Benefits farce hits family of Down's Syndrome twins!

[Green Web]

Yes both identical claims except their names, one is rewarded benefit the other isn't.

 

[alchresearch]

Its too early to speculate. All we know is that the parents had to submit two claims. Its possible one was filled in incorrectly, the forms were lost or some other reason.

[ECCOnoob]

Well said ^^^^^^

 

Big deal. So its a likely mistake either by an admin error, inputting error or 1001 other small reasons.

 

You have made an appeal to the DWP. What's the problem? That should be the end of the matter.

 

They have said exactly what one would expect them to do...

"they are looking into the case"

 

What the hell was the purpose of running to the local media....

Absolute Joke.

 

Nothing more than an excuse to get yourself on tv and feed the desprate news programme with another non story. ITN or whatever crap they are called these days should be ashamed of themselves for even wasting reporter and film crew time on this.

 

What an absolutely pathetic attention seeking couple.

 

You have a two downs syndrome children. They are your priority not blabbing to the local media about a clearly obvious mistake.

 

S*it happens. Get over it.

[Rupert_Baehr]

I wonder whether 'Pound Signs' were flashing up in the parent's eyes?

 

I've no idea how benefits are calculated, but I'm well aware that they are paid to help those who receive them cope with (often large) financial problems.

 

If you have a Downs's Syndrome child and your child needs frequent medical appointments and it is calculated that you will need £X assistance to allow you to take time off work to take your child to the doctor, will you need £2X to take two children to the appointment?

 

If you have to pay £Y for in-home help to help you look after one child, will you have to pay the same helper twice as much to look after two?

 

If you had two children with Down's Syndrome - 1 aged 2 and the other aged 17, for example, I can see how you might feel that each case should be considered separately. The two children would have very different needs.

 

But where you are talking about identical infant twins, who both have Down's Syndrome and both (apparently) have the same (usual) complications, surely, if you give the mother twice the benefit for two children that she would've received for one, you are placing a family with only one Down's Syndrome child at a significant comparative disadvantage?

 

I note that the OP talked about parents being 'rewarded ' with benefits. Benefits are not some kind of 'reward'; they're designed to help those in need.

[TeaFan]

Well said ^^^^^^

 

Big deal. So its a likely mistake either by an admin error, inputting error or 1001 other small reasons.

 

You have made an appeal to the DWP. What's the problem? That should be the end of the matter.

 

They have said exactly what one would expect them to do...

"they are looking into the case"

 

What the hell was the purpose of running to the local media....

Absolute Joke.

 

Nothing more than an excuse to get yourself on tv and feed the desprate news programme with another non story. ITN or whatever crap they are called these days should be ashamed of themselves for even wasting reporter and film crew time on this.

 

What an absolutely pathetic attention seeking couple.

 

You have a two downs syndrome children. They are your priority not blabbing to the local media about a clearly obvious mistake.

 

S*it happens. Get over it.

 

I think the point is that parents of twins with Downs Syndrome have plenty to be getting on with without having to apply for government support twice. If you were in their position you would probably be very aware what "the problem" is. Still, no doubt you are brilliantly well-qualified to judge.

[ECCOnoob]

I think the point is that parents of twins with Downs Syndrome have plenty to be getting on with without having to apply for government support twice. If you were in their position you would probably be very aware what "the problem" is. Still, no doubt you are brilliantly well-qualified to judge.

 

As a matter of fact, having two disabled relatives (one with down syndrome) myself yes I am in a position to Judge.

 

I have had to deal with social services, DWP, care services, respite services all though my life. I have seen decisions made without proper checks, duplication and lost paperwork, transport arrangements not made, transport arrangements to incorrect addresses, lost audit records, inaccurate payments into wrong accounts, respite care misallocated and god knows what else.

 

This is nothing new. **** ups like this have been happening for 20,30,40 years. Anyone who has a disabled child will have been through it. There is always somebody making an error somewhere.

 

Each and every time I have simply dealt with it through the relevant channels be it informal or formal complains and ta da, the problem is solved.

 

However, do you know what I have never had a desprate need to do?? Run to the media to complain about something that is already being taken care of.

 

Like I said before. What is the story here. DWP made a mistake, they appealed and its being looked into.

 

Now, if nothing was done about it - that's a story.

If DWP refused to correct it - that's a story

If this error caused severe harm, loss or distress - that's a story.

 

However, an error being made and appeal being investigated certainly is not.

 

DWP is staffed by humans. Humans make errors. What more do these people want? Yes its annoying. Yes its inconvenient. Yes its probably a little distressing. So what? Whinging on the telly is not going to sort it out any better. If the aim was to "shock" the public as to the mess that is the DWP - well NEWSFLASH - everybody already knows!

 

Im sure Mr and Mrs Perfect have made mistakes and had to rectify something - how would they like it if a whiny little madam then goes on the telly to do her Sheffield Star pose to complain about nothing at all.

 

Jesus tonight, if every little piddling error that is already being dealt with becomes a news story the world really is becoming a giant p*** take.

[TeaFan]

As a matter of fact, having two disabled relatives (one with down syndrome) myself yes I am in a position to Judge.

 

I have had to deal with social services, DWP, care services, respite services all though my life. I have seen decisions made without proper checks, duplication and lost paperwork, transport arrangements not made, transport arrangements to incorrect addresses, lost audit records, inaccurate payments into wrong accounts, respite care misallocated and god knows what else.

 

Each and every time I have dealt with it through the relevant channels be it informal or formal complain and when necessary appeal.

 

However, do you know what I have never had a desprate need to do? Run to the media to complain about something that is already being taken care of.

 

Like I said before. What is the story here. DWP made a mistake, they appealed and its being looked into.

 

Now, if nothing was done about it - that's a story.

If DWP refused to correct it - that's a story

If this error caused severe harm, loss or distress - that's a story.

 

However, an error being made and appeal being investigated certainly is not.

 

DWP is staffed by humans. Humans make errors. What more do these people want? Yes its annoying. Yes its inconvenient. Yes its probably a little distressing. So what? Whinging on the telly is not going to sort it out any better. If the aim was to "shock" the public as to the mess that is the DWP - well NEWSFLASH - everybody already knows!

 

Im sure Mr and Mrs Perfect have made mistakes and had to rectify something - how would they like it if a whiny little madam then goes on the telly to do her Sheffield Star pose to complain about nothing at all.

 

Jesus tonight, if every little piddling error that is already being dealt with becomes a news story the world really is becoming a giant p*** take.

 

Actually, fair point(s)

[psynuk]

Actually, fair point(s)

They are fair points and people do make mistakes.

But the cynic in me sees the posibility of some kind of arbitary rejection.

 

Whoever judges a yay or nay virdict should have come up with the same conlusion for both twins.

so the question of why Is important.

If it is true that this is the official response;

'Yet one officer at the benefits department at Warbreck House in Blackpool judged Alfie did not need any more care than other children of his age'

 

Then that is as newsworthy as much as anything else

because that is very different to;

'Even though you've two disabled kids you don't merit X2 disabled payments as you don't have'

which also doesn't make sense, 2 people 'sharing' one persons benfit?

[Green Web]

Its too early to speculate. All we know is that the parents had to submit two claims. Its possible one was filled in incorrectly, the forms were lost or some other reason.

 

No it isn't, as stated they was both filled in exactly the same as they're both identical twins with the same disabilities.

 

The forms were not lost as they had responses from both claims,

 

Different people looked at the claims and made totally different decisions with exactly the same information, hence why its one of many benefit farces.

[I1L2T3]

Probably best to see what DWP come back with. There may be a reason for it, they may have made a mistake, the parents may have made a mistake with the forms, DWP procedure may need tightening up, it maybe that this scenario is not properly covered by the rules etc... etc... etc...