Scope's reply to the governments planned concessions to the green paper.
Comments
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This is the real horror of it, combining normal Jobseekers with disabled people in the ESA Support group who have been medically assessed in the same way as those on PIP, just as if they are equal. This is will lead to poverty and suicide. It’s pure evil.
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That side yes I can see but if the DWP played fair on genuine claimants with evidence loads of evidence that would be very confident thier doing the right thing but nah they target a majority of claimants who are obviously entitled and still make them suffer and jump through hoops
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They made everything a mess absolute mess so was that a consultation they arranged in your area ?
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I’ve written to my MP Louise Elizabeth Jones, twice now, and her replies are that she’s towing the Starmer line. Enjoy being an MP while it lasts dear.
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There is no way there is that many people a day getting awarded pip , that is that silly rehtoric that they roll out when they get stuck trying to defend themselves , absolute rubbish
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Other groups already have. Trans people have effectively lost legal rights and safe access to services, and asylum seekers are also facing similar barriers.
the other things you've outlined are why i, as a disabled person who's currently able to look towards working, seeka to move abroad long term. i suspect a lot of younger brits - even ableds - will do the same.
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How many people assessed as disabled enough to receive PIP do you think have built up savings in excess of £16,000 to disqualify them from UC? I would say it's an argument for means-testing PIP if there are significant numbers of people stashing away hundreds of pounds a month in savings, but I'm confident it will be a minuscule number at best.
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They are ONS figures, independent of government spin.
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Attacking 😂 Wow sensitivity overload 🙄
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The number would be tiny, but we'll never know as money is quite a taboo subject in this country. the majority of PIP claimants who work won't talk about it openly if they aren't involved in disability rights.
I suspect PIP is more likely to have helped disabled people build up any form of savings to begin with. Most likely just an emergency fund, though, not investing.
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It's a really tough balancing act for governments. I do know the current PIP assessment system is really tough, especially on new claimants who will often get a 0 point score, and need to know about appeals and tribunals to get a fair hearing. This is where I think the chancers proceed happily to a successful tribunal outcome, and many really vulnerable and disabled people fall out of the system through just giving up without even knowing their rights.
But how could you fix the assessment system in order to get better results, without letting even more fraudsters through at the expense of taxpayers?
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All, please can we keep this civil. We appreciate that tensions are incredibly high, but we are becoming increasingly concerned about some of the communications between members on this discussion. The last thing we want to do is to pause this chat at such an important time…
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If the government doesn't know, they soon will since they've granted themselves the rights to go on fishing expeditions through our banks and savings accounts. 😎
Saving a bit of money from PIP for future unexpected events is really smart. Being able to save up in excess of £16,000 would be pretty distasteful for taxpayers who are living paycheque-to-paycheque with basically nothing in the savings pot. But yeah, I definitely don't think many of the 16% of PIP claimants working will have saved anything like £16,000 to disqualify them from UC.
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Thursday June26th 2025 MetroTalk/Letters
[ ] Can we ever imagine a time when the British Govt. of the day wont seek tomake the sick and disabled pay for its spending choices in other areas?
Philip Duval Manchester.
Keep writing to your M,Ps, please…
Wemight just win all we want with no 2tier PIP system, as
not all Labour MPs are prepared to support a 2tuier PIP system and will vote against it.
As I say, its not over until its over.
And like Mandela said ''The possible always seems impossible until it is done.
If we hesitate, we can lose procrastination is the enemy of compassionate victories.
Courage is freedom; commitment is liberation.
Go to it dear disabled folks and comrades.
Why do I bother to care so much, people ask?
My life is about generating, developing, more self-compassion along with compassion for others, the wise middle way.
My life is the struggle against discrimination, for socialism, abnd mindful kindnesses.
I have no enemies, it is about Joy, and The Hope Collective is a writers charity group that is about to publish a poem of mine called Joy, based on a tribute to Chapter 15 in
The Dhammapada/ Sayings of the Buddha called joy/ Supreme Happiness/ Nirvana
We need to keep heal ourselves with the natural empathy listening and kind presence of other disabled people to move from oppression, disablism to liberation and happiness.Let no on tell you you are less than other human beings.
We need Disability Pride, Mad Pride, but not arrogance.
This reversal of stigma psychology will and does make us joyful, and is necessary to fuel the politics of resistance to oppression, whether of not in the form of getting u turns on winter fuel payments, or disability benefits, or not.
We are human beings who DO deserve equality, and help coproduced with allies, and the govt - a 'Labour' govt! has chosen this cruelty of benefits cuts, we choose to respond with sweet reason, with making a case, with legal challenges, with no hatred, with being better morally and spiritually and politically than our oppressors.
We are human beings who deserve better.
We SHALL overcome.
Please keep writing to the media and to MPs, its not too late.
And finally, I would not object if some disabled people chained themselves to the railings of 10 - 11 Downing St, SW1A OAA, the homes of the Prime Minister and the Chancellor,
as long as they do it well with non-violent direct action techniques, non-violent communication.
It would show our love for our 'enemies' and would engender massive publicity for our just and very compassionate cause.
WE DESERVE FAR BETTER, WE NEED COMPASSION AND SOCIAL JUSTIOCE DEAR FRIENDS.
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I remember my reading about the Afro-American / Black civil and human rights struggle in the USA.
I cannot remember who said it, it might have been MLK, or his colleagues in the struggle.
But the very valid point was made.
If we can be joyous in the struggle against racism, or any oppression, not hate our oppressors, not to have enemies, and to not let our hearts be penetrated by the darts of hatred and bitterness, if we can rise up to this high, moral and spiritual ground in our political quests for freedom, we are much more likely to win equality and compassion.
Now that development of peace of mind, joy in the struggle, cogency, for anger destroys Spock logicality, and clear thinking, is not easy.
However it is very worthwhile, if we use baby steps to gradually reach that high and deep level of of effective struggle. Use your own techniques, methods, or non methods, of other religions or none, secularity, if you want to research mindful techniques/ mindfulness in struggles for equality, then just Google the latter.
BUT whatever you do do not beat yourself up, if you cannot reach such a high level, yet.
It takes times. I can but I am not better than others at all. I have 26 years of Buddhist practices. There is no pint in more suffering with feeling inadequate, guilty anxious and stupid, or even suicidal. And I still have the latter feelings they just gradually get less and less.
Be very tender with yourselves, your sufferings are valid inthat there is a reason for everything (karm/cause and effect). Lok after yourselves. And look after others too. We all need compassion even our 'enemies' who also suffer from unethical social conditionings too, and of course it does not mean prejudice is OK, it just means we absolutely refuse to respond with hatred, attacks, bitterness, because hatred does no work, and hatred poisons the soul destroying joy and happiness?
Joy
Let us live in joy
in hope even amongst the despairing.
Let us live in creativity.
in flexibility even amongst the cynical.
Let us live in freedom
in wider visions of compassion even amongst those in the prison of despair.
Let us live in determination
in clarity even amongst the hopeless and depression.
Let us live in truth amongst those who lie and deceive.
Let us live in kindness, in a world that can be so cruel.
And yet so wonderful too.
Let us see the best things in life, not the worst and depressing.
Let us all be a united human spirit for inner peace and world peace.
Let us be unstoppable in our love, inspiration and compassion.
Let everyone be generous, the best in themselves, and forever growing.
Let opportunity for compassion and wisdom be given a chance.
Let joy and peace reign, be nurtured by the friendship, even of strangers.
Let there be joy, less suffering, let there be ecstasy, calm as a placid lake, or sea.
Let there be joy, more joy, increased joy.
Let there be nirvana.
Let there be Bliss, Sugata, let there be Joy.
© Milan Ghosh.
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RE the comments re there is no way 1000s of people can become disabled every year - 365000? Well we need research from the ONS, and perhaps SCOPE in alliance with other disability charities, and advocacy groups, could commission our own disability led, independent research too?
Why not?
Otherwise we are at the mercy of groups that do not fully recognise disability-led definitions of ourselves, and disability first values.
Does SCOPE or other charities have such research already re disability statistics.
I google how many and elderly people there are in the UK population of 67 million people.
11m pensioners, and 16.1 m disabled people.
The UK population, like the world's, is rapidly ageing so the number of people be going on PIP could be high - but we need to commission research can SCOPE do this please?
With clear and valid disability-led research we will have more of case to promote the rights of disabled and distressed people, with regard to a case for continued benefits or not.
This will thus be part of a clear vision, a clear voice in advocating any aspect of our struggle for equality, justice and freedom.
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Are you including the high number of tax payers who cheat the system or use loopholes? Or do you believe all tax payers are honest and beyond reproach?
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wiki:
During the leadership of Jeremy Corbyn, Starmer adopted soft left political positions, and described his politics as being "red-green".
but
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I keep hearing in the media of the government doing a U-turn on benefits. Surely a U-turn would be scrapping the plans?
These paltry concessions hardly seem like a U-turn to me. Looks like they're still going full steam ahead for the most part.
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