The Green Paper Discussion (the document link is here too!)

There's a definite pattern emerging, isn't there.

Winter fuel payment.

Two-child cap.

Disability benefits.

They seem to hate anyone who is not able to service their/their chums' (or in the case of Kendall her partner's) greed.

Won't be long until they are actually referring to us as 'useless eaters' in public - I suspect they already do so in private.

@A_Z1961 , Thank you, and I’m sorry to hear about your situation. You raise an important point about the challenges of accessing the benefits system and the rising state pension age, which leave many over 60 with no choice but to remain in employment despite health issues. Some of the issues was even highlighted in a recent Centre for Aging Better blog: “ The UK is headed in the wrong direction for older workers with ill-health”

It’s driving me mad how every time one of these horrible frontbenchers is asked about the harm this is going to do, even when the question doesn’t relate whatsoever to work, they only have one response…

”Work will set you free!”

But we don’t yet know when they will start this or whether it will be for new claimants only or if some may stay in the CB Support Group old style ESA, or if it will be dependent on age etc. When there are changes like this there’s usually some protections for those who have been in receipt of its predecessor (I know there’s no guarantee they’ll do that this time) like the migration from Incapacity Benefit to the old ESA.
Despite the fact there’s a New style ESA I haven’t been asked to migrate onto it. So I think we need to wait and see, but I agree with others that this aspect has hardly warranted much discussion and they might be hoping to get it in under the radar with all the hype about PIP changes.

Of course the other thing Kendall didn’t mention is the fact they’ll also save a lot on Carers Allowance if they are planning to decrease the numbers qualifying for PIP care component. If you lose PIP care component you’ll also presumably lose CA.

The awful thing is Catherine, I voted Labour all my life, all my family did because of our roots, our history. Now I will never vote for them again and that is so sad. I am getting an email together explaining who my Grandad was and what he stood for and send it to my MP, I doubt it will have any effect but maybe it might give her just a tiny twinge of guilt, wont hold my breath though 😊

@A_Z1961

Thank you so much for your reply. I don't feel so alone with my thoughts on this now because of what you have said. Thank you. 😊

I actually think that it's beyond cruelty that we are put in this position, as you so rightly say, imprisoned in this utterly corrupt and morally bankrupt system. At this point in our lives, it does feel like being forced to play the long game while looking forward to our still distant release from prison.😞

I'm pleased for you that you are at least closer to retirement age than me. I'm 60 and still have just under seven years to wait.

I don't know about you but doesn't it feel odd that on just one day, your birthday where you become state pension age, suddenly, you become, in the eyes of the government and the establishment, free of blame for supposedly being an expensive burden that's ruining the economy to a person that's much more worthwhile and accepted as being honest and much more deserving. Perhaps it's just me but I think that it's really odd, quite surreal in fact. I think that it just shows the ridiculous, ideological, divide and rule thinking behind it all and certainly it has nothing to do with the lives that people like us are forced to live. 😠