Official thread: ‘Get Britain Working’ White Paper released Tuesday 26th November

Following on from what @Amaya_Ringo has just said, I'd also wondered how many disabled people do work, & how many like myself worked until they had to retire early due to their disability/were now retired after working their whole life. This had followed on from @MW123 previously asking how many disabled people like themselves are actually working, but there was no response from Scope.

A while back Scope said that there were 1 million disabled people who would like to work so I wondered if that was an up to date figure.

I listened to the Work & Pensions Committee meeting held last month. In that it was said that the Office for National Statistics had just said that there were 2.8 million people out of work with a long term health condition.

Liz Kendall then said that there are 4 million disabled people working with a health limiting condition according to official reports, & that 2+ million disabled people hope to work if appropriate work could be found with reasonable adjustments.

So, unfortunately Scope's data about disabled people who would like to work is only half of the real figure, & they really should update their 'facts,' & it shows that their are more disabled people working than not. Scope should be emphasizing this point in any of their discussions with the govt, as I think Amaya would agree.

Definitely the media's narrative is wrongly skewed.

Please don't read or listen to these comments, they are ignorant. They have no understanding of what it's like to be disabled. The media fuels this unfortunately. Take time for yourself and focus on you. Take care

Just read on benefitsandwork.co.uk that we won't hear a verdict on the DWP and Ellen Clifford court case until the new year.

Chiarieds, that's it exactly.

I lost my job during the last government 'push to get disabled into work' under Cameron and I feel like the same is likely again this time because I work for local government and they're already talking about cuts. The fact that disabled people disproportionately work in local government or public sector because accessibility is better understood seems to have been overlooked.

The lack of understanding in government even about what benefit does what is also staggering. The fact some of the media are talking about PIP then describing ESA shows a complete lack of research going into any of these reports as well.

Kaliwax, please take care of yourself. The people commenting online are doing so out of spite - not knowledge. Unfortunately some people glean enjoyment from hurting others. Those people are the pitiful ones, though. You are a warrior, stay strong.

Thanks,

One of the barriers people seem to see this isn't just for disabled people, but in general is buses. Arriva down my way are cutting everything from next year, my last bus is 5pm, compared to 4 years ago where we had 4 buses an hour each way. a sunday service and an evening service. People will struggle to get to work with a service like that

I have seen one figure from the ONS, one that predicts only a tiny fraction of those planning to be moved to LCW will find work.

The page I am on, I am all for legitimate support schemes to help people back to work, I think there is sick and disabled people who want to work (I am one of them), but I think there is also way too many assumptions that get made about what people are capable of doing, and I am firmly against moving people to LCW just on a bet it will work out for them. I am firmly against mandated activity, firmly against sanctions, and firmly against removing financial support, The DWP should be capable of providing voluntarily support to people in LCWRA, they shoudnt need to use a threat regime to provide support or need to remove financial support to provide back to work support either.

The difference between me and Kendall, is Kendall thinks its a mission to get people working, that is the end goal, I dont have this obsession the whole country should be working, for me its providing the safety net for those that need it, working on giving them treatment, a diagnosis, a support circle, whilst carefully helping those who want to attempt to get back into work, making sure they not penalised for doing so either (current regime will penalise it). The DWP can do so much more than just give out financial support.

The assessment process also has very little to do with this other that it can penalise attempts to go back into work, the DWP dont need a new process to provide support to people. They need a new process to save 3 billion a year, and push people into LCW or FFW. If they were serious about genuinely helping people, there would be no talk of assessment changes.

I go on statements from ministers, and parliament not the news media speculation.

Going back to scope.

I would like to see them publish minutes or a summary of any dialogue from the DWP.
Surveys of scope members about their interactions with the DWP, so they understand what sick and disabled people are experiencing and need from the DWP,
Encourage the DWP (ideally the ministers, but someone who has influence on policy within DWP would be ok also) to speak to claimants directly for their feedback, on an individual level not consultations with fixed questions.
Ask the ministers to setup an independent regulator for the DWP so something is keeping them in check.

Mine the same where I live , that's what I voted our usless uncaring MP for as he was going to sort the buses out. He hasn't. Made out he was for the people ,he's not.