Green Paper Discussion - includes accessible formats and consultation event sign up links!
Comments
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IIs So good to see your passion and you write so beautifully and get the point across in a articulate way I've sent loads of emails in my head it sounds good bit to put pen to paper is hard so it's good to know that people in the same position are speaking out and imagine it's us and millions of others gosh imagine thier inboxes
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With respect, I think it’s important to address a few points more accurately.
ESA was introduced in 2008 by the Labour government, under James Purnell as the minister in charge at the time, not Iain Duncan Smith.
In 2010 when the Conservative-Liberal coalition government took over, Iain Duncan Smith made significant changes to welfare, including reforms to Labour's ESA. He also introduced PIP and Universal Credit under the 2012 Welfare Reform Act. While these welfare changes have been heavily criticised, there is no evidence to support claims of corruption.
The Oxford comma, also known as the serial comma, is the comma placed before the final conjunction in a list. However, in the case of ESA, there’s no clear evidence that punctuation had any serious legal consequences.
That said, language precision does matter in legislation. The idea that a misplaced or missing comma could create loopholes isn’t entirely far-fetched, but it’s unlikely that punctuation alone was responsible for significant welfare changes.
The reforms and rule changes affecting ESA were more about policy interpretations, eligibility criteria, and government decisions, rather than grammatical technicalities.
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I did exactly what you did when my pip assessment was due last November, I refused a face to face and demanded a paper based one instead. I too quoted the equality act 2010 and about reasonable adjustments etc, I also stressed about traveling giving me panic attacks and PTSD, I was firm but fair witht them. To my surprise 2 weeks later i got a text saying my review was complete (paperbased) and was awarded an extra 2 years than i got last time.
Like you say, standing up for yourself does and can work, DWP depend on making you feel frightened of them so they get their own way!!
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Been asked to withdraw statements about ADHD and Autism or resign !
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Nipsa trade union considering strike action over benefit cuts Do we have trade union who support us
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It also includes carers allowance being taken away .
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Finally got a reply from my Labour MP - he’s toeing the party line. Feel so disappointed in him. He’s new this time around - our usual MP retired.
Did I read somewhere that responses are being collected? Can anyone point me in the right direction?
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I get 10 points for not being able to travel to unfamiliar places so surely this is taken into consideration when asked to travel to unfamiliar places
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Id also get a letter from your GP too explaining your difficulties in traveling i.e, anxiety, trauma, or other issues that might affect you or make your condition worse. I would try ringing pip first before your review and ask for either a telephone or paperbased assessment, I think I got mine paperbased as this time I made sure I put in loads of evidence from my family, GP, kept a diary for 2 weeks showing how my condition affects me, got my brother to write a letter saying what he does for me, making meals, etc. If they have enough evidence, usually it will be paperbased, although now and again they might ring you just to claify a few points, but nothing like a full assessment.
Try not to worry too much, I know that's easier said than done, but like you say, you had 10 points in one discriptor, that's 7 more than I had, so you should be fine, they can't make you have a face to face under the equality act 2010 if it puts you in danger and would cause you any harm.
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i saw that …
from ireland though …..
are the changes effecting the people of ireland as well or are they like scotland and come under different legislation ?
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NIPSA video …
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MW, IDS created the ESA migration rules is what I mean. He set up the Centre for Social Justice in 2004 and has worked hand-in-hand with DWP ever since. I still don't know anything about PIP, though!
"No causal link was found" between the ESA regulations and claimant suicides in government-commissioned reviews of the WCA but that doesn't mean there wasn't one. It meant they hadn't found it. Professor Harrington has since told us that vital evidence was not made available to him. What a surprise!
You skipped past the 'modified' ESA regs in 2011 that IDS snuck through without anyone noticing. The evidence is right there!
Yes, the Oxford Comma was omitted in the Welfare Reform and Work Act 2016 and the evidence is also right there even if I'm the only one telling you this 🙄
A welfare rights officer with 20 years experience of benefits advice didn't know what I was talking about or didn't believe me (same difference) but that hasn't stopped me trying to get the truth out.
Now please, as I've already suggested, revisit those reforms then come back and tell me I'm wrong ok?
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Twitter.
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Hopefully it will send a msg to Labour that people aren't happy with their policies.
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Saw this on Dr Jay Watts Twitter account:
this is a FOI request by https://x.com/MartinJBonner
These figures show that 1.3 million people will lose PIP.
Those who also get health top up and care allowance, they will lose that too.I think That’s a saving of 5 billion a year not in the 4 year period stated by the government and only counting PIP awards
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@Catherine21 thanks so because it's before Nov26 it's not like a fresh assessment they look at the same paper I got my pip award.
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that's not taking into consideration the face to face assessments where they'll be looking to score people down from 4pts descriptors
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@charlie72 ok thanks, I was denied pip but got on mandatory reconsideration so wonder if this will help and also as @Catherine21 said it will be before Nov26 so not like a fresh claim. Thanks for the heads up on not having to do a face to face, appreciate that, apologies for being all me me I'm just spending days in total panic
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The user and all related content has been deleted.2
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I understand the point you're trying to make, and I can see the passion behind it. For us to include these points in our discussions and advocacy for the 2025 benefit reforms, we would need to back them up with more concrete details and evidence. Without this, it would be difficult to present a solid argument to those making the decisions. I hope you understand that this isn't about dismissing your viewpoint, but about ensuring we have the right foundation for our advocacy. I am not fighting against you; I am fighting alongside all our members to make sure these reforms never happen or are so watered down that they do not harm those who depend on these benefits.
First, the suggestion that IDS created the ESA migration rules is not accurate. ESA was introduced in 2008 under a Labour government, with James Purnell as the minister in charge. While IDS played a major role in welfare changes from 2010 onwards, he did not personally create ESA or its original rules. If there is evidence that he directly authored the migration criteria, please share it.
Second, saying IDS has worked closely with the DWP since 2004 is misleading. In 2004, he founded the Centre for Social Justice, which is an independent think tank, not a government department. His official work with the DWP began in 2010 when he became Secretary of State. If there is formal evidence of collaboration with the DWP before then, please provide it.
There is also a mix-up in names. The independent WCA reviews were conducted by Professor Malcolm Harrington, not Patrick Harrington, who is a political activist with no involvement in ESA reform. If you have proof to the contrary, I would be interested to see it.
The claim that Professor Malcolm Harrington found "no causal link" between ESA and suicides needs some context. While no official link was identified, he later acknowledged that some evidence wasn’t made available during his reviews. This is a valid concern, but without knowing exactly what evidence was withheld or how it could have influenced his findings, it’s difficult to assess the full impact. If you have more detail on this, it would be helpful.
The suggestion that changes to ESA in 2011 were "snuck through" also requires clarification. What exactly was changed, and which scrutiny process was bypassed? Evidence would help make this claim more credible.
As for the Oxford comma, while punctuation can sometimes matter in law, there is no clear evidence that its omission had significant consequences for ESA. If it did, please show where and how.
Lastly, the claim that a welfare rights officer did not understand or believe the issue. Not knowing something is not the same as disbelieving it. If their disagreement was based on misinformation rather than outright dismissal, that is an important distinction.
We might see things in different ways, but we all want the same thing: a fairer future for disabled people. Every viewpoint adds something valuable, and we’re strongest when we work together.
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