× Search rightsnet
Search options

Where

Benefit

Jurisdiction

Jurisdiction

From

to

Forum Home  →  Discussion  →  Work capability issues and ESA  →  Thread

Whether benefit entitlement for people with addictions or obesity should be linked to accepting treatment

 < 1 2 3

MikeMay
forum member

Advice Session Superviser, Citizens Advice North Yorkshire

Send message

Total Posts: 28

Joined: 17 December 2014

I’d suggest that it’s less to do with revenue and more to do with affecting perception (propaganda), following the usual “benefits as lifestyle choice” rhetoric. Even though we know that financially welfare reform has made little difference to expenditure, I have noticed that the propaganda is actually working as more and more of our clients are referring to other claimants who are less deserving. Divide and conquer

1964
forum member

Deputy Manager, Reading Community Welfare Rights Unit

Send message

Total Posts: 1711

Joined: 16 June 2010

Oh absolutely. The divide & rule thing is increasingly noticeable. It’s without doubt one of the most diabolically successful propaganda campaigns ever. I just hope and pray that eventually people start to wake up and smell the coffee as it were.

nevip
forum member

Welfare rights adviser - Sefton Council, Liverpool

Send message

Total Posts: 3135

Joined: 16 June 2010

...or the bacon.

John Birks
forum member

Welfare Rights and Debt Advice - Stockport Council

Send message

Total Posts: 1064

Joined: 16 June 2010

Paul_Treloar_CPAG
forum member

Advice and Rights Team, Child Poverty Action Group

Send message

Total Posts: 550

Joined: 30 June 2014

Meanwhile, we have journalists making requests for case studies which are questionable if I am being kind.

Looking for overweight women

neilbateman
forum member

Welfare Rights Author, Trainer & Consultant

Send message

Total Posts: 443

Joined: 16 June 2010

Paul_Treloar_CPAG - 12 August 2015 10:13 AM

Meanwhile, we have journalists making requests for case studies which are questionable if I am being kind.

Looking for overweight women

Anyone fancy doing a FOI request to find out what involvement there was behind this request by DWP Communications staff and/or DWP’ Ministers’ Special Advisers?

Paul_Treloar_CPAG
forum member

Advice and Rights Team, Child Poverty Action Group

Send message

Total Posts: 550

Joined: 30 June 2014

neilbateman - 12 August 2015 10:55 AM

Anyone fancy doing a FOI request to find out what involvement there was behind this request by DWP Communications staff and/or DWP’ Ministers’ Special Advisers?

It was Women’s Own journo apparently.

Benny Fitzpatrick
forum member

Welfare Rights Officer, Southway Housing Trust, Manchester

Send message

Total Posts: 627

Joined: 2 June 2015

How much are the DWP paying them?

Ruth Knox
forum member

Vauxhall Law Centre

Send message

Total Posts: 551

Joined: 27 January 2014

George Monbiot did an interesting comment on this in the Guardian recently.

Andrew Dutton
forum member

Welfare rights service - Derbyshire County Council

Send message

Total Posts: 1955

Joined: 12 October 2012

Interestingly, they are still ‘analysing your feedback’ on this. 15 months on.  Must have been a lot of feedback.  Or have certain parties lost interest….?

Ruth Knox
forum member

Vauxhall Law Centre

Send message

Total Posts: 551

Joined: 27 January 2014

Surely as the last post suggests, we have to make a clear distinction between benefits policy and health policy.  The purpose of the benefits system is to ensure that anyone who has been medically assessed as unable to work receives the support they need and that this system is not abused.  The purpose of the National Health Service, and of government policy on health is to cure people/improve their health /encourage them to live a healthy lifestyle.  So interventions by someone in the Jobcentre Plus in the field of health sound positively dangerous to me - you wouldn’t have two different medical people treating the same patient (unless working in cooperation like the GP and consultant). So how can an unqualified person start making medical interventions? 

Ruth