Hi everyone, im not the kind of person to sit on the fence about issues and truly believe in the power of the people. I used to be shouting about issues in the education system but since having to leave my job due to ill health im now getting angry at the benefits system. I have written a letter to my local MP about my concerns and i believe that they more people who write and complain then the more chance there is to get things changed for the better. Here is the main bulk of my email without all the personal stuff. Feel free to use any of it in your own letters.
"How much money is the government wasting
on this stupid process?! Why is PIP (and ESA) not decided by your GP and
Specialists? Why is a random nurse’s opinion and a DWP worker’s opinion deemed
more accurate than my health professionals? It just seems such a waste of
government spending. I know they say they need to test everyone to make sure
people are not ‘ conning’ the system, but all it is doing is make people jump
through un-jumpable hoops and making people ill and even commit suicide.
I would love to see the figures of how
much it costs to employ ATOS to assess people, how much it costs to employ
people to read the reports and work out the decision, how much it costs them to
run the buildings that the assessments are completed at and how much it costs
to employ people to go over a mandatory reconsideration...and then how much it
costs to go though the appeal process...surely it would be cheaper and much
more effective for the sick and disabled to have their PIP and ESA decisions
made by the people who deal with them the most. And it shouldn’t be such a
long-winded process. It can take up to a year to reach a tribunal after a
mandatory reconsideration and 70% of cases are won so this alone proves the
current system is not working.
Sorry for the long email, but I feel
these points need to be raised with the Tories – Instead of them rattling on
about how much the sick and disabled cost the taxpayer, maybe they could show
everybody how much it cost the taxpayer to put the sick and disabled through
the PIP process, and how much money could be saved by leaving the decisions up
to GP’s etc. Now I know they will say that GP’s are already stretched and are
at breaking point, but it doesn’t have to be a lengthy time-consuming process.
If the GP’s and Specialists agree that someone needs PIP or ESA then that
should be enough. That could all be done through emails and letters and
basically ticking a box telling the DWP that the person has been seen numerous
times and requires whatever rate of care and mobility rate the GP etc. Believe
they are entitled to. I know this is not a perfect solution to the problem by
any means but something needs to change. My health has been made so much worse
throughout this process and I’m only half way there. By the time my decision is
made correctly I will probably have to renew my PIP and start the whole process
again!"
