Upcoming changes to benefits

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Comments

  • Gregam
    Gregam Online Community Member Posts: 16 Listener

    I'm currently on LCWRA, if the government change it am I likely to be able to claim ESA instead?

  • secretsquirrel1
    secretsquirrel1 Online Community Member Posts: 2,052 Championing

    just read on sky news they intend to make it harder to get pip for “ milder mental health “ and lower level physical conditions “ What’s classed as lower level physical?

  • Durus
    Durus Online Community Member Posts: 29 Contributor

    Just saw that clip of some presenter on GB news grilling Wes Streeting on if it's okay for someone on ADHD to be claiming PIP. The look of disgust on her face at the thought really took me back.

    I'm sure she feels the same about all mental heatlh and neurodiverse conditions.

  • geckobat
    geckobat Online Community Member Posts: 195 Empowering

    This country seems to have thrown out any call for progress about understanding MH an invisible disabilities, and that progress over decades was already painfully slow, so you're right. We're going backwards and none of them seem to care enough.

  • FluffyCatMeow
    FluffyCatMeow Online Community Member Posts: 95 Contributor

    I don’t think it would be a specific diagnosis due to how varied things can affect different people, and they’d lose that court case pretty quickly, so I’m guessing it’ll be actual symptoms they look at

    maybe in regards to mobility, if you can walk a certain length (longer than the higher point PIP distances) and don’t need mobility aids, or if you can mostly take care of yourself even if you can’t work

    (but obviously I have absolutely zero clue so take what I say with a grain of salt)

  • luvpink
    luvpink Online Community Member Posts: 3,960 Championing
  • tcellmutation
    tcellmutation Online Community Member Posts: 341 Empowering
  • secretsquirrel1
    secretsquirrel1 Online Community Member Posts: 2,052 Championing

    I’m also over fifty but it’s the lower level psychical conditions that I’m worried about . I don’t find being in constant pain and fatigue low level

  • luvpink
    luvpink Online Community Member Posts: 3,960 Championing

    I have both ME and fibromyalgia and I have diagnosis going back 14 years with detailed consultant and gp reports confirming how these conditions affect my level of functioning.

    I send them in each time I am reassessed yet I only get 3 year awards and twice they reduced my mobility from high to standard but I got it back by doing mr.

  • secretsquirrel1
    secretsquirrel1 Online Community Member Posts: 2,052 Championing

    I don’t think they actually know what they’re doing at this point. I wonder how many times they’ve changed that green paper ?

  • JonnycJonny
    JonnycJonny Scope Member Posts: 253 Empowering

    There are some in the UC LCWRA group ( ESA Support Group ) who are in a 'severe conditions category' ( it can be Googled ) whereby they are completely exempt from further assessments - this is apparently explicitly set out in their award letters. It 'may' or 'may not' be those claimants who will be 'protected' from a rate cut tomorrow or they will be given a new named health benefit.

    All will be revealed tomorrow.

  • geckobat
    geckobat Online Community Member Posts: 195 Empowering

    I have to fight even for half of my family to understand this, just how awful constant pain is and how much it drains. What hope do we have of getting the government to understand it.

  • secretsquirrel1
    secretsquirrel1 Online Community Member Posts: 2,052 Championing

    just saw this Catherine. Hope you’re ok . At least tomorrow we will know where we stand and so will ppl like Ellen Clifford .

  • FluffyCatMeow
    FluffyCatMeow Online Community Member Posts: 95 Contributor

    that’s what I keep telling myself - at least tomorrow we’ll know

    If there are cuts, for example, it’ll make me panic but it’ll also mean I can look at my budget and know how much I’ll actually have to spend etc

    Weirdly that’s somewhat better than not knowing 🥹

  • secretsquirrel1
    secretsquirrel1 Online Community Member Posts: 2,052 Championing

    I think my diagnosis was about the same time but the specialist worked out I had mild ME from age 21 but became reinfected and it made my ME highest level of moderate. If I get glandular fever again I could end up even worse.

  • FluffyCatMeow
    FluffyCatMeow Online Community Member Posts: 95 Contributor

    I’m sure this has been mentioned somewhere, but when the green paper is out and Scope have had a looksi, will they post an easy-to-understand break down of it on the forum?

  • middali
    middali Online Community Member Posts: 27 Connected

    I’m currently going out of my mind, if I loose lcwra I’ll be homeless. I can’t do this :( so fed up with it all, not ate in days, I don’t sleep as it is due to insomnia. Now I’ve not slept in 3 days 😭😭 yeah I’m only 23 yet I’ve been ‘living’ with my anxiety for years

  • secretsquirrel1
    secretsquirrel1 Online Community Member Posts: 2,052 Championing
  • Autistic_Superpower
    Autistic_Superpower Online Community Member Posts: 23 Contributor

    My question then, and forgive me if I’m being dense everyone, is would this be 4 points on PIP as a whole or 4 points for each section (Daily Living & Mobility)?


    For instance, I get 18 points for mobility, an 8 and a 10, and currently 10 for Daily Living (though that is going to appeal) - With five lots of 2 points each.

    If I get another 2 points elsewhere for the 12 at my appeal, when it’s next reviewed would I still get enhanced for Daily Living as I got more than 4 in Mobility?

    Or would I suddenly be ‘cured’ and drop to nothing for Daily Living because I get no more than 2 points in each section of it? It’s madness!

  • FluffyCatMeow
    FluffyCatMeow Online Community Member Posts: 95 Contributor

    I’m so sorry you’re going through this!

    Remember, we don’t actually know what’s going to be announced, and we might not lose LCWRA (or if there is a cut, it might not be as much as we’re worried about) so hopefully it’ll be better than expected and not our worse-case-scenario 💜

This discussion has been closed.