The official 2024 budget discussion.

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Comments

  • mangomungo
    mangomungo Community member Posts: 64 Empowering

    Yes 100% I was one of the people affected by that in 2017 as I was literally weeks off of getting the full rate, and had to survive off of that until 2020 when I was moved to the support group.
    An inadequate NHS that only provides CBT and having to survive way below the poverty line on £70 a week as it was then, will give people mental health issues, and exasperate people (like me) and give them PTSD. If this gov think the answer is to force people to live in poverty/force them into work then it’ll only cost later down the line in care. When I was on LCW I literally did not have hot water, and had to go to the CAB in November as I couldn’t even put the heating on, the fact they’re even discussing taking away the LCWRA is despicable.

  • Tumilty
    Tumilty Community member Posts: 114 Empowering

    Am I right in thinking that esa is lcwra that I've been on for some years so therefore won't need a wca. Only my Dr of many years knows my situation yet bringing in health so called professionals who don't know you is terrible. A friend had a breakdown after an experience with an atos person

  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Community member Posts: 61,164 Championing

    LCWRA for UC is the same as Support Group for ESA. LCW is Work related Activity Group. (WRAG)

    If in the Support Group when you migrate across then you'll be entitled to the LCWRA element from the start of your claim. You won't need a fit note and won't need another WCA.

  • whistles
    whistles Community member Posts: 1,701 Championing

    I can't recall what was in place prior to esa, but, if my memory serves me correctly that wasn't designed to live on either. I can recall being told by someone in housing that the sick and unemployed stay in bed all day and eat less!! I think each new system has been about saving money and spending cuts.

    I don't think the benefit system is designed for longterm use. It's always been below the mimimum of any living standards even before the cost of living crisis.

  • whistles
    whistles Community member Posts: 1,701 Championing

    I didn't read it as taking it away. I read it as making it harder to qualify for new claimants. The same as when they changed DLA to PIP, it meant thousands didn't qualify anymore due to the new point system. My benefit was in effect cut in half as I didn't know that the ESA premium was linked with it.

    They are in the process of migrating people from ESA to UC, which is an indirect way of cutting the rest of the ESA premiums from those who still have it. It's hidden under the guise of the transitional protection. However that will be eroded when your UC with your LCWRA increases or you become eligible for something else. So in theory your benefits kinda get frozen until those already on UC LCWRA are on the same amount as you are. Saving yet more money.

  • Amaya_Ringo
    Amaya_Ringo Community member Posts: 142 Empowering

    The government has been conflating DLA and PIP into conversations on ESA and UC, but neither have any relationship to whether or not you can work. I worked while claiming DLA, I work now while claiming PIP. I've never claimed UC or ESA.

    The changes to the assessment process may well bring them closer together, but I guess we'll see. At present, they're unconnected to whether a person is able to work.

    This does raise the question whether the target will also be to move all DLA claimants (or not) onto PIP by the same deadline. DLA is another legacy benefit but unconnected to the WCA migration. I know there are a lot of people still on DLA, so if so that will be another long set of waiting lists to add to the existing ones they're creating. Maybe that will be in the white paper.

    My transfer from DLA to PIP was also in 2017 and was not fun, but I think/hope the criteria are less unpleasant now than they were then. I had my last review in 2021 or 2022, and it was definitely less unfriendly than my original claim was.

  • JonnycJonny
    JonnycJonny Scope Member Posts: 200 Empowering

    The Campaign for Disability Justice website claims to have had clarification from a Disability Minister regarding the Chancellor and what she meant by the word 'savings' in the Budget speech. I cannot vouch for the document. Just putting it out there for consideration.

    https://assets.nationbuilder.com/inclusionbarnet/pages/29/attachments/original/1730374043/Campaign_response_to_Autumn_Budget_Statement_2024.pdf?1730374043

  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Community member Posts: 61,164 Championing

    It was Incapacity Benefit before ESA. I didn't claim that so have no experience and very little knowledge of it.

  • bench
    bench Community member Posts: 32 Connected
  • JonnycJonny
    JonnycJonny Scope Member Posts: 200 Empowering
  • Ralph
    Ralph Community member Posts: 134 Empowering
    edited October 31

    This

    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cwyx7z4ynr5o

  • whistles
    whistles Community member Posts: 1,701 Championing

    Who is still on the old DLA system, those under 16?

    I think it's safe to say whoever is in government wise will change things. I was DLA indefinitely until they decided to scrap it.

  • charl1980
    charl1980 Community member Posts: 140 Contributor

    So am I right to say labour are changing the wca for lcwra but it's not worth worrying yet as we don't know how?

  • charl1980
    charl1980 Community member Posts: 140 Contributor

    And if you already have it are they going to make us or wait till it's renewable

  • whistles
    whistles Community member Posts: 1,701 Championing
    edited October 31

    Thank you for that @poppy123456

  • whistles
    whistles Community member Posts: 1,701 Championing

    They've not said anything yet on the white paper. Think they will early 2025?

  • tomwalker
    tomwalker Community member Posts: 24 Connected

    Except on the Budget Laboir have taken on Rishis proposed change to Limited Capacity for work proposals nestly avoiding any consultation…new claimants or those whose condition changes cannot site incontinence, limited mobility or the job being a danger to them as a reason for not working or looking for it

  • JammyWhite
    JammyWhite Community member Posts: 46 Connected

    Does anybody know how many working age adults are still on DLA? I still am.

  • apple85
    apple85 Community member Posts: 700 Trailblazing

    https://www.bigissue.com/news/housing/local-housing-allowance-benefits-autumn-budget/

    https://www.landlordzone.co.uk/news/new-local-housing-allowance-freeze-is-nonsensical-say-landlords


    so Labour snuck in a housing benefit freeze (wasn’t in the budget doc)

    We know that labour want to make the same £3.9billion savings between now and 2029/30 that the tories proposed with their wca reform.

    My question is is this latest housing benefit freeze make up part of the £3.9billion savings that I mentioned above…………or in addition to? (I guess the disability white paper will contain the financial breakdown to that)


    out of interest how much would the gov save from a years private house/lha rent freeze?

  • onlymeagain
    onlymeagain Community member Posts: 86 Contributor

    It would be interesting to know. When our son turned 16, we had a letter to say his DLA had been extended to 17 due to the backlog. He is now 26! However, he only gets low mobility on DLA, but would be entitled to enhanced on PIP, so I believe this is why he hasn't been moved over yet.
    His older brother who was 16 just weeks before the change, was moved over to PIP at least 4 or 5 years ago.