What a classy move that was, propose to abolish income support and shift the carers onto jsa, whilst similtaneously reneging on the pledge in the Carer's National Strategy to come up with policies to deal with the chronic levels of benefit that they receive.
What a guy!
Latest Green Paper, No one written off: rewarding welfare to reward responsibility, makes a whole heap of proposals - workfare for jsa claimants, work-seeking for esa claimants, and IS to be abolished with residual claimants all moved over to jsa - the main body of people claiming IS are carers now so they stand to be hit the hardest on the last proposal.
The thing is, even now as a carer on income support we are being made to go to 'work focussed interviews' or lose benefit and I have myself experienced probs getting there and I'm not the only one - some people literally have no respite cover even to pop to the shops, never mind attend a mandatory interview. Yeah, you don't HAVE to look for work, but you DO have to attend or have benefit taken off you.
The fact it has not occurred to this bastard that there are some carers who have to look after partners (etc) 24/7 and can not even get the time to go out take a walk around the block, let alone bugger off for an afternoon of mandatory time wasting, just says it all really.
Don't get me started on how it affects someone's self esteem when you're told, yes, you're saving society £XXXmillions a year in care bills but you are fundamentally useless and not contributing to society by not having a job.
Compared to a lot of people, I have it easy (at least my kids are out for a few hours at school), but for carers of adults it can be a different story
I bloody well hope he loses all his money, becomes a carer for more than one person and the strain of it makes him physically disabled, leading to a slow and painful death while being hounded through the benefits maze.According to his response he said:
"I was sorry to read of the distress that angel's friend experienced. However, the regulatory changes that we propose state that parents with children on the middle or highest rate care component of DLA will remain elgible for income support and will not be required to actively look for work"
Now, good you may think, but it's different to what I've heard a) from job centre plus staff themselves "they're ending income support" altho quite often their staff are precisely the last people to know what is going on, and b) from carers forums who seem to think they ARE proposing JSA but not specifying that carers look for work.
Also, it doesn't explain the situation for carers caring for ADULTS. Maybe they are forced onto JSA? Not sure.
The thing is, even now as a carer on income support we are being made to go to 'work focussed interviews' or lose benefit and I have myself experienced probs getting there and I'm not the only one - some people literally have no respite cover even to pop to the shops, never mind attend a mandatory interview. Yeah, you don't HAVE to look for work, but you DO have to attend or have benefit taken off you.
The fact it has not occurred to this bastard that there are some carers who have to look after partners (etc) 24/7 and can not even get the time to go out take a walk around the block, let alone bugger off for an afternoon of mandatory time wasting, just says it all really.
Don't get me started on how it affects someone's self esteem when you're told, yes, you're saving society £XXXmillions a year in care bills but you are fundamentally useless and not contributing to society by not having a job.
Compared to a lot of people, I have it easy (at least my kids are out for a few hours at school), but for carers of adults it can be a different story
I was *ahem* invited for a work focussed interview via a letter addressed to my partner (not me) on pain of him getting his benefit docked if I didn't show up. The letter was extremely threatening, and if my caree hadn't been on betablockers I dread to think what would have happened as his condition is made much worse by stress.
This was while there was a decision pending on his DLA renewal, and I'd been getting carers premium + Joint IS for 3 years (again, stopped pending DLA decision). Rang the jobcentre and made it crystal clear that if I had to attend, they'd have to pay the taxi fare for me and my caree, there & back, and they'd better have a disabled loo etc... (also sent a formal letter, with all this in to the jobcentre and to the local MP). Anyway, the so-called claimant adviser conceded that I'd probably got my hands quite full and agreed to postpone the interview. I haven't been *invited* back since then, touch wood.
Carers UK kicked up a stink about the WFI invitation letter after a flood of letters & calls from extremely distressed carers, and although it's still sent, the wording has changed a bit, and it's now addressed directly to the carer, not the caree, even if the carer is a dependant.
IMHO all carers should be exempt from looking for work - to get CA (or the carers premium on top of IS) you have to do at least 35 hours of care/supervision for somebody currently receiving at least middle rate care DLA. CA is the only benefit you actually have to be currently working (although not necessarily employed) to get (instead of the other way around). This works out at less than £1 an hour, for the required minimum hours. Not even legal minimum wage.
The other thing is, being a carer is allegedly (according to him and his cronies) to be a short term thing for most carers -
BOLLOCKS!
I have been a carer for over 10 years, and my partner (also my caree) shows no signs (touch wood) of either miraculously recovering or dying in the next 10 years.
Going to have to buy a dartboard, just so I can put smug git Purnell's face on it.
Edited to add: Allegedly, transferring any carers who get IS + carers premuim onto JSA is part of streamlining the benefit system, and carers tranferred to JSA won't be required to actively seek work. I'm all for efficiency, but seeing as a disability (albeit not my own) prevents me being able to hold down a full time job, why not streamline IS + carer premium into DLA or that one replacing IB instead?
But the problem is that he seems to have public opinon on his side
He's typical of the new PPE type of politician if you ask me.yes, he's a truly vile man
They were discussing benefits on Radio London's morning phone in show last Friday, and call after call was from people who really belived the stereotype of claimants living on council estates in the lap of luxury surrounded by plasma tellys, knocking out babies to get more money. Very few people phoning up with the other side of the argument - it made for very depressing listening.
yes, he's a truly vile man
They were discussing benefits on Radio London's morning phone in show last Friday, and call after call was from people who really belived the stereotype of claimants living on council estates in the lap of luxury surrounded by plasma tellys, knocking out babies to get more money. Very few people phoning up with the other side of the argument - it made for very depressing listening.
:STEAMING!:According to his response he said:
"I was sorry to read of the distress that angel's friend experienced. However, the regulatory changes that we propose state that parents with children on the middle or highest rate care component of DLA will remain elgible for income support and will not be required to actively look for work"
Now, good you may think, but it's different to what I've heard a) from job centre plus staff themselves "they're ending income support" altho quite often their staff are precisely the last people to know what is going on, and b) from carers forums who seem to think they ARE proposing JSA but not specifying that carers look for work.
Also, it doesn't explain the situation for carers caring for ADULTS. Maybe they are forced onto JSA? Not sure.
The thing is, even now as a carer on income support we are being made to go to 'work focussed interviews' or lose benefit and I have myself experienced probs getting there and I'm not the only one - some people literally have no respite cover even to pop to the shops, never mind attend a mandatory interview. Yeah, you don't HAVE to look for work, but you DO have to attend or have benefit taken off you.
The fact it has not occurred to this bastard that there are some carers who have to look after partners (etc) 24/7 and can not even get the time to go out take a walk around the block, let alone bugger off for an afternoon of mandatory time wasting, just says it all really.
Don't get me started on how it affects someone's self esteem when you're told, yes, you're saving society £XXXmillions a year in care bills but you are fundamentally useless and not contributing to society by not having a job.
Compared to a lot of people, I have it easy (at least my kids are out for a few hours at school), but for carers of adults it can be a different story
I find these whole pathways to work interviews, or whatever they are called, rather insidious: the state has accepted you are unwell and can't work, but then simultaneously seems to want to force you to do something you aren't able to do or up to doing. It just beggars belief.
He needs to be placed in the angry rabid bears gallery. With a sign saying 'i stole your picnic baskets'!
I was *ahem* invited for a work focussed interview via a letter addressed to my partner (not me) on pain of him getting his benefit docked if I didn't show up. The letter was extremely threatening, and if my caree hadn't been on betablockers I dread to think what would have happened as his condition is made much worse by stress.
This was while there was a decision pending on his DLA renewal, and I'd been getting carers premium + Joint IS for 3 years (again, stopped pending DLA decision). Rang the jobcentre and made it crystal clear that if I had to attend, they'd have to pay the taxi fare for me and my caree, there & back, and they'd better have a disabled loo etc... (also sent a formal letter, with all this in to the jobcentre and to the local MP). Anyway, the so-called claimant adviser conceded that I'd probably got my hands quite full and agreed to postpone the interview. I haven't been *invited* back since then, touch wood.
Carers UK kicked up a stink about the WFI invitation letter after a flood of letters & calls from extremely distressed carers, and although it's still sent, the wording has changed a bit, and it's now addressed directly to the carer, not the caree, even if the carer is a dependant.
IMHO all carers should be exempt from looking for work - to get CA (or the carers premium on top of IS) you have to do at least 35 hours of care/supervision for somebody currently receiving at least middle rate care DLA. CA is the only benefit you actually have to be currently working (although not necessarily employed) to get (instead of the other way around). This works out at less than £1 an hour, for the required minimum hours. Not even legal minimum wage.
The other thing is, being a carer is allegedly (according to him and his cronies) to be a short term thing for most carers -
BOLLOCKS!
I have been a carer for over 10 years, and my partner (also my caree) shows no signs (touch wood) of either miraculously recovering or dying in the next 10 years.
Going to have to buy a dartboard, just so I can put smug git Purnell's face on it.
Edited to add: Allegedly, transferring any carers who get IS + carers premuim onto JSA is part of streamlining the benefit system, and carers tranferred to JSA won't be required to actively seek work. I'm all for efficiency, but seeing as a disability (albeit not my own) prevents me being able to hold down a full time job, why not streamline IS + carer premium into DLA or that one replacing IB instead?
I was *ahem* invited for a work focussed interview via a letter addressed to my partner (not me) on pain of him getting his benefit docked if I didn't show up. The letter was extremely threatening, and if my caree hadn't been on betablockers I dread to think what would have happened as his condition is made much worse by stress.
This was while there was a decision pending on his DLA renewal, and I'd been getting carers premium + Joint IS for 3 years (again, stopped pending DLA decision). Rang the jobcentre and made it crystal clear that if I had to attend, they'd have to pay the taxi fare for me and my caree, there & back, and they'd better have a disabled loo etc... (also sent a formal letter, with all this in to the jobcentre and to the local MP). Anyway, the so-called claimant adviser conceded that I'd probably got my hands quite full and agreed to postpone the interview. I haven't been *invited* back since then, touch wood.
Carers UK kicked up a stink about the WFI invitation letter after a flood of letters & calls from extremely distressed carers, and although it's still sent, the wording has changed a bit, and it's now addressed directly to the carer, not the caree, even if the carer is a dependant.
IMHO all carers should be exempt from looking for work - to get CA (or the carers premium on top of IS) you have to do at least 35 hours of care/supervision for somebody currently receiving at least middle rate care DLA. CA is the only benefit you actually have to be currently working (although not necessarily employed) to get (instead of the other way around). This works out at less than £1 an hour, for the required minimum hours. Not even legal minimum wage.
The other thing is, being a carer is allegedly (according to him and his cronies) to be a short term thing for most carers -
BOLLOCKS!
I have been a carer for over 10 years, and my partner (also my caree) shows no signs (touch wood) of either miraculously recovering or dying in the next 10 years.
Going to have to buy a dartboard, just so I can put smug git Purnell's face on it.
Edited to add: Allegedly, transferring any carers who get IS + carers premuim onto JSA is part of streamlining the benefit system, and carers tranferred to JSA won't be required to actively seek work. I'm all for efficiency, but seeing as a disability (albeit not my own) prevents me being able to hold down a full time job, why not streamline IS + carer premium into DLA or that one replacing IB instead?
what you said about the long termism of caring is also true. As long as my children live with me (and don't go into fulltime state care) I will be a carer, so that's potentially a very long time indeed.
