I saw this somewhere else. Should have turned a flame thrower on the ATOS staff who left the guy up there to burn (Aparently he thought it was a real fire, not a drill or hoax).

I am in a similar position to you. I am on ESA Support group and am carer to my wife. When I got my letter about moving from IB to ESA I was going to change then but when i sent in my ESA50 they put me in the support group. When it comes up for review I'll not go through a WCA (had enough of years of IB medicals). So if i don't get put straight into the support group I'll just go onto Carers allowance and allow Pension Credits to make up the difference (wife over pension age, I'm a few years under). I have to much to lose by taking a WCA, and fear for wife's care and my life if I am forced to work as a slave.

How long will it be before they start on people in the support group? Also there could be a whole new use for the labour wards in hospitals. I mean we can't have people skiving away there can we?

This is just complete insanity. This government has gone mad. I think Cameron had been sent insane by the sad death of his disabled son, and it taking it out on all sick and disabled people. This evil regime has got to be stopped before they start bringing in sterilisation and euthanasia for the sick and disabled.

Judging by the figures released recently, I would think the whole work programme is set to fail anyway. It has clearly failed.

And I thought Maggie was evil, compared to this bunch she was Mother Teresa.

Oh yea and as for DLA, it may be based on self assessment, but all this was checked with one's doctor or specialist and if they could not provide enough evidence a DWP doctor would be called. It is also possible for people that do not "look disabled" to have serious medical conditions. People needed worry though, under the new rules any body that can move themselves, whether by dragging themselves along the floor or wheeling a few car lengths before exhaustion will not longer get a free car. Only those who cannot move themselves will get one (so long as they are not too badly disabled, as they won't get it either). So they will need a driver all the time otherwise the car will be no good. And they reckon "only" 100,000 are going to loose their cars. I think they'll find it's a lot more then that, with many who still get the mobility component deciding to use taxis, with the consequential damage to the British car industry.

I've been "parked" on IB for over ten years (18 when you include time on invalidity benefit and ESA Care group). When i became unable to do my normal job I went onto Invalidity Benefit and when DLA was introduced I got that as well. This enabled me to go back into education and to university in order to get work i could do. Later on my Invalidity benefit turned into the much maligned IB. After Uni I started doing voluntary work in the area i had graduated, this being made possible by my Motability car. Unfortunately after being "parked" for about 8 years my heart gave out. Since then I have been in hospital many times for heart operations and checkups, with more to come (provided i don't die from one). During this time my car has taken me to hospital etc. During all this time I was far from invisible and being left without being seen. While on Invalidity benefit i used to see my doctor every 3 months for a check up and sick note. When it became IB I was no longer seen by my doctor in relation to benefits, although I was a regular visitor with heart problems. I was though seen by a DWP doctor every couple of years, and also was seen by Job Centre staff in relation to returning to work on more than one occasions. I even went on an A4e course (but that was a complete waste of time and nowhere as good as the Job Centre). It wasn't until the A4e course that i finally accepted I probably won't work any more; when I originally went on the course I thought it was for them to help me find suitable work considering my condition. Little did i realise they would trash all the work i had done at Uni and say that unless i was going to work as a telephone monkey or some other mind numbing job, I had no chance of working. Never mind I still had means of getting out and would be getting retirement benefits soon. Things weren't too bad. Or at least that's what I thought. Que IDS and the millionaire boys club. Time to my retirement has more than doubled to over ten years and I face the prospect of spending them housebound (unless they take that as well) with no benefits at all (because I don't believe ATOS will cure me even though they will claim they have).

Well with it being 3.5% if you look quickly you might not notice the decimal point, and it compare well with the 5% of people not on the work programme who find long term employment by themselves. Not

What ever the causes of the deaths, 10 people a day are dying after being told they are fit to work. Disabled and chronically ill people are scared for their lives (as one I know). The conditions are not quite here yet, but we are heading for a perfect storm of zero benefits and no income. At the moment we have different benefits that while not providing complete protection from destitution, at least mean you should get something. From next year with the introduction UC and the bedroom tax, and the abolition of DLA many people will find themselves with no income and no hope. Not sure if people realise what it means, when the prospect of going to prison offers a massive improvement in lifestyle. Will this be the return of the workhouse.

I was just wondering if there was a human rights argument for scrapping the welfare reform act, seeing as how it is aimed at the vulnerable of this country.

The government have accepted for may years that i am virtually unable to walk, and have happly given me the means to get our and about that has enabled me to go to university and lead a fairly normal life. They have futher confirmed this by putting me in the ESA support group. Are they not going to be taking my human rights my removing my means of getting out and about, and effectivly imprisioning me in my home? What makes me sick if they lie and lie saying it is to weed out cheats or to suppport those most in need. Why can't they just tell the truth and say they can't afford to support the disabled anymore. Or would that be against our human rights? Which was the point of the quote at at the top of this thread. If they are going to respect the rights of one "criminal" should they not repect the human rights of all?

Just had a thought. They take no notice of heart attacks or being in a coma, so a bit of a smell (more than a bit in my case, as my wife tells me) is unlikely to phase them.

I was thinking about that. How would it go if you had an "accident" in the WCA. I remember in the form for IB they asked about bowel troubles but they always said not to include IBS. As there was no where to mention IBS I always used to put it in anyway. As for the lifestyle changes, diet and drugs. I can't change my lifestyle (being chronically sick is not actually a lifestyle choice despite what IDS et al say), I have a good diet (at least while I can still afford it) and I am on more than enough drugs as it is without taking even more.

The same people who say they can't send Abu Qataba to Jordan to face trial because it is against his human rights, yet ignore the human rights of the sick and disabled, in this country.

Quite correct.

I heard that figure has long been past, into the 70s now. Soon be over a 100, perhaps when people start seeing people they know disappear they might say something. The frightening bit is they just finished reshowing Nazis a warning from History on the TV, yet still nobody is seeing it.

Not heard or read any about that, I thought it was all going to be done online to save costs, going back to weekly signing will cost more. Last time I signed on one had to sign on every week, and when I was sleeping rough I had to sign on every day.

let's all pray to our gods that it does fail. If it does not there are going to be an awful lot of people going hungry and cold or even being put out on the streets. All these reforms are costing billions more than they save. It is all a drive to destroy the welfare state and put money in the pockets of their buddies (after all when they all lose their jobs the MPs will need their new cushy jobs).

Sorry i can't help. I would have thougth you would have been informed of any changes comming (or should be), but the way this evil bunch do things, one gets the feeling they would just do it cause they can.

Right. You should be informed.

Not sure what you mean, you are 35 so shouldn't be affected.

It shouldn't just be if you claim pension credits. If one of a couple is over the retirement age for women (the age for pension credits) you should get the extra allowance. Not sure though how it will work with UC; chances are we'll lose out under UC as the pensioner protection from the bedroom tax is to be removed unless on pension credit, and even this will be removed if partner would get UC. Evil system designed to hurt the poorest. The only hope for many is that UC will fail, god help us all if it doesn't.

With no death penalty (That is a good thing) someone who is sanctioned and loses everything would actually be better of if they went off on one and killed a few people (so long as they didn't get taken out). If it wasn't for my wife I'd seriously think about seeking out IDS and mowing him down with my Motability car seeing as how bad he wants it. Whats the worst that could happen, be put in a warm cell and given food?

if you are gettig the correct benefit levels you should get the same amount which ever you cliam. In your situation you should be getting extra on whichever of you is claiming for the other. About £250ish a week after rent and council tax plus your DLA. We are in a similar position to you. I get ESA (Support group) DLA - Higher Mobility DLA - Low Care My Wife - State pension + pension credits DLA - Higher Mobility DLA - Middle Care If my wife was not claiming pension credits I could claim IS (I think that would be the correct benefit to claim) to the same level. You may get a bit more than us as you are both on Middle rate care