Work Capability Assessment (WCA) and benefit reforms

is scope seeking advice from human rights?

Because right now there’s a significant chance that many pre existing safeguards for disabled ppl like those who read this forum, may no longer exist at the start of the next financial year.

Yes scope spokespeople are giving quotes to the media, but they are being buried by the few media willing to publish them and ridiculously easy for politicians to ignore charity criticism of them (think opening scene of super Mario bro movies)

Let’s be honest - benefit claimants (including those claiming disability payments) are only a slightly less disliked group (to a certain sizeable pocket of reactive uk population) then the boat migrants (both groups you could argue have a very unfair & un deserved rap depending on personally stand)

Difference if the boat migrants had countless human rights lawyers delaying countless things in court (Rwanda anyone) - the disabled community in comparison seem to have next to no legal firepower………ridiculous considering how many times the human rights of disabled have been stretched and battered these past two years alone

How much more patience can be asked of the disabled community until we can conclude ‘enough’ and allies such as charities realise politeness just isnt working and a more aggressive approach may be the only remaining path forward (and it hurts to come to that conclusion as I hate confrontation and just want a peaceful life)

the argument to wait and see what happens the autumn budget and the white paper before the end of 2024 is valid but time is valuable and I’m personally having a hard time justifying giving this new Labour (but I’m open to listen to those arguing otherwise)

The other thing is depending on what happens November 29th Pandora’s box may be well and truly opened and I have no clue of the consequences of this element mixed in with all the other decisions this gov is making on disabled ppl - I read around a lot of other social media and forums and I don’t think I’ve ever seen the disabled community voicing their feelings of fear, anger and betrayal, as much as I have read the past few month - I’m truly scared that depending on several events October and November that the ‘perfect storm’ may be triggered and that scares me as ppl that are pushed too far can be unpredictable and if that involves a significant chunk of the community then it makes it that much harder to calm the ‘storm’ (I hope Labour getting the message and changing direction on at least a few things would help but it feels like unchartered territory on the horizon)

Catherine

There’s a reason why I gave a date rather say what happens on the day - I imagine scope mods don’t want members to openly discuss a ‘2+2’ subject that we get first indications of on the date given because it is such a delicate subject

And I know how overwhelmed you get Catherine so it’s probably for the best you didn’t get my reference (and no one directly discusses till nearer to the time

What I will imply is that when I say ‘perfect storm’ I’m refering to the damage it may do to this Labour gov more than anything

Labour have been stupid to (if and when 100% confirmed) to introduce a large amount of policies in a very short space of time that could negatively affect many disabled ppl if carried out.

Obviously we don’t know yet if this ‘perfect storm’ is possible as we haven’t had the autumn budget, disability white paper and this thing on the 29th nov but if things did align a certain way then I think we may have more of the uk public angry on our behalf and potentially more angry than the pensioner winter payment scandal that is still going strong.

And more people angry about the treatment of the disabled ppl could be ‘helpful’

(Politicians are more frightened of the ‘angry masses’ than scared ppl begging for compassion - the last time a gov really angered the public we got a 170 seat Labour majority gov - starmer may be okay for now but the public is already upset with him and it’s a definite possibility things could get worse………….labour MPs won’t want to lose their seats next GE and may turn on him with a no confidence vote when we are a bit closer to the next GE)

I do think we have a lot of decent ppl in the new Labour mp intake who already feel uncomfortable about some decisions Labour have already made and Labour leadership is not on stable ground - as other members have implied even if the worst of the worst is announced, if there is major public backlash will the gov be politically stable enough to stick with their guns (unlike Tory’s, Labour don’t have many media and newspaper allies so scandals will hit them harder)

Whatever gets announced in 2024 it may not be as straightforward as this Labour gov hope……never rule out or underestimate a possible angry back lashing British public!

Sorry if I'm dense this morning but what is the significance of 29 November?

I didn’t give more than the date as it’s a very vey delicate subject which I imagine scope mods would prefer we didn’t discuss on the forum at least till we knew more of the details