Recent welfare cuts

ghostbuster

Hi,

Despite reading the green paper a couple of times I’m uncertain of how my situation will be gauged. I receive PIP at the standard rate for both parts. The highest daily living points for one element is 3 and my award runs until November 2027. I also receive LCWRA. I have Rheumatoid Arthritis, Osteoarthritis, Osteoporosis, hyper mobility and am waiting for an Osteo appointment as I need both hips and a knee replacement. My worry is that if I get a LCWRA assessment before the end of my PIP award and they see I have 3 points will they cut/lose my LCWRA and PIP? I worked full time and have paid tax and NI for 43 years and at 63 am finding this really difficult. We all have individual stories and needs, has anyone worked this scenario out? I have written to my MP asking the same but would appreciate your thoughts. Thank you.

Trish9556

Hi @ghostbuster

Im sorry you're going through this additional and unnecessary stress. I have never claimed PIP but my recommendation to you would be to ask your local citizens advice bureau as they're are knowledgeable and helpful with benefit claims.

I don't suppose you'll receive a meaningful reply from your mp, my own labour mp just replies with generic mail merge responses or stuff copied and pasted from their information bank.

Best wishes

Trish

iwannerbeme

Hi Ghostbuster,

I dont know much about LCWRA but I am pretty sure other benefits are not linked with PIP that would include LCWRA To claim PIP after 2026 you will need to score 4 points in one activity. You will still need to make up the rest of the points as normal I think its disgraceful what they are doing. I have signed the Scope petition and also written to complain to my MP. I doubt I will recieve a response. I am 63 also, I have been defrauded on my state pension. I think I will be 67 years old now before I can claim it and now this !

iwannerbeme

This is what scope say "

The ‘Costs of Cuts’ letter, organised by disability charity Scope, highlights the devastating impact that proposed changes to Personal Independence Payments (PIP) and the Limited Capability for Work payment would have on millions of disabled people across the UK.

At a time when disabled people are already facing higher costs and significant barriers, these cuts risk pushing many further into hardship.

As an organisation dedicated to supporting people to live full, independent, and dignified lives, we stand alongside our partners in urging the Government to reconsider these proposals. The voices of people with disabilities must be heard. "

They too are suggesting that LCWA will be affected. I am not sure in what way.

I would speak to the CAB as Trish suggests to clear it up, if you google Scope open letter PIP you will find it and be able to sign the petition, there is also a written letter to your MP already for you, you just click send.

ghostbuster

Thank you for your comments, it’s such a worry for so many. I will definitely sign the petition, I don’t think people realise how difficult and stressful it is to get PIP and LCWRA as it is now without changing the criteria. I too was supposed to retire at 60 and have paid enough tax and NI to retire now on a full state pension. I used my savings for a few years without claiming in hope that I would improve enough to return to the workplace but it wasn’t to be. Let’s hope that the changes don’t get approved as most of them have to go through Parliament.

thanks again for your suggestions and good luck to anyone in this situation.

Arthuritis

@Trish9556 Hmmm who was it in the old group that had a mylar whacking stick to apply wisdom to 1)Politicians rears 2) Industry CEOs 3) Regulatory & health foundations that received money from big food & pharma in exchange for ensuring the profits from pain & suffering kept flowing, that lobbied for and profited from creating and then “treating” but not curing these chronic conditions?

Tobacco industry should pick up all costs for tobacco related illness

Alcohol the same

Sugar - as per alcohol + CVD

Big Food -fructose, unfermented soy & oxidisable fats tax

Big Pharma - should pay for all chronic diseases - thin the margins on drugs needed continually but drugs that cure to be free of any tax!

Oh and for any discovered to be doing dodgy things like Volkswagen’s fake the emissions or Fred the Shred ruining lives… mandatory prison sentences with hard labour. In El Salvador’s CECOT! 😅

😉

Considering how many lives are cruelly & painfully damaged… I think this is pretty lenient?

ghostbuster

I agree that so many live on the fruits of those suffering from chronic diseases. I’m on biological drugs after trying every other option and I take one tablet a day, the cost for 30 tablets is £980 which is ludicrous. I expect the cost price is under £30! I’ve only been using them for 4 months but had to get cleared by a panel due to the cost. Companies are so greedy and don’t want to research a cure as long as the money keeps coming in.

Trish9556

https://community.versusarthritis.org/discussion/comment/732568#Comment_732568

Oh @Arthuritis, I think that went to the bin one sleep deprived night before my THR! I shall have to find another one :)

Can I add HS2 to your list please - so much parc (read backwards lol) in the air around here caused by that white elephant I struggle to breathe most days.

Getting back to the subject of useless GP's, I think we should be able to put in in claims for unanswered phone calls, inability to book appointments and GP's who waste time and money on rubbish but don't spend it on us.

Hope youre doing ok

Trish xx

Arthuritis

@Trish9556 HS2… that huge misuse of taxpayer funds passed off as a benefit, forgetting it’s only their cronies the suppliers who lobbied for it who would reap the benefits. Just like post office Horizon or NPfIT. Or the small group of oligarchs who lobby and donate to political parties to get their way, and pretty much own all the mainstream media and use their money to hire clever companies to use social media to influence voters to vote for their cause, such as protecting their untaxed dodgy wealth from new EU tax laws for member countries. Of course no ordinary person would vote to protect their wealth, so they dress up it’s true nature as “sovrinty innit”, amplify existing grievances to get people to vote without thinking to their own detriment. They own all the media so control the voting population that watch the media😏.

Ok rant mode off! If you want more… search for a post I made about Dr Lykoudis, who was fined and forced to retire because he dared to relieve 30,000 people of ghastly chronic pain from a then considered “incurable” disease. He dared to interrupt the gravy train.

@Trish9556 Hope you can find a replacement mylar stick!

Arthuritis

@ghostbuster @Trish9556

Just to be extra clear, Dr John Lykoudis cured 30,000 of “incurable” gastric ulcers in the 1940’s, and was fined for his trouble and rather than falsely admit he was wrong and big pharma selling expensive flavoured carbonate tabs were right, he took early retirement. Big pharma were able to influence his govt by claiming corporation tax would be much reduced and phama funded jollies would be cut if they could not keep selling their very profitable tabs. The cash strapped feeble govt with its morally weak officers gave in, and Lykoudis was out. Of course decades later Aussie Dr Marshall re-discovered Lykoudis’ buried wisdom and eventually won the Nobel prize for his discovery, even if it was a rediscovery, because he refused to be silenced despite Big Pharma’s efforts.