatening people like me with cuts when I grew up in poverty, and have trauma all the way up and down my childhood, to the point I’ve never been a functional adult because the NHS isn’t fit for purpose either. If they go ahead with cuts and I’m no longer eligible, I will no longer be able to eat, as that’s what my extra health element pays for, which I get for mental health. Living in a home that I can’t heat, without anything to eat will not push me into work, it will push me into a nervous breakdown then what happens to my young son? He gets traumatised too, and the cycle repeats.
They need to bloody leave us alone, last year I had a breakdown because of Rishi Sunak and couldn’t get out of bed for weeks, my family are labour red through and through all the way back to the 1950s and I feel betrayed. How dare Rachel Reeves, it isn’t on the backs of the vulnerable you redeem your budget, nasty nasty government, this isn’t labour and they will let reform in, which will be even worse. I despair3 -
I agree thier actions show we all had hope when they got keep waiting for the great massisa well he isn't that racking brains how will survive I don't think I will this government always hoping actions speak louder than words starmer will change all the laws he wants and his mps all in line to agree to everything for two years we been waiting really don't know what plan B is
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Hi Catherine , I think Starmer has fooled a lot of people ( me included) into thinking he’s soft and sits on the fence . The truth is even worse as he’s shown himself to be heartless and dictatorial . Starmer , Reeves and Kendall are definitely not popular now and it’s hard to see how they can improve in this. I can’t see them surviving until the next election tbh as the rest of the party must realise they’ll only stand a chance if they get rid of Starmer. I’m hoping whatever changes they bring in won’t happen until they’ve gone . I also think if Scope have been meeting ministers it would be nice if they could tell us how talks are going . It’s all very well helping people into work but what about those of us who simply can’t .
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And yes not once any mention of those who can't work
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Yes why have they left it so long? People say that's a good thing I don't believe it is they have shown no care for our general wellbeing been stated on more than one occasion that they are making harsh cuts the face of politics changing starner is not in this to be popular I think the more he's disliked he likes it what can we do where can we turn starmer hired someone who worked for tories well basically is a Tory I thought sunak was bad but I was wrong it's so tiring isn't it
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I've said it before, makes my blood boil seeing people on tv shoes and various news channels saying that work and a purpose is good for people with mental health issues.., they have no idea. Even more so when personally I'm trying to care for elderly family along with my depression which is very hard on me.. I wish Scope would let us know how talks with ministers are going on as along with everything else it's really worrying me.. Surely things have to go through parliament and hopefully they aren't as heartless as the dictator starmer and reeves.
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I don't think it's a case of whether he wants to be liked or not.In his mind he wants to get the Economy back on track and claw back this £20 billion that he keeps banging on about.Also raising employment ( which of course is always a good thing).But he seems to have tunnel vision.The mindset of a Barrister that HAS to win the case at all costs.It is up to the weaker side to put their case.The whole system is aimed at the working person and those that do will reap the rewards for the country.I can't see it working even putting more money into mental health services to counter act the people they want to take off long term benefits,give talking therapy and re-enter them into work ( obviously via work coaches through u.c).This 4 system thing is all very clever too where by it's going to perhaps be done by borough or location you live.Leaving it down to the local Authority to 'manage' just how many long term in their area are reintroduced to work.I can only wonder what the incentive there might be for the work coaches?.Obviously not commission but it'll certainly get the job done rather than leaving it to just one department to manage.Very clever but extremely worrying.
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Me too this is incredibly unsettling
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And handing the problem ie disabled to employers so obviously they won't want to hire anyone any form of I'll health
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