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Scope's official press statement regarding the Get Britain Working white paper.

Albus_Alumni

James Taylor, Director of Strategy at Scope;

“There is much that is positive about this White Paper. The Connect to Work scheme and a desire to enhance the role of employers are both promising developments.“But we still know there’s still a huge amount of anxiety about what changes the government is planning to make to the benefits system.
“Disabled people fear being forced into unsuitable jobs or losing benefits if they engage with employment services. This lack of trust could seriously undermine the government’s plans to boost employment.
“As these plans develop, the government must remove these risks, and work with disabled people to transform employment support and fix our broken benefits system.”

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Comments

toby50

does anyone know what’s in the white paper . And how will it effect Lcwra? Am a older person 60 how they will target us at my age group , know they are on about the younger generation

chiarieds

Hi @toby50 - you can see the Govt's white paper here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/biggest-employment-reforms-in-a-generation-unveiled-to-get-britain-working-again

Wibbles

It's great that the government can say "every young person to have access to an apprenticeship", with whom ?

I did a apprenticeship - 40 + years ago - which set me up for life, but apprenticeships need employers, willing and able to train apprentices.

"Connect to Work provides voluntary employment offers to people with disabilities, health conditions or complex barriers to work and will support up to 100,000 people a year at full roll out as the first tranche of money from a new Get Britain Working Fund" - voluntary implies unpaid !

Albus_Alumni

I think they mean people will volunteer to work, rather than the DWP forcing people into employment @Wibbles

FactionParadox

I'm on LCWRA and I'm terrified of losing it if I start working. Work gives me a sense of purpose, it kept me fit because I was on my feet since my neurodivergency doesn't play well with office politics and I'm not very adept socially. I can't lose my benefits, but the income boost from work would change so much.

JenF

I don't like the coercive aspect. They should offer help, real useful help that engages with people where they are, rather than leading with threats to remove benefits. Of course that sanction may be appropriate in a few cases, but it shouldn't be hanging over honest claimants with honest difficulties who experience tremendous barriers to entering the workplace.

I suspect most of us fear for ourselves or our family member every time government turns its attention to benefits. We shouldn't have reason to, we should be able to trust that anyone who is too ill/disabled to work can rely on adequate support as an unquestioned right. My disabled daughter ought to feel safe in a compassionate society. It isn't, and she doesn't.

Wibbles

https://forum.scope.org.uk/discussion/comment/947662#Comment_947662

Do they ?

Don't be too sure …

MadMilan2019

A lady above mentioned LCRWA

Please don't use just abbreviations, as we want to understand you folks.

The govt plans are worrying, however I have asserted my Right to Life, Article 2 of the European Convention of Human Rights (ECHR), which the UK has not left, and which is separate from the European Union. I have also asserted my right to be treated with dignity and respect which is a basic constitutional right, and not to be talked down to, to be bullied or intimidated, and also includes right to respect my views. There are also pertinent laws against bullying, duty of care, health and safety, equal opportunities etc.

So, I'm asking SCOPE to

work with National Mind's legal Unit, lead by a barrister

work with Disability Rights UK and their legal advisors

All disability organisations in the UK and disability, and mental health groups, and the Disability Alliance

Labour should be ASHAMED of itself, and shamed by SCOPE and all disability and mental health groups in the media, who need to work out an effective media strategy to abolish these reforms, except when they are only encouraging and facilitating, respecting our humanity and needs.

I f SCOPE wishes me to advise it at it governing body, I am more than willing and able to do that just contact me

[personal information removed by moderator]

Never give up - our lives and health may depend on courageous alliances and persitance. We deserve better.

Milan Ghosh.

Albus_Alumni

Hi there @MadMilan2019 thanks for your feedback, it's most appreciated.

Scope is already in talks with the new government and has been since they came into power, they actually sound like they're interested in what we have to say too, so it's sounding promising!

I've had to remove your email address as posting personal details is against our house rules.
If you wish to speak to anyone at Scope, please email Community@scope.org.uk and we can forward your email onto the relevant people in the charity.

worried33

https://forum.scope.org.uk/discussion/comment/948458#Comment_948458

Is there a reason Scope aren't revealing minutes of these talks?

I will follow your advice and email that address, as all previous attempts at contact Scope about these sort of things got no response.

This all feels like a "get charities onside, then we can do what we want" sort of thing. The government is not inviting claimants to talk with them and the secretary of state is ignoring her disabled constituents.

Amaya_Ringo

I am still hoping Scope will mention and speak up for disabled people already in work. Right now it sounds like you are either disabled or in work, rather than both. The more this narrative is fed, the worse the backlash in the right wing papers.

I feel like those who can't work will be less targeted once there's wider media awareness that actually a lot of disabled people can work and are working, and the ones who have the ESA etc benefits are those who can't work, not those who have chosen not to.

worried33

https://forum.scope.org.uk/discussion/comment/956621#Comment_956621

I also feel we will get a bunch of people and the right wing press saying "see all these disabled people working, is proof they can all do it". The narrative given needs to be very careful, but fundamentally I do agree that it needs to be explained PIP isnt an out of work benefit, and there is disabled people that have jobs as all the speculation people are coming up with is nonsense.

Wibbles

https://forum.scope.org.uk/discussion/comment/957517#Comment_957517

I agree about the fact that many people believe that PIP cannot be claimed when you are working !

Unfortunately, 25 years ago - when I was claiming DLA - I was not employed for a while and when I finally got a job - the DWP Employment adviser told me "Oh you've got a job - that means that you won't be claiming DLA any longer"