"Sickness handouts to be cut for mentally ill" under Labour proposal- The Telegraph

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Comments

  • Meg24
    Meg24 Community Member Posts: 387 Trailblazing

    I'm aware. I get LCWRA currently under the substantial risk rule. As I have always avoided diagnosis & never been psychotic I am on the front line for losing it if they press ahead.

    My PIP award reflects my true difficulties, I am also worried I might lose that too. I'm sure I will not be the only casualty of this drive to sweep our disabilities under the rug and pretend we're all faking it.

  • durhamjaide2001
    durhamjaide2001 Scope Member Posts: 15,450 Championing

    I have to disagree with you on that one @Nightcity because I believe you can have mild and severe mental health.


    However I do agree that sick pay and reducing it it's ridiculous. However loads of people are taking it because they think it's a way to get out off work and putting it down to stress and anxiety. Now don't get me wrong most of the population like us are not one of them but there's more and more people in the world that are taking advantage of sick pay. Oh the other hand some employers aren't treating there staff properly so they are taking sick pay because they are just fed up with it all.


    I'm going to put this to the assembly and see what they think.

  • durhamjaide2001
    durhamjaide2001 Scope Member Posts: 15,450 Championing

    Hi I have had contact with some of the assembly members on this issue and we don't think that sounds right so my tip is to check the correct source.

    Says physical and mental health issues are both eligible for sick pay

    https://www.acas.org.uk/checking-sick-pay#:~:text=If%20someone%20is%20off%20sick,issues%20can%20count%20as%20sickness

  • durhamjaide2001
    durhamjaide2001 Scope Member Posts: 15,450 Championing

    Apparently the new Workers' Rights Bill will "bolster people’s sick pay, maternity leave and protection against unfair dismissal"

    More info on the bill here: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/what-does-the-employment-rights-bill-mean-for-you

  • durhamjaide2001
    durhamjaide2001 Scope Member Posts: 15,450 Championing

    Says the bill will:

    Give protection against unfair dismissal from day one, while allowing employers to operate probation periods

    Establish parental and bereavement leave from day one

    End exploitative zero hour contracts

    End unscrupulous practices of fire and rehire and fire and replace

    Make flexible working the norm where practical

    Deliver stronger dismissal protections for pregnant women and new mothers

    Establish a new Fair Work Agency with new powers to enforce holiday pay

    Strengthen statutory sick pay

  • durhamjaide2001
    durhamjaide2001 Scope Member Posts: 15,450 Championing

    Also:

    Sick pay

    The waiting period and lower earnings limit to receive Statutory Sick Pay will be removed.

    Currently, to qualify for sick pay, you must have been ill for more than three days in a row and earn an average of at least £123 per week.

    Under the plans, employees will be entitled to Statutory Sick Pay from the first day they are ill and those earning under £123 per week will also be eligible for it.

    You can get £116.75 per week Statutory Sick Pay if you’re too ill to work and it is paid by your employer for up to 28 weeks. Some can get more if their company has a sick pay scheme.

  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Community Member Posts: 64,375 Championing

    @durhamjaide2001 I think you maybe confused here. This thread is about sickness benefits, such as ESA and UC that includes LCWRA element. It's not about employment rights or SSP.

  • durhamjaide2001
    durhamjaide2001 Scope Member Posts: 15,450 Championing

    it's here when you are saying that there's no such thing as servier mental health.

  • Jimm_Alumni
    Jimm_Alumni Scope alumni Posts: 5,686 Championing
    edited October 2024

    I think there may have been some miscommunication there Jaide. @Nightcity is not suggesting that mental health cannot be mild. They are just talking about how many people will just dismiss it as mild or not existing even when it is very severe. I share that frustration, having come across it myself in life as well.

  • durhamjaide2001
    durhamjaide2001 Scope Member Posts: 15,450 Championing

    I meant milf mental health I'm sorry I often say the one word but I meant mild I hate it when it happens I believe you can have mild mental health because most people suffer from anxiety and depression but they don't have to go to the doctor about it and I would class that as mild.

  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Community Member Posts: 64,375 Championing

    Just because someone may not see a GP that is no indication that their mental health is mild!

  • Jimm_Alumni
    Jimm_Alumni Scope alumni Posts: 5,686 Championing
    edited October 2024

    Miscommunication and misunderstanding are okay, it happens when we discuss things.

  • Doglover2
    Doglover2 Community Member Posts: 475 Pioneering

    When you suffer and I mean suffer from mixed anxiety and depression with severe panic attacks on top decades, with other physical health conditions, also decades and lifelong, when each assessment for Instance floors you,when you are choked by anxiety,rarely leave the house and never alone ,When, just when is your MH considered severe??? I'd love to know.

    It's only "mild" if you've no clue to the depth it drives us.

  • durhamjaide2001
    durhamjaide2001 Scope Member Posts: 15,450 Championing
  • durhamjaide2001
    durhamjaide2001 Scope Member Posts: 15,450 Championing

    that was just an example on how mental health could be mild

  • egister
    egister Posts: 1,102 Pioneering

    That's right, rumors are a provocation on the part of the authorities, they also show their intentions and their real face. It's stupid to ignore them. As well as trust them completely.

    If this is so, then the “carpet bombing” proposed in the topic will only worsen the situation for everyone. First, it is necessary to develop scientific criteria for diagnosis and selection, train doctors, and only then recheck the recipients of payments. The government has no money - let it cut costs in other places, but not at the expense of suffering disabled people and pensioners. We should not forget that they were the ones who built the country when they could work.

  • Ironside1990
    Ironside1990 Community Member Posts: 405 Pioneering

    I think every disability charity will have their pitchforks and torches out, if Labour tried to take money from us.

  • worried33
    worried33 Community Member Posts: 1,103 Championing

    I assume if it deviates from the plans already set by the previous government I think something would be passed through parliament, but with the majority they have it all could be done fairly quickly, probably within a year if they considered it a priority. But of course the DWP even if plans were put in place quickly wouldnt be actioning it over night.

    As for mild mental health, last I heard, that doesnt get you in LCWRA in the first place, typical talk trying to downplay serious health problems.

  • worried33
    worried33 Community Member Posts: 1,103 Championing

    This is where I stand. For those who dont want to know, I think its best to stay way from reading any news.

    Agree on the fact checking as well, the way the bank checking was reported initially suggested it was about to happen very soon, when as it turned out it is years away and at the time of the news reports wasnt even approved.

  • BrianMcFaddenFan82
    BrianMcFaddenFan82 Community Member Posts: 89 Contributor

    I think the government needs to learn more about the different types of disabilities and mental health conditions before they start acting like they know what they're doing as the clearly think that they know what they are.

    I, myself have a mental health conditions and a few medical conditions including my recent sleep apnea diagnosis on the 30th of September 2024.

    My middle niece is disabled as she was diagnosed with global development delay when she was 2 years old and she's 12 years old in January.

    The special school she attends is awesome as she has come on alpt since starting there as she can walk around unaided for short lengths of time, but she still needs her wheelchair for longer distances.

    Although when me n my mum took to the last day of the local arts festival in the summer holidays, she wanted to walk, so me n my mum only expected her walk say to the other end of the park, but she actually walked l the way to our local Asda. I was pushing her wheelchair and my mum was helping my niece to walk by holding her hand.

    Now and again I would pretend to "run off" with her wheelchair to make her laugh and "chase me" with her Nana's help.

    My fiancé is dyslexic as he was diagnosed with dyslexia when he was about 4 or 5 years old. He was on the lower rate DLA, but when he was told that he had to claim PIP he wasn't happy as they only do middle and higher rates and he didn't qualify for either.