benefit fraud

[SullyMerthyr]

Hi, I have only just read this thread and I am so anxious on your behalf!!! I know the government are cracking down on benefit fraud but there is no thought given for the stress this causes genuinely disabled people! I know several people who are on all the sickness benefits they can lay their hands on and I know for a fact there is nothing wrong with them, most of them will openly admit it!! Where are the letters telling THEM they need to be reviewed?? It makes me so angry!

Good luck with your appointment, I hope justice prevails xx

[Stone]

Where are the letters telling THEM they need to be reviewed?? It makes me so angry!

So report them, if they don't know they can't send them a letter. They're dishonestly taking your money - and the sooner they get caught the better it is for the rest of us.

https://secure.dwp.gov.uk/benefitfraud/

Stone

[SullyMerthyr]

Thanks for that Stone, I didnt realise it was so easy to report someone! I certainly intend to use that link! I know many illnesses and disabilities are "hidden" so I would never report someone unless I was 100% sure that they are committing fraud, but I know a small number of people who are definately doing so. Its about time us genuine people started fighting back.

Sully

[Es*]

I feel that it's important to note that the magnitude (both in terms of money, and in terms of percentage) of benefit fraud is much much much smaller than any other sort of fraud, including tax evasion etc. Also, the fraud rate is much smaller than the rate of 'official error' (i.e. the DWP screwing up). So yes, people committing fraud is awful, but don't buy into the idea that it's a big issue proportionatly or in numbers - there are attempts being made to turn people on each other and not to looking at (for example) tax evasion etc, which is a much more significant contributor to the 'financial deficit'. The government would do well to invest more in sorting that form of fraud (previous as well as current government).

[DeeNJai]

Still waiting for another date for DLA Medical I wish they would hurry up as it is stressing me out not knowing what is going on. I have an appointment on 16th May with a lady called Claire from CAB about my DLA as I use to be on HRC until I had a review in October 2009.
Dee

[DeeNJai]

Still no date for medical but the lady came from CAB came today and we discovered that DLA had sent out the wrong form so we have another meeting on 7 June.
Dee

[gila]

bit of a rant I need to get out/'preaching to the converted'... sorry!

basically what seems to me this 'wrong/misunderstood/shown in the media' idea about what having a disability means... "disabled= you CANT do AT ALL/AT ALL TIMES" whilst it often is more of an "cant always/cant do as much/have to do things differently" thing-(that's why I so prefer the old 'handicapped'...)- is driving me nuts!!!

recently on the news " benefit frauding girl did parachute jump and went dancing"- which to me does not necessarily equal/proves 'fraudster'-
from the pics it looked like she did a 'strapped to another person' parachute jump- and peops with all sorts of 'bonafide' disabilities have been known to do that...

dancing- I remember being v v v surprised when at some point in my 'darker days' at a friend's party (which I'd gotten 'dragged out to') I realized I could dance for longer than I could walk (neither was poss for 'long'- I'd managed dancing to 3 tunes before needing sitting down rest)-
later on I realized there were quite some differences between dancing that night and normal walking...

the floor was giving/bouncing wood- streets and pavements are unforgiving, schock bringing 'concrete'

walking is very repetitive movement- 'free style' dancing is not

loud, structured, rhythmic soundwaves (aka music ) seem to help my proprioception (like seeing/eye sight can...)- street noises on the other hand can really startle me, seem able to mess with my proprio

party was a 'safe environment' - I didnt have to use brain power/concentration on watching out for speeding, swerving cars, bikes, pedestrians, holes/cracks to stumble over in the road/pavement etc etc (also had friends looking out for me)- so I was able to put all my concentration into just moving

and... arent peops/media aware that all peops with disabilities are urged to do exercises... to help them improve or at least stop/hold off deteriorating...
yet when maybe someone found a way to exercise - dancing- they scream "fraudster! not disabled!"
(and never mind that if for example you have 'hand disabilities'... that wont get all too much in the way of dancing...)

and... what about PARALYMPICS ??????

ARRRRRRGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHH !
xxg

[Stone]

Yeah, it winds me up too. My dad once got sued by a patient who said he'd misdiagnosed him and left him with permanent back damage, unable to walk / work / leave the house etc - a kindly neighbour supplied footage of him carrying the shopping home, fixing the car, cutting the hedge...!

You can (tandem) parachute jump as a quadraplegic. Not impressed

Stone

[nemonie]

I saw that and thought 'how does jumping out of a plane prove anything in relation to your ability to manage everyday life'?

Then they went on about people being seen at the gym - maybe they were doing their physio? No outside observer can say whether they are in pain or not, or if that gym trip then means they have to rest up for the next few days due to fatigue. b****y government Bloomin' media

[sheppeyescapee]

I do worry about that when I go to the gym Although I can only do a small amount of weights and stretches, I still worry about it. I'm just trying to work on slowing down deterioration and heaven forbids some improvement! I've seen a few other wheelchair users at my gym and they have the same worries

[gila]

sheppey... it is

what also really doesnt help is that DLA/ESA form's 'tick box questions' also are so very 'can/cant' orientated- and that you mostly are only supposed to 'tick one box'...
this makes being honest and realistic rather difficult... I always end up having to explain for 'miles' ... say things like "ticking all boxes- all can apply on any given day due to blabla

I also start of with something like " I can mostly do most things-once at least- but not much of anything for any significant amount of time/amount of repetitions- about a 1/4 of the time/repetitions than pre HMS (and only with 'pacing' activities) - before pain gets worse/injuries occurring becomes more likely- and activities, even 'varying' activities do have a cumulative effect i.e. when I can walk 300m in one go that does not necessarily equate to being able to walk 5x300m in one day, nor that after walking 300m I could easily then for example cycle 1/2 a mile without a rest in between... "
and on and on and on
xxg

[Fiona-Jane]

hiya,

this drives me mad too! those tick boxes make filling in one of their forms really awkward when you've got a condition that varies from day to day and makes me look like a benefit fraud one day and like i'm not being truthful about how disabled i am the next!

and the way the press portrays almost all disabled people as work-shy scroungers just makes me so angry! lots of us would work if someone actually gave us one! i've been jobsearching and applying non stop for jobs for 2 years but never even had an interview and had my cv looked at by experts so i know it's good. and making us look like fraudsters for doing things like tandem sky dives makes me worried to do exercise outside my flat in case someone shops me to the DWP, sometimes i potter around without my sticks if i'm going a short distance and need to carry stuff (like putting my empty plastic watering can in the shed about 4 steps from my door..... but now scared that if anyone sees me they'll think i dont need the sticks and think that i'm faking it all.

havent we had enough of people not believing that we're disabled with HMS/EDS- all those years or being told that we're hypochondriacs by the very people supposed to believe us and help us (drs), and now the press have turned the general population against us too. thats very nice of them......


fi xx

[Stone]

There's a good blog by someone with severe EDS and all of the same frustrations

Blog link - Benefit Scrounging Scum

It's very well written, it makes me laugh anyway

Stone

[barkingmad]

I saw the news programme as well and I was a bit incredulous at the way 'disability' seemed to mean 'you cant do anything or enjoy life or have a quality of life'.

I think the argument for the parachute lady was that she had claimed she was agrophobic (Stone correct my sp please!), she had clearly state she couldnt leave the house and not only did she leave it but jumped out of the plane too! If she hadnt claimed she was agrophobic (Stone!!) she would probably have been ok. The guy who said he needed a stick etc and then was filmed walking drunk and unaided and chasing people to hit, clearly wasnt disabled physically..???mentally!

We did write to the government back along and they stated that they understood about 'fluctuating conditions' etc. And it is part of a rehab or pain management programme to take part in exercise to either maintain or improve your level of functioning. I was also sent some information a couple of days ago which appeared to suggest that of all the DLA claims which were reviewed only 1% or less was found to be fraudulent or unfounded. But that included people who had improved and not noticed themselves (which does genuinely happen, physically you improve your functioning but mentally you are still stuck in the 'sick' or 'disabled' role) etc.

As long as you are claiming genuinely and honest, no one can penalise you for taking part in life, exercising and enjoying yourself as much as possible.

I always think that if at the end of the day if I can look my self in the mirror and still feel that I am entitled to my benefits then that is fine by me. I go to the gym 3 times a week, I swim, do hydro/physio and toning tables (the ones that move you if you cant do it yourself). My rationale for going is that whilst I accept I wont ever be able to walk 5-10 miles a day with the dogs any more,I dont want to be a permanent wheelchair user. I accept I need it when shopping for long periods or going out and I use my scooter for the dogs but exercising means I that I am not getting weaker, I hope so anyway! It has taken me 18 months to get where I am now. I still come back exhausted and need to sleep but I am not depending on my wheelchair full time...so to me that is working. If I have a heavy physical day ahead, ie the Mini Big Bash, I rest the days before hand, and like this time sleep for 36 hrs afterwards and take days to recover! But that is my choice, so I can enjoy my life, my way.

That doesnt make me or anyone else a fraudster!

[Stone]

Agoraphobic

Stone