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Underestimated the extent of disability? Simple, just move the goalposts!
This ‘consultation’ will be interesting, and already some important questions arise from the kite-flying in the Telegraph:
• if you’ve underestimated the extent and severity of disability in the country, why move the goalposts rather than deal honestly with what is in front of you?
• ‘hundreds of thousands’ of people may have their income slashed, while still facing the same high cost of living.
What good will that do?
• claimants’ costs will also increase as Jobcentres demand they attend appointments, etc etc.
• where is the extra work coach support coming from? New resources, or increased demands on an already
over-stretched workforce?
• in what way does being on LCWRA ‘hold back’ or ‘write off’ a person?
• if people want to work, why not provide additional help without devastating their lives?
This reads more like cost-cutting and (yet more) magical thinking than a serious proposal.
Sadly, I have to agree. Looks like yet another assault on the sick, dressed up as an attempt to help.
The bottom line is that Ministers do not think serious illness should prevent people being exploited by starvation wages, ZHCs etc. They owe a duty of labour to their feudal overlords. None of this “sick” shirking! Work or die!
Truly back to Dickensian times. (If we ever actually left them)
As was observed some time ago we have a government with zero interest in the business of government or policy or anything which might resemble democracy or sense. It is interested in power and to that end it is in permanent campaign mode. This is simply a symptom of that. It sounds nice to specific voters but it will never be implemented.
See https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/aug/10/britain-government-permanent-campaigning-machine-johnson-cummings and more recently https://yougov.co.uk/topics/politics/articles-reports/2023/09/04/government-tired-and-led-events-say-public
“Events, dear boy. Events.”
Just heard the SoS’s combination of bragging and buzzwords.
Change/reduce/remove descriptors for mobility, continence, social engagement and getting about.
Change substantial risk rules.
Everyone can now work at home - huzzah! (and yet I thought that was a Bad Thing according to ministers???)
Threaten more people with sanctions - works every time, dunnit?
No change till 2025 though - ahem GE, ahem…..
I stand by my last post. This will never be implemented. It’s part of the pre 2025 election noise.
I stand by my last post. This will never be implemented. It’s part of the pre 2025 election noise.
I agree, it’s kite-flying. But I think we should have a go back.Shoot that kite!
It could always be the oft-used tactic of proposing something awful then tricking people into accepting something slightly less awful because it’s….slightly less awful.
Has anyone had any success in signing up to the face to face consultation dates? If so, how please?
I had hoped this consult was not as serious as first appeared but then Resolution Foundation:
‘... if the government’s sole aim was to boost back-to-work support for people with disabilities, then it could have done so without announcing cuts to level of benefits paid to some claimants, so it is clear that yesterday’s announcement is also part of the government’s efforts to cut public spending, by reducing the amount paid in means-tested health-related benefits (universal credit and employment and support allowance) - and the timing of the consultation (which will close on 30 October) means that any resulting policy proposals can be costed and included in time for November’s Autumn Statement.’
Costed and included in the budget the effectively locks the changes in? And Labour remaining suspiciously quiet.
It is a lot of work to unpick the spin.
I’ve registered by email to attend as set out in here https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/work-capability-assessment-activities-and-descriptors (scroll down a bit) although haven’t heard anything back yet
Thanks Daphne. I emailed and they replied saying no more room.
Bumping this following the Autumn statement.
The consultation closed barely three weeks ago, yet it was pretty much stated, through the same misdirections about working from home and so on, that it’s a done deal.