Back
in September 2010 we asked you to email Professor Harrington, the
independent reviewer of the work capability assessment, and ask for
the right to record your employment and support allowance medical.
Many of you did so. As a direct result, one of the recommendations of
the first Harrington report was that there should be a trial of audio
recording work capability face-to-face assessments.
Since
then the DWP and Atos have dragged their feet on announcing the results
of the trial and it has become clear that wholesale recording of all
medicals is not going to happen.
However, thanks to the work of campaigner Paul Smith, the DWP have now
admitted in writing that claimants can now have their medical recorded
for free by Atos. We’ve got more details and a sample letter you can
use to ask for your assessment to be recorded. (Members only, join us now for instant access).
Huge ESA victory – now you have till Tuesday to save DLA
Stop Press:
Spartacus Report lead author Sue Marsh will be on Newsnight tonight
(Thursday) head-to-head with employment minister Chris Grayling. Good
luck Sue.
Dear rob,
It’s not often we get to celebrate here at Benefits and Work. So there has been enormous delight at the government suffering three – or possibly two - unexpected defeats in succession in the House of Lords over welfare reform
But if you want real joy, then please take part in the fight to save DLA. It really is possible - but only if you act before Tuesday’s vote. Please help to nail the latest government lie that you’re actually in favour of axing DLA.
Also in this newsletter, the shameful revelation that DWP decision makers can now have your appeal struck out before providing any evidence at all. They just need to tell the tribunal clerk that you said on the telephone that you no longer wished to continue and that’s it.
Dear rob,
It’s not often we get to celebrate here at Benefits and Work. So there has been enormous delight at the government suffering three – or possibly two - unexpected defeats in succession in the House of Lords over welfare reform
But if you want real joy, then please take part in the fight to save DLA. It really is possible - but only if you act before Tuesday’s vote. Please help to nail the latest government lie that you’re actually in favour of axing DLA.
Also in this newsletter, the shameful revelation that DWP decision makers can now have your appeal struck out before providing any evidence at all. They just need to tell the tribunal clerk that you said on the telephone that you no longer wished to continue and that’s it.
Mayor Boris Johnson victim of DLA con trick
Dear rob,
London Mayor Boris Johnson is just one of thousands of individuals and organisations whose overwhelming opposition to axing disability living allowance has been grossly misrepresented by the government in an effort to force through the highly controversial change.
This is the claim made by an ad hoc group of disabled campaigners in a highly detailed report ‘Responsible reform’ released today. If true it could lead to legal challenges to the welfare reform bill and to questions as to whether conservative ministers deliberately misled parliament. The authors of the report are calling for a pause of at least six months before legislation introducing PIP is voted on, in order to allow the views of disabled people to be properly taken into account. They are also calling for help from Benefits and Work readers.
In December 2010 the government began a consultation on reforming DLA by replacing it with PIP. Over 5,000 individuals and more than 500 organisations took part in the consultation.
London Mayor Boris Johnson is just one of thousands of individuals and organisations whose overwhelming opposition to axing disability living allowance has been grossly misrepresented by the government in an effort to force through the highly controversial change.
This is the claim made by an ad hoc group of disabled campaigners in a highly detailed report ‘Responsible reform’ released today. If true it could lead to legal challenges to the welfare reform bill and to questions as to whether conservative ministers deliberately misled parliament. The authors of the report are calling for a pause of at least six months before legislation introducing PIP is voted on, in order to allow the views of disabled people to be properly taken into account. They are also calling for help from Benefits and Work readers.
In December 2010 the government began a consultation on reforming DLA by replacing it with PIP. Over 5,000 individuals and more than 500 organisations took part in the consultation.
Festive Membership Gift Offer plus DWP Hires Bounty Hunters and Crackdown On Cancer Victims
Dear rob,
The coalition have stooped to new levels of viciousness this month.
They now propose to end exemption from employment and support allowance (ESA) medicals for people enduring the debilitating misery of chemotherapy. They also want to claw back mortgage interest payments from the estates of dead claimants.
In addition, credit checking agency Experian are to be used as ‘bounty hunters’ to go through claimants confidential financial records for evidence of fraud.
And the DWP have also teamed up with national charity Crimestoppers in a campaign which shows people with faces contorted with rage and fury – and even raising a fist – as they think about claimants they believe are committing fraud.
£15 GIFT MEMBERSHIP FOR XMAS
We can’t do anything about these increasingly ugly attacks on claimants, but we can give you the opportunity to give a Benefits and Work annual subscription to a friend or relative this Christmas for just £15, reduced from 19.45.
Can you force the DWP to contact your consultant?
Dear rob,
Firstly, we’d like to apologise if the Benefits and Work site is too busy to access when you click on links in this newsletter? We upgraded to a faster server at the weekend, but we won’t know until this edition goes out whether that has solved the problem of desperately slow page opening times when thousands of people all try to read an article at once.
If you can’t get through now, please try again later – it will quieten down eventually. This newsletter goes out to over 80,000 people and that number is increasing every day, hence the strain on our server.
ESA NEWS
At the risk of making the server even more unhappy, if you are currently challenging an ESA decision or helping someone else to do so, then please download the latest edition of the ESA appeals guide from the members area.
Given the increasing difficulty claimants have obtaining medical evidence, we’ve made some suggestions as to how you might make use of the tribunal judge’s power to issue directions. This could be in relation to documents you think should be before the tribunal or evidence you think the DWP should obtain. We’ve included a sample letter asking for a judge to order the DWP to contact your consultant for medical evidence. We don’t know if it will work but it’s certainly worth a try. The same tactic could be used for DLA appeals too. You’ll find it in the ‘After the appeal is lodged’ section of the guide.
We’ve also updated the text we suggest you use for your appeal form, to take into account the fact that decision makers are now more likely to telephone you if you lodge an appeal. In addition, we’ve included information about options for dealing with a decision maker’s call.
Firstly, we’d like to apologise if the Benefits and Work site is too busy to access when you click on links in this newsletter? We upgraded to a faster server at the weekend, but we won’t know until this edition goes out whether that has solved the problem of desperately slow page opening times when thousands of people all try to read an article at once.
If you can’t get through now, please try again later – it will quieten down eventually. This newsletter goes out to over 80,000 people and that number is increasing every day, hence the strain on our server.
ESA NEWS
At the risk of making the server even more unhappy, if you are currently challenging an ESA decision or helping someone else to do so, then please download the latest edition of the ESA appeals guide from the members area.
Given the increasing difficulty claimants have obtaining medical evidence, we’ve made some suggestions as to how you might make use of the tribunal judge’s power to issue directions. This could be in relation to documents you think should be before the tribunal or evidence you think the DWP should obtain. We’ve included a sample letter asking for a judge to order the DWP to contact your consultant for medical evidence. We don’t know if it will work but it’s certainly worth a try. The same tactic could be used for DLA appeals too. You’ll find it in the ‘After the appeal is lodged’ section of the guide.
We’ve also updated the text we suggest you use for your appeal form, to take into account the fact that decision makers are now more likely to telephone you if you lodge an appeal. In addition, we’ve included information about options for dealing with a decision maker’s call.
Motability Choices Cut, ESA Claim Time Slashed
SAVE ON MEMBERSHIP
Join Benefits and Work before 10pm on Friday 28 October and save £1.95 on your annual subscription. Just type NEWS22A in the coupon box when you pay and you’ll get instant, cut-price, access to all our highly effective, step-by-step guides to disability living allowance and employment and support allowance claims and appeals, Members Only News items and much more.
And, with our 7 day, no-questions-asked, money-back guarantee, there’s no risk to you at all.
Dear rob,
In this edition there’s news of cuts to the kinds of cars available through the Motability scheme – and who can drive them . We also have news of a cut from 6 weeks to 4 weeks in the time allowed to complete and return an ESA50 questionnaire for employment and support allowance.
But before we get to the news, we’d be grateful if you could take the time to help us reach a decision on whether to launch a new service for claimants – you don’t need to be a member of Benefits and Work to take part.
FREELANCE WELFARE RIGHTS ADVICE AND £50 AMAZON VOUCHERS DRAW
With proposed cuts, especially in legal aid, there may soon be a lot less free advice available and many more welfare rights workers made redundant. In view of this, we are considering setting up a separate website where welfare rights advisors can advertise their freelance services to claimants.
The new service will have a number of safeguards built in, which you can read about at the start of our survey.
But, before we decide whether to take this idea any further we really want to hear what you think of the idea, rob. If you do decide to complete the survey, you’ll also be entered intoa draw for a prize of £50 of Amazon vouchers, unless you’d prefer to remain anonymous.
Join Benefits and Work before 10pm on Friday 28 October and save £1.95 on your annual subscription. Just type NEWS22A in the coupon box when you pay and you’ll get instant, cut-price, access to all our highly effective, step-by-step guides to disability living allowance and employment and support allowance claims and appeals, Members Only News items and much more.
And, with our 7 day, no-questions-asked, money-back guarantee, there’s no risk to you at all.
Dear rob,
In this edition there’s news of cuts to the kinds of cars available through the Motability scheme – and who can drive them . We also have news of a cut from 6 weeks to 4 weeks in the time allowed to complete and return an ESA50 questionnaire for employment and support allowance.
But before we get to the news, we’d be grateful if you could take the time to help us reach a decision on whether to launch a new service for claimants – you don’t need to be a member of Benefits and Work to take part.
FREELANCE WELFARE RIGHTS ADVICE AND £50 AMAZON VOUCHERS DRAW
With proposed cuts, especially in legal aid, there may soon be a lot less free advice available and many more welfare rights workers made redundant. In view of this, we are considering setting up a separate website where welfare rights advisors can advertise their freelance services to claimants.
The new service will have a number of safeguards built in, which you can read about at the start of our survey.
But, before we decide whether to take this idea any further we really want to hear what you think of the idea, rob. If you do decide to complete the survey, you’ll also be entered intoa draw for a prize of £50 of Amazon vouchers, unless you’d prefer to remain anonymous.
Hopeless, petrified and then . . . DLA appeal true story; plus more forced onto work scheme
Dear rob,
We thought, for once, instead of just a good news post, you might like to have the full story.
What it’s really like preparing for, and turning up at, an appeal.
We’ve chosen an example of dramatic loss – a member who went from getting disability living allowance higher rate care and mobility components to getting nothing, after an Atos doctor’s visit. They posted the news along with a heartfelt plea for help and a confession that they felt like just giving up.
But, like many people, their feelings of hopelessness turned to grim determination when they saw what had been written about them by Atos and they began to muster their evidence.
As the day of the hearing drew near, however, anger turned to terror at the imminent prospect of arguing their case in front of a judge and two wing members, with only a relative for support.
And finally, the day of the hearing arrived . . .
Whilst our members have been fighting for their benefits, we’ve been busy on the freedom of information front.
We thought, for once, instead of just a good news post, you might like to have the full story.
What it’s really like preparing for, and turning up at, an appeal.
We’ve chosen an example of dramatic loss – a member who went from getting disability living allowance higher rate care and mobility components to getting nothing, after an Atos doctor’s visit. They posted the news along with a heartfelt plea for help and a confession that they felt like just giving up.
But, like many people, their feelings of hopelessness turned to grim determination when they saw what had been written about them by Atos and they began to muster their evidence.
As the day of the hearing drew near, however, anger turned to terror at the imminent prospect of arguing their case in front of a judge and two wing members, with only a relative for support.
And finally, the day of the hearing arrived . . .
Whilst our members have been fighting for their benefits, we’ve been busy on the freedom of information front.
Benefits and work newsletter September :- Support Group Appeals: Your Real-Life Experiences
IB to ESA support group without a medical
“. . . thanks once again to the fantastic guides on here, my migration from long term incapacity benefit with top up income support over to ESA has been straight forward & successful as I've been placed straight into the Support Group (the right group for me & also without a medical)”
Lyndsay
MONEY OFF. Subscribe before 10pm on Friday 30 September and save £1.25 on your annual subscription. Just type NEWSLETTER in the coupon box when you join.
Support group appeals: your real-life experiences
Dear rob,
Getting into the employment and support allowance (ESA) support group has become desperately important to tens of thousands of people.
It already offers protection from the pressures and sanctions of the work programme. And from April 2012, if the welfare reform bill goes through unamended, it may be the only way for claimants currently on contribution-based ESA to get any further ESA payments at all. As one former soldier, now coping with the mental and emotional effects of wartime service told us:
“If they do not see sense and place me into the Support Group, it really is a matter of life and death come April as I am already struggling as it is.”
In our last edition we asked you to tell us about your experience of appealing to be moved from the work-related activity group to the support group. In Support Group Appeals: Your Experiences (members only) we look at:
“. . . thanks once again to the fantastic guides on here, my migration from long term incapacity benefit with top up income support over to ESA has been straight forward & successful as I've been placed straight into the Support Group (the right group for me & also without a medical)”
Lyndsay
MONEY OFF. Subscribe before 10pm on Friday 30 September and save £1.25 on your annual subscription. Just type NEWSLETTER in the coupon box when you join.
Support group appeals: your real-life experiences
Dear rob,
Getting into the employment and support allowance (ESA) support group has become desperately important to tens of thousands of people.
It already offers protection from the pressures and sanctions of the work programme. And from April 2012, if the welfare reform bill goes through unamended, it may be the only way for claimants currently on contribution-based ESA to get any further ESA payments at all. As one former soldier, now coping with the mental and emotional effects of wartime service told us:
“If they do not see sense and place me into the Support Group, it really is a matter of life and death come April as I am already struggling as it is.”
In our last edition we asked you to tell us about your experience of appealing to be moved from the work-related activity group to the support group. In Support Group Appeals: Your Experiences (members only) we look at:
Benefits and work newsletter August 16th. Medicals - who gets called in?
ESA success and now DLA success!!!
I hope my post will give members & others a boost especially those with ME/CFS like myself & those with fluctuating conditions.
In July this year following reassessment I was moved from the WRAG to the Support Group with ESA (CB). Buoyed by this success I applied for DLA. The infamous 'brown envelope' arrived a few days ago & I was absolutely stunned to read I had been awarded both higher rate mobility & higher rate care for 4 years!!! without having to have a medical or my GP being asked for a report . . .
This site and everything it provides is close to being priceless. If I hadn't found this site by chance 18 months ago and made the decision to join & renew my subscription I would never have been as successful with my claims as I have.
B and W is quite literally a life saver - thank you so very much.
mayflower
Lots more feedback at the end of this email.
To UNSUBSCRIBE or change your preferences, please click on the Manage Your Subscription link at the bottom of this email.
Medicals - who gets called in?
I hope my post will give members & others a boost especially those with ME/CFS like myself & those with fluctuating conditions.
In July this year following reassessment I was moved from the WRAG to the Support Group with ESA (CB). Buoyed by this success I applied for DLA. The infamous 'brown envelope' arrived a few days ago & I was absolutely stunned to read I had been awarded both higher rate mobility & higher rate care for 4 years!!! without having to have a medical or my GP being asked for a report . . .
This site and everything it provides is close to being priceless. If I hadn't found this site by chance 18 months ago and made the decision to join & renew my subscription I would never have been as successful with my claims as I have.
B and W is quite literally a life saver - thank you so very much.
mayflower
Lots more feedback at the end of this email.
To UNSUBSCRIBE or change your preferences, please click on the Manage Your Subscription link at the bottom of this email.
Medicals - who gets called in?
Benefits and work newsletter August Urgent call to action
Dear rob,
The usual newsletter will be out on Friday, after our August break.
However, we have just received several emails from organisations including Carer Watch and The Broken of Britain about what is claimed to be government attempts to stifle opposition to the Welfare Reform Bill currently being debated in the House of Lords..
There is no time for us to check out the accuracy of these claims – the deadline for doing anything is 3.30pm today - but as the issue is potentially an important one we are passing it on to you, unverified though it is. There are several email addresses at the end of the article of people to contact.
Urgent call to action
After an incredibly constructive debate yesterday in the House Of Lords the government appear to be concerned about how many Lords had significant concerns about the Welfare Reform Bill, even those Lords who in principle supported the bill had major questions they wanted answers to.
For a bill of this size and importance, convention dictates that the next stage of the bill should be kept in the main chamber of the House of Lords for debate. It's particularly important the bill be continued to be debated in the main chamber as disability access to the smaller committee rooms is very limited and people will not be able to access the committee rooms to exercise their democratic right to observe the passge of the bill from the public chamber.
The usual newsletter will be out on Friday, after our August break.
However, we have just received several emails from organisations including Carer Watch and The Broken of Britain about what is claimed to be government attempts to stifle opposition to the Welfare Reform Bill currently being debated in the House of Lords..
There is no time for us to check out the accuracy of these claims – the deadline for doing anything is 3.30pm today - but as the issue is potentially an important one we are passing it on to you, unverified though it is. There are several email addresses at the end of the article of people to contact.
Urgent call to action
After an incredibly constructive debate yesterday in the House Of Lords the government appear to be concerned about how many Lords had significant concerns about the Welfare Reform Bill, even those Lords who in principle supported the bill had major questions they wanted answers to.
For a bill of this size and importance, convention dictates that the next stage of the bill should be kept in the main chamber of the House of Lords for debate. It's particularly important the bill be continued to be debated in the main chamber as disability access to the smaller committee rooms is very limited and people will not be able to access the committee rooms to exercise their democratic right to observe the passge of the bill from the public chamber.
Benefits and work newsletter July 28th 2011
Atos attacked by MPs
Dear rob,
The MPs who make up the work and pensions committee have come to the conclusion that the service provided by Atos in relation to the work capability assessment – the medical test for employment and support allowance - is so poor that another provider should be introduced to allow competition to drive up standards.
(Stories in this newsletter are all members only, with the exception of the Good News from the Forums and external links to other websites).
The report contains some unusually damning criticism not just of Atos, but also of the government for the way it has failed to prevent the extremely negative and inaccurate portrayal of benefits claimants as ‘scroungers’ and ‘workshy’ every time a new set of employment and support allowance statistics is released.
Dear rob,
The MPs who make up the work and pensions committee have come to the conclusion that the service provided by Atos in relation to the work capability assessment – the medical test for employment and support allowance - is so poor that another provider should be introduced to allow competition to drive up standards.
(Stories in this newsletter are all members only, with the exception of the Good News from the Forums and external links to other websites).
The report contains some unusually damning criticism not just of Atos, but also of the government for the way it has failed to prevent the extremely negative and inaccurate portrayal of benefits claimants as ‘scroungers’ and ‘workshy’ every time a new set of employment and support allowance statistics is released.
Is this the UK's Worst Cemetary ? Part 2
Found this on youtube. From Caernarfon Online
3 years old now but shows that nothing is getting any better, only worse.
3 years old now but shows that nothing is getting any better, only worse.
Great Orme copper mine.
This place is amazing.
One word of caution, wear the safety hat they provide. I lost count of the times I cracked my head on the roof, without the hat I'd be sporting a few stitches.
The tunnels were built and used by kids so some are low and narrow. I actually had to turn sideways in some places which makes it difficult to duck, if you're on the chubby side you may not fit.
The visitor centre/shop has a decent collection of stones and minerals to buy. I got myself a nice geode and a piece of slate with a fossil of a trilobite, the first land creature to have eyes.
It's really worth a visit and a bit further on is the summit complex with some nice views, of course it was wet and dismal when we went.
Great Orme copper mine
18 Photos
One word of caution, wear the safety hat they provide. I lost count of the times I cracked my head on the roof, without the hat I'd be sporting a few stitches.
The tunnels were built and used by kids so some are low and narrow. I actually had to turn sideways in some places which makes it difficult to duck, if you're on the chubby side you may not fit.
The visitor centre/shop has a decent collection of stones and minerals to buy. I got myself a nice geode and a piece of slate with a fossil of a trilobite, the first land creature to have eyes.
It's really worth a visit and a bit further on is the summit complex with some nice views, of course it was wet and dismal when we went.
Great Orme copper mine
18 Photos
Anglesy model village
Not much to say about this place really, it's small and cheap.
I would not recommend going out of your way to visit, if you're passing it's worth a stop.
Even with a cup of tea we only managed to stretch our visit to about 45 minutes.
Anglesey model village
12 photos
I would not recommend going out of your way to visit, if you're passing it's worth a stop.
Even with a cup of tea we only managed to stretch our visit to about 45 minutes.
Anglesey model village
12 photos
Is this the UK's Worst Cemetery ?
All 34 photos are now added, it may take a while longer to write what I think so please bear with me.
On our recent trip to Snowdonia we passed the Llanbeblig Cemetery in Caernarfon 4 or 5 times a day. I like to walk round graveyards, I find it peaceful and it gives me a sense of being alive.
This place, however, left me in a state of shock and disgust. I have never in my life seen so much disrespect for the dead, or the living.
I also wanted to pay my respects at the war graves. From what I could find out there are over 30 dead heroes buried here, I couldn't even find them.
A quote from the council :-
That was in 2005 after 14 members of the Welsh Guard cleared the cemetery on their return from Iraq, councillor Owen appears to have done nothing.
I also want to mention the citizens of Caernarfon, what the hell is the matter with you people ?
Get off your lazy arses and do something about it. For gods sake, it's drunken kids and junkies. Or do you care so little about your dead ?
You can read my wifes opinion over at Picking Oranges :- Caernarfon has no respect for it's dead
Edmund Burke was right.
Says it all really.
On our recent trip to Snowdonia we passed the Llanbeblig Cemetery in Caernarfon 4 or 5 times a day. I like to walk round graveyards, I find it peaceful and it gives me a sense of being alive.
This place, however, left me in a state of shock and disgust. I have never in my life seen so much disrespect for the dead, or the living.
I also wanted to pay my respects at the war graves. From what I could find out there are over 30 dead heroes buried here, I couldn't even find them.
A quote from the council :-
Councillor Owen sees the clear-up as the first stage in cutting down on anti-social behaviour in the area.
"The state of the cemetery has been bothering me for about six years, there is no respect for the place whilst it is like this," he said.
That was in 2005 after 14 members of the Welsh Guard cleared the cemetery on their return from Iraq, councillor Owen appears to have done nothing.
I also want to mention the citizens of Caernarfon, what the hell is the matter with you people ?
Get off your lazy arses and do something about it. For gods sake, it's drunken kids and junkies. Or do you care so little about your dead ?
You can read my wifes opinion over at Picking Oranges :- Caernarfon has no respect for it's dead
Edmund Burke was right.
"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing. "
Says it all really.
Our week in snowdonia
Ok, so we're back, all safe and sound. We had a great time and the lodge we stayed in was excellent. So good in fact, we're booking it again next year. Hopefully we'll get better weather.
I have a ton of photos to go through and I really can't be arsed at the moment, I'll post a load tomorrow unless i get a sudden burst of energy later tonight.
If you really can't wait you can pop over to my wifes blog ( Picking Oranges ), she has some uploaded.
I have a ton of photos to go through and I really can't be arsed at the moment, I'll post a load tomorrow unless i get a sudden burst of energy later tonight.
If you really can't wait you can pop over to my wifes blog ( Picking Oranges ), she has some uploaded.
Excitement abounds
Sent from my HTC
Great Orme copper mine
Well, between showers, we managed to take a walk round Great Orme today. More details and photos on our return.
Sent from my HTC
The river keeps rising
The river has risen 6 inches after 2 days of rain.
Sent from my HTC
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