I’ve received some good news. My UC journal today had an letter added to it saying that they have decided that I have limited capability for work and work-related activity. What I don’t know is whether this refers to the fact that I should have been treated as such since the start of my UC claim, on account of being in the ESA Support Group prior to having to claim UC; or whether it relates to my reassessment of capability for work because I have been transferred onto UC. Eit

DWP-UC has apparently now told DWP-ESA to stop paying me. I have received, in three separate envelopes that arrived on the same day, a letter saying that my ESA has ended, a second saying that contributory ESA is taxable (not that I ever received cESA), and a third that was my P45 from HMRC. I have also received, online, a letter telling me that I need to repay the ESA overpayments, which have reached over £1000. The letter says that I have to make arrangements to pay it back

It seems to be a week of poverty. Median income is below its level in 2009-10. Work isn’t a route out of poverty. Being in full-time work should mean not being in poverty. Yet the majority of those in poverty are in work. This is not relative poverty but absolute poverty – “severe deprivation of basic human needs, including food, safe drinking water, sanitation facilities, health, shelter, education and information.” Of 300 000 children in absolute poverty, 200 000 are in wor

When I first started on disability research, I just saw the numbers. I saw that 40% of ESA claimants told they are fit to work then appeal that decision, and most of them win. I saw that nurses under-award points for people with physical health conditions, and physiotherapists under-award points for people with mental health conditions. I saw that most assessments are carried out by either nurses or physiotherapists. I saw that decision makers are not consistent in the accura

The sheep story continues… Note that the traveller represents the recession, the rich man is the wealthy of this country and the poor men are those on benefits or otherwise below the poverty line.  The poor man who may (or may not) have stolen a sheep represents those who may (or may not) be cheats, scroungers or work-shy. Another traveller comes to the rich man for food.  The rich man doesn’t particularly want to feed this man, but knows someone has to.  He doesn’t feel it i

In the Old Testament of the Bible there is a story about King David and an affair he had.  The woman became pregnant and gave birth to a boy.  At this time, a prophet came to David and told him a story, to show him his wrong-doing in taking another man’s wife.  In this story, a rich man with many sheep had to prepare a meal for a traveller.  Instead of taking one of his own sheep, the rich man took a ewe lamb owned by a poor man – the only sheep the man had. David rightly bec

Welfare Reform has Public on its Side So says one of today’s Telegraph headlines.[1]  Against a back-drop of criticisms from the Government’s advisors, many charities, lobbyists and pressure groups, and the new Cabinet Secretary, come the results from the latest British Social Attitudes survey.[2] As reported by the Telegraph, 72% of the public believe the government should not spend more on welfare benefits for the poor.  59% think the government should not be mainly respons