I guess many may not understand my reticence to write about the proposed cuts to ESA but it causes me a great difficulty as it feels like I am being asked to justify why I should get more money than a job seeker. It is not from any objective cause but the subjective problems that I suffered at the hands of bullies who instilled in me an overwhelming belief that there was no justifying my existence or presence in the world. As you can imagine standing up and saying this is why we need more, is more than difficult.
I do feel however that if you asked the general public what they felt they would instinctively tell you that if you are ill then you need more than those who are seeking work. They would not necessarily be able to say why or explain what the money would be spent on unless they have experience of it themselves.
The reality is that whilst people have been assigned to the work related activity group in ESA they are not in fact fit for work. Every single one of them is still in the process of acclimatising to returning to work and there are many things including attending courses, travel to volunteering, attending appointments and medical treatment that are different for them than job seekers. There may also be more personal things such as delivery of food, cleaning and help with child care (either getting them to and from school, or when they are unable to look after them), as well as support workers, that can be increased over those who are fit for work.
Now it may seem easy to feel that medical treatment, buying of aids, and/or modifying peoples homes should come out of the NHS and direct payments schemes but in reality there are many extra costs.
For instance when seeking treatment for myself the nearest offer I was given was 30 miles away. The bus routes were interesting to say the least and that’s even if I was able to take the bus which I am not. Not only do you have to attend but for many they need their children looked after for the time as well. So while I was able to claim expenses on the NHS it didn’t cover the cost of me getting to and from all the appointments let alone the extra expense that I might have had for child care.
I do feel however that if you asked the general public what they felt they would instinctively tell you that if you are ill then you need more than those who are seeking work. They would not necessarily be able to say why or explain what the money would be spent on unless they have experience of it themselves.
The reality is that whilst people have been assigned to the work related activity group in ESA they are not in fact fit for work. Every single one of them is still in the process of acclimatising to returning to work and there are many things including attending courses, travel to volunteering, attending appointments and medical treatment that are different for them than job seekers. There may also be more personal things such as delivery of food, cleaning and help with child care (either getting them to and from school, or when they are unable to look after them), as well as support workers, that can be increased over those who are fit for work.
Now it may seem easy to feel that medical treatment, buying of aids, and/or modifying peoples homes should come out of the NHS and direct payments schemes but in reality there are many extra costs.
For instance when seeking treatment for myself the nearest offer I was given was 30 miles away. The bus routes were interesting to say the least and that’s even if I was able to take the bus which I am not. Not only do you have to attend but for many they need their children looked after for the time as well. So while I was able to claim expenses on the NHS it didn’t cover the cost of me getting to and from all the appointments let alone the extra expense that I might have had for child care.
I attended once a week for two years. Seriously 15p a mile is a ludicrously low amount to offer but hey I guess they can’t afford any more and that’s just the current rate, it was lower.
As I do not have any physical illness I would not like to speculate as to the extra costs that they would incur getting transport but I would say it was significant and greater than my own and mine weren’t exactly cheap. I might also add that I do not have any extra costs associated with general living such as clothes buying, maintenance/ replacement of aids such as wheelchairs or household modifications.
I envisage that people in the work related activity group have fewer symptoms than myself however I still feel that they would require help to attend interviews, fill in forms and get help with essential paperwork and interviews. Using the charity sector may seem like a free way to get this done but there is still transport to consider and it isn’t always available either!
I have to say that when I am facing a stressful change such as attending a course, filing paperwork, starting volunteering, filling in forms etc., I have a tendency to need extra help and or reduce the stress in the rest of my life. For me this amounts to not cooking from fresh, reduced household chores, not using public transport and possibly extra journeys to make sure I feel comfortable in where I am going. It might seem strange but yes practice runs to get used to things are helpful as is being able to get take out or buy ready meals and easy lunches.
I also need to have extra time to myself to deal with how I feel and to have something special to look forward to like a new DVD or an evening out. An extravagance? Maybe but the time to meditate or deal with my thoughts is an absolute must and time that I will not be able to do other things in.
The point I’m trying to make is that although it might seem reasonable that as people come closer to work that they will need less money to accommodate their health issues and that PIP payments might cover this, that doesn’t mean that they have the same expenditure as those who are fit for work. Nor will everyone who has extra expenditure qualify for PIP either.
In reality having been out of work for an extended period means they will probably have to attend more courses, more appointments and pay more for each one too. They will still have health appointments for treatment/ monitoring and with support workers and something I consider would be significantly more than a job seeker. And lastly there’s the interim changes that people might make to get over the stresses, strains and debilitation of the changes, such as delivery of food, prepared foods, use of cleaners and support workers/ care workers.
And that’s quite apart from the fact that I am far from convinced that people in the work related activity group are indeed in an fit state to be working towards work in the first place. The horror stories around the net and from the people I have met aren’t exactly inspiring me to believe that the people who need to be in the support group are actually in the support group but that is a different problem.
I would also like to see a thorough look at whether people are really being assigned to the group that is appropriate for the level of their illness ie the appeals and the WCA to make it fit for purpose. I would also like them to follow up and see how people moving from ESA to job seekers fair and whether they return to ESA or go on to gain employment.
Particularly I would like them to look at the demographics of the people who are appealing as I am far from convinced that the system is not prejudicial to certain illness groups, educational standards and level of outside support that each claimant has.
As I do not have any physical illness I would not like to speculate as to the extra costs that they would incur getting transport but I would say it was significant and greater than my own and mine weren’t exactly cheap. I might also add that I do not have any extra costs associated with general living such as clothes buying, maintenance/ replacement of aids such as wheelchairs or household modifications.
I envisage that people in the work related activity group have fewer symptoms than myself however I still feel that they would require help to attend interviews, fill in forms and get help with essential paperwork and interviews. Using the charity sector may seem like a free way to get this done but there is still transport to consider and it isn’t always available either!
I have to say that when I am facing a stressful change such as attending a course, filing paperwork, starting volunteering, filling in forms etc., I have a tendency to need extra help and or reduce the stress in the rest of my life. For me this amounts to not cooking from fresh, reduced household chores, not using public transport and possibly extra journeys to make sure I feel comfortable in where I am going. It might seem strange but yes practice runs to get used to things are helpful as is being able to get take out or buy ready meals and easy lunches.
I also need to have extra time to myself to deal with how I feel and to have something special to look forward to like a new DVD or an evening out. An extravagance? Maybe but the time to meditate or deal with my thoughts is an absolute must and time that I will not be able to do other things in.
The point I’m trying to make is that although it might seem reasonable that as people come closer to work that they will need less money to accommodate their health issues and that PIP payments might cover this, that doesn’t mean that they have the same expenditure as those who are fit for work. Nor will everyone who has extra expenditure qualify for PIP either.
In reality having been out of work for an extended period means they will probably have to attend more courses, more appointments and pay more for each one too. They will still have health appointments for treatment/ monitoring and with support workers and something I consider would be significantly more than a job seeker. And lastly there’s the interim changes that people might make to get over the stresses, strains and debilitation of the changes, such as delivery of food, prepared foods, use of cleaners and support workers/ care workers.
And that’s quite apart from the fact that I am far from convinced that people in the work related activity group are indeed in an fit state to be working towards work in the first place. The horror stories around the net and from the people I have met aren’t exactly inspiring me to believe that the people who need to be in the support group are actually in the support group but that is a different problem.
As I believe has been suggested I would like to see a thorough impact assessment done before any reduction in the money and certainly before the proposed reduction to the level of job seekers
I would also like to see a thorough look at whether people are really being assigned to the group that is appropriate for the level of their illness ie the appeals and the WCA to make it fit for purpose. I would also like them to follow up and see how people moving from ESA to job seekers fair and whether they return to ESA or go on to gain employment.
Particularly I would like them to look at the demographics of the people who are appealing as I am far from convinced that the system is not prejudicial to certain illness groups, educational standards and level of outside support that each claimant has.
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