Official thread: ‘Get Britain Working’ White Paper released Tuesday 26th November
Comments
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Well I put off reading it till today but it's pretty clear that we will ALL be forced into work regardless of how ill we are and especially if we have mental health illness.It is now all becoming clear as to why the GP was very Pro my going into this talking therapy now.So I imagine it's going to be much like U.c and if you don't do certain things they simply stop your benefit.A woman who lives in my village said she worked from home selling perfume for a catalogue for many years but didn't meet the Minimum income platform ( words to that effect).Her husband works but they have stopped her benefits and told her she has 6 months now to find a job.she has children too.As someone else pointed out on here they've already taken from the elderly who must be now suffering in this freezing weather.I think there will many consequences of their actions.
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Catherine they do
https://www.parliament.uk/site-information/glossary/white-paper/
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I just googled it on Government white paper get Britain Working and all this stuff came up
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@Jane315STARX The government haven't released anything yet, its going to be in the spring. What exactly is it you have read?
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I think I will personally wait until we get a definative answer to what their actual palns are. I agree that what's in that white paper can read as certain as to what labour are planning on doing to benefits. Many of the things in it may be changed or watered down by the time it's implemented, opposed to by other M.P's and disability groups, or some things scrapped altogether. I totally get why people get anxious, full of fear and dread about these changes, but I honestly don't believe they could force someone deemed too unwell to work into any job they are unfit to do so, it would be too dangerous and irresponsible, and there are still strict laws around employment rights for the disabled, whether that may be physical or mentally. I think we have enough people fighting on our behalf to stop anything dangerous happening to us or forcing us into any kind of work we're unable to do.
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I read this one
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@charlie72 I hope you are right
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As soon as I read the white paper I contacted my MP to let her know my thoughts on it and my barriers to entering work. I worked the whole of my life until I get ME/CFS and then Diabetes and also Fibromyalgia which means I can no longer work. My MP responded and said that she would present the information to government. I think the more of us that email our MPs the more chance we have of being heard.
I know we say that there is no point worrying until it goes through parliment process but that is so hard to do.
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I totally agreed Unfortunately I although I think this is an extremely good idea I don't think Kier Starmer will budge on this.Winter fuel has already been taken away despite total uproar and it's already having an affect from child dla to pip not being awarded ( take of that what you will).But it will have a detrimental affect on the country as each person's mental health and health generally affects those around them.i.e dependants for example
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Hi everyone, hope you're alright.
I'm really worried too because I can't do any kind of work.
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Gps aren't as supportive as well as government is putting them under pressure with budget cuts . The evidence for assessment isn't always easy aquire especially if your disability is hidden and not visible to **** eye.
The therapy and cmht are non profit charities so insensitive s to get people back to work.
Some people will find this hard and deteriating with there illnesses and some it will benefit and flourish. But there's no middle you either benefit or a fountain of struggles
Problem is everything is becoming slowly privatised . So it's policies and procedures your fighting for your rights. With a government directive mental health act disability act or human rights conflicting with privatisation policy and procedures.
It's a difficult time. I'm just looking at what if and when I am forced what I could do with my limitations health which will dibilitate me the least.
Its scary time of uncertanty. Especially as human rights law will br adjusted and what will be the adjustments. All we can do is hope
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Is this objective of getting everyone back to work for every illness as I have essential Tremors and FND on the pip and essa live in sheltered housing with a warden I see my Nurologist yearly and recently had my Pip assessment on phone lasted lo ger than a war and peace novel and told I would be on pip ten years The Government have removed heating from elderly now uts our turn, pity they don't refuse payrises
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Reform's 2024 Election manifesto extract:
“Circumstances can conspire against any one of us to leave us unemployed, seriously ill and unable to work, perhaps even facing bankruptcy and homelessness. UKIP is fully committed to maintaining a strong and supportive safety net for those who fall on hard times, whether through any fault of their own or not.” UKIP 2015 MANIFESTO> PAGE 22 Our common sense approach to benefits includes: -• Supporting a lower cap on benefits• Cracking down on benefit fraud• Ending welfare tourism with a five-year ban on benefits for migrants• Stopping child benefit being paid to children who don’t live in the UK• Limiting child benefit to two children for new claimants. HOUSING BENEFITS The ‘bedroom tax’ is clearly unfair and is not working. Changes to the way housing benefit is paid are leading some tenants to fall into debt. The Conservative threat to withdraw Housing Benefit from the under-25s may cause even more suffering. UKIP will:• Scrap the ‘bedroom tax’• Continue to pay Housing Benefit to young people under the age of 25• Give tenants the right to request Housing Benefit is paid direct to their landlords, whatever benefit scheme they are on. DISABILITY BENEFITSUKIP is fully committed to protecting the rights of disabled people, as set out in Article 19 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. We wholly endorse the right of the disabled to access in home, residential and community support services and we support their inclusion in our communities. We also recognise that there will always be disabled people who are unable to work and we are committed to supporting them through a fair and fit-for-purpose welfare system.
We will end unfair ATOS-style Work Capability Assessments and return assessments to GPs or appropriate specialist consultants, who have full access to patients’ medical records and are likely to know the patient.
We believe this makes them the best person to undertake assessments and we will ensure they are adequately funded and resourced to take on this task. We will also:• Require GPs/specialists to notify the Department for Work and Pensions when they believe a patient is well enough to return to work, by issuing a ‘fit note’•
Remove ‘tick-box’ and quota arrangements from sickness and disability assessments, thereby streamlining and speeding up the assessment processes and continually respecting claimants throughout the process
SUPPORTING CARERS Millions give up work, or work reduced hours, to care for elderly or disabled relatives. In doing so, they make a huge contribution to society, although often at great personal and financial cost.
We will:• Increase Carers’ Allowance from £62.10 per week to match the higher level of Job Seekers Allowance, currently £73.10 per week, an extra £572 per year• Improve carers’ access to support by sharing information on benefit and social care entitlements andsupport groups across all public services.
INVESTING IN FOODBANKS It is deeply regrettable that there is increasing demand for foodbanks in 21st century Britain. If those who attend foodbanks are in such dire straits that they need food handouts, there is a high likelihood that they will also need additional support to deal with issues such as debt, family breakdown, addiction and poor physical or mental health. Many will need employment or legal advice. We will therefore contribute to the important work done by food banks and develop them into community advice centres for those most in need. UKIP will train and fund the cost of 800 advisers to work in 800 foodbanks, so the poorest in our society have free and easy access to timely help in their hour of need.
We will also exempt foodbanks and charity shops from charges imposed by local authorities to dispose of unwanted food waste and other goods. They are not ‘businesses’ in the sense most of us understand the term and therefore should not be expected to pay fees for waste disposal. We want to see a welfare system that is fairer, simpler and less open to abuse. Our approach is one that firmly opposes the ‘benefits lifestyle’ but also addresses the c…
[see more in Reforms 2024 Manifesto]
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No idea but it seems there is no compassion for ANYONE.If there is none for a 90 year old who has given his whole life for this country ( just an example) then there is no hope for someone like me in their 50s with just 6 illnesses and severe depression
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There ae some good points made here. The main thing I do need to address is people worrying about being forced back to work when they have mental health problems. The new government have said their main aim is to get people off "long term sickness" this is not the same as being disabled. Long term sick implies that at some point in the future, you'll not be sick soon or in a few years. And just like physical health, mental health is a spectrum.
Someone with a badly broken leg may be seen as long term sick, but will be ok to return to work in the future when they recover from all the operations. But someone may be missing a leg and would be classed as disabled.
Someone with depression may be seen as long term sick, but will be ok to return to work after some therapy and medication. But some will have a lifelong condition and would be classed as disabled.
It will vary greatly from person to person who can and cant work, but please don't think they'll be forcing people to work when they really can't. Their aim is to support people into work. Which is what they've been discussing with Scope since the new government have been in office and they've been looking to improve their Access to Work service too to help. They truly sound like they've been listening to disabled people too. So please don't believe everything you read in the newspapers, especially when the papers don't have your best interests at heart, they just want to make more money. It's also worth noting a lot of the things the papers are yelling about were things the previous government had done or planned.
Trust me, if the changes aren't done well, I'll be just as angry and upset as you all will be and if change is needed, then we'll do our best to fight for that change and get the correct information to you, as and when it is available. 😊12 -
Thank you Catherine, my attention can be baad, memory problems, and many other disabilities.
I think SCOPE and other disability - and AGE UK charities, should campaign to ensure DWP Doctors do not assess disabled people capabilities for work, but for the DWP to ask other doctors in the NHS: GPs, consultants, etc.
As DWP doctors are paid to overlook our disabilities, and are not impartial or independent.
I have not attended any disability benefit assessment for about 20 years, as they have adversely affected my health, and even led to suicide attempts (part of the stress was the endless prospect of 6 monthly tests.
And the DWP do have a duty of care, and must not endanger a person's life.
Can you give us an update on Reform's most recent manifesto?
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This is Reform 2024 manifesto, not great from Disability news service. That woman Elizabeth Oakshot I think her name is on Talk tv is Richard Tices partner
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The DWP as a whole has a duty of care @Catherine21 you actually shared an article mentioning it the other day. I think they call it their six step plan or similar? Which was shown to have a very low error rate currently. You need to remember that they deal with millions of people and we only ever hear about the bad experiences not the positive ones. Though I do think some major changes are needed and a softer approach would be nice.
And goal posts do need to be changed, it's good they're keeping an eye on things and trying to be a bit more proactive and less reactive with potential changes, which was the issue with the last government. Personal opinion of course. 😆
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Night city what would we do without you 😊 Always like Albus a voice of calm and reason ⭐
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Hi Albus,
I have to agree with all you say. I am not a Keir Starmer fan however he will realise his legal limitations and the difference between long-term sickness and disability. I am concerned about the increase in corporate influence and the closer relations with Labour politicians, especially in relations to the NHS.
However there are not that many employers pushing at the governments doors with a desire to employ us. The last government, as I understand it, removed any incentives or funding to make necessary adjustments to enable their employment of a disabled employee and any targets, if the still exist, are never raised in relations to the onus on larger companies to have a minimum percentage or disabled employees. After Covid, there were businesses which wanted to continue working from home but the potential hit on commercial landlords and their influence on the last government seemed to have overcome that rational.
I did hear that it was thought that there would be opportunities for disabled people to work from home, I think this was mainly in the last government, but again employers do not seem to be jumping for joy at the idea. Having worked in a call centre for a major UK company who were in the lead with technologies, persuading the business to allow an existing employee to work from home due to health reasons was almost impossible. They would argue risk awareness, difficulties in management of remote workers, focus or lack of focus of employees working remotely, the issues regarding training, 121's etc. They really did not want to enable the continuing employment of existing staff as remote workers, even those with an exemplary record.
I really can't see their practices change unless there is some sort of benefit in it for them, which would in effect mean that we as taxpayers are subsidising employment costs and increasing profits by such things as working tax credits/UC. I am not saying that working tax credits/UC is not necessary but that those of us paying income tax, might as well cut out the middle man (the government) and give a direct payment to employers. I am a little hypocritical as for a small business or a start-up I can see how WTC/UC can help that business grow and benefit the local community, but how much are we subsidising multinational corporations so they can increase their profits but avoid taxation or investment in the UK economy.
Of course, as disabled job applicants organisations and the job centre tell us not to list your disability. I have been fortunate in that I have always listed mine and have only not got the job twice. Once was because I could not speak Welsh and the second was a job with the DWP back in the 1990's.
My point is that even if the government wants to get disabled benefit claimants back into employment, they have got to fiind employers who will actually hire us. Either that or throw money at employers to incentivise our employment and find that it may well be more expensive to subsidise a disabled person to work than to have them on benefits. Especially if the stress of employment means that we have a higher level of sick leave, which in turn triggers disciplinary action by the emplyer, increasing the employees stress so they take more time off per infinitum until the employee is managed out of employment.
Let's wait until the White Paper is going through parliament and ensure that we are in positions to influence our local MP's as well as organisations such as Scope who will be lobbying at a national level directly to the Prime Minister and Ministers in relevent cabinet positions. Albus is right about the media, on the whole those who support Reform or the Tories are deliberately trying to play different groups within the community against each other and place the blame on us for their own benefits. I also have suspicions that the language being used by this government is designed to appeal to a wider audience because of the percentage of the vote which Reform received when, in effect, they came from nowhere.
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