Terminally ill? Stop Malingering and Get a job!

[nerd]

If I understand the rules correctly, it's not merely that your case is terminal that gives you a free pass, but it's having a life expectancy of six months or less. If the doctor thinks you'll be dead before next Christmas, you don't have to go through all the hoops, they just give you the DLA and have done.

 

Having said which, it's theoretically possible (I don't know if it ever happens) to qualify for Disability Living Allowance, but still be judged capable of work. A man with no legs can still do a sedentary office job, for instance; would the ESA rules require him to go look for one, or would he be treated as unfit for work altogether? And - more to the point of this discussion - which should he be treated as?

 

You are right, sometimes people can be in receipt of DLA and still be deemed capable of work, indeed CAN in some cases be able to work eg some people who are registered blind can claim DLA and stil work eg in office environments. They can claim the DLA as they need more assistance such as help reading letters, preparing meals etc and they often get a mobility component for reasons such as they may learn a route to work but if those roads are closed for repairs there isnt time enough to learn the new route so they made need taxis etc. So yes, you can sometimes get DLA and be able to work.

 

On the other thing though, as others have said, it drives me mad that people seem to immediately assume that people with disabilites/health problems are "Scamming" the system and often those people are treated badly. Why i there such an imediate assumption of this? I have health problems and disability and people have said to me "you look alright to me" - well maybe thats because a) I don;t spend every spare minute droning on about my health, b)the days you actually see me out and about are the good days where I can get out and about, you won't see me on the bad days as I am unable to get myself up and dressed and out c)I can take al my tablets and a few extra and hide it for a few hours if I realy want/need to do something but it isnt sustainable for more than a few hours

 

It really winds me up. I would trade in all the support and assistance I get, benefits entitlement etc just to be normal, and well and free from pain, to be able to work and earn a good living and maybe go to university. Why would I choose this?:shakes:

 

sorry, rant over

[Starlet83]

wThis subject really riles me. My dad had CLL a controlable but not cureable form of Leukemia. I fought and fought with DLA to get him money when he was forced into retirement at 58. As has been said they will grant you the money if they expect you to die within 12 months but at that point no one could put an exact time scale on his life. He had upto that point not required treatment but his first chemo gave him Horrific side effects, he was hospitalized through it all. In 6 months he spent 3 weeks at home. This was not good enough reason to give him DLA. He came out of hospital on the proviso he went Went to the day unit for all his levels checking taking about 6 hours once a week. He would come home and try and work because he was so frightened at the prospect of not having money coming in. Twice he was found collapsed on the garage floor. Still the DLA appeal would not grant him any

Money. 4 months later his CLL began to go out of control again but he could not have the same treatment as before. The new one nearly killed him, his kidneys began to fail and he was in ICU for about 2 weeks. When he was fit enough to go back to the ward the first thing he wanted to know was when he could go home. He was still so worried about money. We were able to speak to his consultant and explain we felt he was doing too much and why he was. He went mad. Within a couple of hours he had a letter for us to sent to DLA stating that he was not prepared to put a timescale on my dads life but that if he continued to worry and him insisting on working would killhim within weeks. They granted him the money. He lived another 4 years. In that time he was told he could no longer have chemo as he was diagnosed allergic to one of the ingredients. He was one if the first to trail a brand new treatment but sadly it was too late for him and it made no impact. He survived by weekly blood and platelet transfusions. They kept him alive for the last 8 months of his life. He battled phneumonia and repeated chest infections and also shingles all are a struggle on the body when you are living with a disease that wipes your immune system. Even though he was granted the money he worried they would send him for a medical on a better day and stop his money. No one who is terminally ill should suffer such worry. This government will sent millions in foreign aid without question but make it's own citizens worry and suffer and be made to feel like fakes and frauds for living everyday with cruel ilnesses. It's all so wrong. Yes people do work the system but a man who had left school at 15 and never ever been out if work. Who worked 3 jobs at one point to ensure the best for his family. Having to almost die inorder to get financial a is so wrong.

[mj.scuba]

Had this thread been about someone caught fiddling benefit, it would probably have had about 200 replies so far. I think the people in this country are in denial about the disability benefits system. They've swallowed the media propaganda that a large percentage of claimants are swinging it, and don't want to acknowledge that genuinely ill and disabled people are getting treated dreadfully by the government.

 

The genuine claimants are let down by a system that habitually lets the scroungers get away with it and live off benefits.

[ukdobby]

Its unfortunate and I fel sorry for genuine folk,there's so many fiddling the system I thing thats why all are tarred the same.

[Weazel2006]

I can't remember who it was who said that the best way of judging the quality of a civilisation is how it treats the most vulnerable. I believe our culture now is cruel and callous. Old age is seen as not making enough effort at staying young, illness is seen as some kind of character flaw or *brought on yourself*, the sick are expected to fend for themselves in a 'community' that doesn't exist (and certainly doesn't care), and are then blamed for failing to look after themselves properly in a near-vacuum of adequate care provision. We've reached the stage where compassion is genuinely seen as a bad thing. Contempt comes as standard. It's the logical conclusion of years of entrenched me-me-me. Teafan's report doesn't surprise me in the least and neither does the lack of response. Quite simply, for a huge proportion of the UK now, people don't give a stuff. because they know it's never going to happen to them.

 

One of the best posts i have ever read on this forum. I refuse to take the mindset that you cannot actually have compassion for others, but i have seen a fair few people say they are good, thoughtful and helpful, when in fact it's alot of control, manipulation and spite.

 

There are few people in our society that actually go the extra mile.

 

Thankyou for the insightful and intelligent post.

[tat lister]

Its typical of this system were the genuine sick people are victimised but the druggies and alkys are hardley ever thrown of the sick imho people with self inflicted conditions should not recieve sick benefit.

[Cyclone]

Maybe this thread is much less popular than one about work shy benefits claimants because no one actually begrudges the genuinely ill the assistance.

[arachnophobe]

I can't remember who it was who said that the best way of judging the quality of a civilisation is how it treats the most vulnerable. I believe our culture now is cruel and callous. Old age is seen as not making enough effort at staying young, illness is seen as some kind of character flaw or *brought on yourself*, the sick are expected to fend for themselves in a 'community' that doesn't exist (and certainly doesn't care), and are then blamed for failing to look after themselves properly in a near-vacuum of adequate care provision. We've reached the stage where compassion is genuinely seen as a bad thing. Contempt comes as standard. It's the logical conclusion of years of entrenched me-me-me. Teafan's report doesn't surprise me in the least and neither does the lack of response. Quite simply, for a huge proportion of the UK now, people don't give a stuff. because they know it's never going to happen to them.

 

Great post. There is a strange attitude to illness or disability in this country, especially if you have something that is poorly understood. It is seen as some sort of moral weakness and looked down upon, particularly if you don't look obviously visibly ill or disabled. But of course, friends, neighbours, the general public only see you when you're well enough for visitors, or if you're lucky, to leave the house. It's easy for them to pretend everything's fine, they can walk away from it when things are tough, the sufferer can't.

 

It really winds me up. I would trade in all the support and assistance I get, benefits entitlement etc just to be normal, and well and free from pain, to be able to work and earn a good living and maybe go to university. Why would I choose this?:shakes:

 

sorry, rant over

 

Totally agree. I'm sick of long-term illness being viewed as some sort of lifestyle choice. It's a bloody horrible life. It robs you of everything "normal" people have and take for granted- a functional, pain-free body, the chance to work or study, hobbies, sports, socialising, financial security, and if you're really unlucky, you can end up losing friends and family too. Why would anyone choose that? When I was at my worst, I would have done anything (and I mean anything) to get better, and to be able to do even fraction of what I could when I was well.

 

If you are seriously ill or disabled you have enough to deal with just in your day-to-day life without being worried sick about whether you'll be able to pay the bills and keep a roof over your head. But it's far easier for the general public to judge than it is to try to understand.

[TeaFan]

I can't remember who it was who said that the best way of judging the quality of a civilisation is how it treats the most vulnerable. I believe our culture now is cruel and callous. Old age is seen as not making enough effort at staying young, illness is seen as some kind of character flaw or *brought on yourself*, the sick are expected to fend for themselves in a 'community' that doesn't exist (and certainly doesn't care), and are then blamed for failing to look after themselves properly in a near-vacuum of adequate care provision. We've reached the stage where compassion is genuinely seen as a bad thing. Contempt comes as standard. It's the logical conclusion of years of entrenched me-me-me. Teafan's report doesn't surprise me in the least and neither does the lack of response. Quite simply, for a huge proportion of the UK now, people don't give a stuff. because they know it's never going to happen to them.

 

Good post purdy, and I think you are right. So many people now will tolerate all sorts of injustices, provided they're not happening to them or people close to them. So you have people who are blasé that the police are a law unto themselves, because it's not happening to them; who are happy to see front line council services cut to pay for tax cuts, because it won't affect them; and who don't mind if people who are really ill are being hounded by a Kafkaesque bureaucracy, because it's not happening to them. The problem is, the more injustices go unchallenged, the more likely they are to multiply - governments will try and get away with whatever the population allows them to. As that happens, it becomes more likely that an injustice will affect you.

[alen65]

thats disgusting people who are terminally with cancer and other illnesses are not fit to work, but probably have worked most of their lifes and not claimed anything and due to unforeseen circumstances now cannot work but may be forced to do. It just goes to show what a pathetic stupid system we have all the scrounger the druggies and winos get away with it stop their money then they will be forced to work. Just like all these immigrants we bring into our country asians and whatever breed its amazing they can get any benefit going probably by claiming under about 6 different names and nobody is intelligent enough to check this out amazing half of these people cannot speak english but can cheat the system, this is not insulting to any working person but it shows what amess this country is in.