The Universal Credit Bill becomes law. Here are the changes to disability benefits you need to know

@Albus_Scope @Catherine21 Mr John Pring is an excellent disabled journalist. Respectfully, his news article you are quoting does not refer to Stephen Timms at all .

John Pring clearly states in the article (unaltered)- “the lead disability minister for the Treasury, Lord [Spencer] Livermore – who   leads on welfare policy for the Treasury and was director of strategy for Gordon Brown when he was prime minister – failed to put in a single appearance.”

While every MSM smears disabled people as scroungers and drain on the welfare system, John is the only person who speaks truth and his relentless work in exposing several truths and pushing for ongoing inquiries of deaths of several claimants by DWP is commendable.
please let’s show some gratitude for his excellent journalism.

Thank you 🙏

my wife has been contacted through UC in regards to the above. It is a voluntary option at the moment but i believe this is where it starts and eventually it will become compulsory.

It's voluntary so even if they contact me, I shall be ignoring them.

There has always been voluntary support on offer.

It's the Government repackaging existing help and spinning it as something new. To make headlines and make themselves look good.

Even the staff number boost might not stand much scrutiny- I'd bet these numbers used to exist, were cut, now back to previous levels!

The press release says:

The offer is voluntary and will be made to LCWRA claimants via their Universal Credit journal with tailored appointments taking place monthly.

Appointments taking place monthly if someone accepts the offer, not monthly Journal messages offering help is my interpretation.

If you're in LCWRA and you accept the offer of help and go to the job centre it could go against you at your next WCA and you may be put into LCW, as LCWRA is supposed to mean you're not well enough to be going to the job centre and discussing work or what things you could do to move you closer to being able to work.

I would be very, very careful.

If the DWP starts contacting me once a month with these offers every time I get a text telling me to go onto my UC account is going to really, really scare me because for all I know it could be to tell me that I've got a WCA. I'm going to be feeling like I'm constantly living on a knife edge, this is just going to make my mental health worse.

It's bizarre that they're doing this as LCWRA means exactly what it means which is you're not well enough to go to the JC for work related activity, what next ballet classes for people in wheelchairs?

Hi Catherine 21,

If it scares you that much you can do the thing online, I suggested it only because it's simpler in the long term and over more quickly on the day. I know some folk aren't yery good on the phone. Iim exactly the same. I think I sound foolish on the phone. Who cares when it's all done? Maybe you could have a good friend who would sit with you on the day for day. Don't forget if you ring cab they arrange for someone to listen in on the convocation you have with the uc people and if you make any mistakes they will intervene for you and help. hope this helps. Yours sincerely. Socrates