BS: Protect the mobility component of DLA

Subject: BS: Protect the mobility component of DLA
From: Arthur_itus
Date: 25 Nov 10 - 10:41 AM

I know that one of our mudcatters has been complaining about the removal of the mobility component of the DLA for people in care homes.
Our mudcatter rightly said that it would destroy the freedom of people with a disabilty who are living in a Care Home.
I happen to agree, but unfotunately cannot recollect what thread that was on.

However, I have just received this link from an organisation I am a member of that is supporting and linking with Mencap on this.

http://www.mencap.org.uk/page.asp?id=20515

It says

Protect the mobility component of the DLA
The mobility component of Disability Living Allowance (DLA) provides vital support for disabled people living in residential care - support that is being threatened by the government's proposed cuts.

Mencap is joining forces with a number of disability charities to fight the government's decision. But we need your help to tell the government the impact cuts will have on the lives of disabled people if they no longer get this financial support.

Everyone can support our campaign by emailing their MP to challenge the government's decision. Send your email now.

If you live in a residential care home and receive the mobility component of DLA you can help by completing our short survey. You may need help to fill this in. We will keep what you tell us in confidence. Take the survey here.

Thank you for your support.

So please support this by going to the above link, if you feel strongly enough about it, and doing what you can to help.

Many thanks.

Subject: RE: BS: Protect the mobility component of DLA
From: Arthur_itus
Date: 25 Nov 10 - 11:18 AM

Just did it. Clicked on the e-mail link. Followed the instructions and bob's yer uncle.

2204 people so far have done it. So let's hope that mushrooms until hopefully they reverse their decision.

Also please e-mail freinds with the link who might support this.

The title should have included UK, but not enough characters free to add it.

Subject: RE: BS: Protect the mobility component of DLA
From: Richie Black (misused acct, bad email)
Date: 25 Nov 10 - 02:56 PM

More than £1billion has been lost in the past six years due to fraud in payments of disability benefit. The cash is disappearing because officials do not check whether thousands of people are as disabled as they claim. The problem is getting worse: the amount that has gone through fraud has risen by 50 per cent over the same period. The figures are the tip of the iceberg because they only relate to disability living allowance.They do not cover other similar handouts such as incapacity benefit and the attendance allowance that is also paid to the disabled.



In the spending review and emergency budget, plans for a new independent assessment to decide eligibility for disability living allowance were announced. Sadly these will not come in until 2013.
Recipients of D.L.A. get a payment of up to £121.25 a week and are allowed to spend the money on whatever they want,it is an expensive benefit that is wide open to fraud.I am happy that the Coalition plans to introduce tough medical tests to assess claimants. Taxpayers want a decent welfare state, but only if it's fair and gives good value for money.

Subject: RE: BS: Protect the mobility component of DLA
From: Arthur_itus
Date: 25 Nov 10 - 03:21 PM

This is about disabled people in care homes, who can still drive in an adapted vehilcle. Anybody in a care home, will already have a diagnosis and it should be pretty easy to deal with such people. However to take their only possible way of getting out, away, should not be done.

Most care homes who say that they take residents out etc, are full of bullshit. When I was told by the hospital that my dad had very little time to live, I called the care home and although they have a vehicle, they said they didn't have enough staff to take my mother to the hospital (10 minutes away). I was furious as they promoted helping their residents. It cost me an hour and a half to get to my mother, get a taxi that could take my mothers wheel chair and then to the hospital. Fortunately I managed to get her their in time. I put a complaint in, but it was like water off a ducks back to them.

However, I agree about all the fraud and them needing to do something about that.

Subject: RE: BS: Protect the mobility component of DLA
From: VirginiaTam
Date: 25 Nov 10 - 04:14 PM

That mobility allowance for people in care homes works in reverse too. Family members can get assistance to go and visit members in residential care. So sad that often families are separated by distance because the only or appropriate or affordable care home is not where the person's family lives. This allowance can help an elderly mum visit her disabled son in a care home.

One daft thing that a care home in Essex did, was to put a fake bus shelter outside the facility paid for by taxes. Why? Because many of the dementia and Alzhiemers patients wanting to leave, to go home could be placated by letting them sit in this fake shelter waiting for a bus that would never arrive. Logical or cruel?

Subject: RE: BS: Protect the mobility component of DLA
From: GUEST, Richard Bridge
Date: 25 Nov 10 - 10:33 PM

- er - there are already tough tests for mobility component of DLA, check the facts not what the Daily Wail says.

Any honest assessment of need for mobility component of DLA will result in more people getting it than at present.

If the pack of liars in the present government are so sure that "independent" assessment will reduce cost, then it will neither be independent nor honest. They are the fraudsters.

Subject: RE: BS: Protect the mobility component of DLA
From: mandotim
Date: 26 Nov 10 - 02:54 AM

Just make Vodaphone pay the tax they were assessed to owe. That provides £6 billion pounds, no need to cut benefits; simple!

Subject: RE: BS: Protect the mobility component of DLA
From: GUEST,Steamin' Willie
Date: 26 Nov 10 - 10:14 AM

When I first started taking an interest in health and social care, as a member of a local community health council, I was dismayed by the rules over DLA.

Two people, both needing assisted care for their mental health problem. One gets placed in a building and the other gets placed in a similar building next door. The only difference in these particular buildings is that one was run by the local NHS Trust and one by the local authority.

So.. one is a service user, the other a patient, to use the terms those services give their clients.

Oh, one other difference. patients couldn't get DLA, whereas service users could.

Whilst this is not relevant to the mobility component, it is an indicator that DLA was never perfect. Whilst agreeing with M'unlearned friend that assessment may well make the numbers go up, and this is not the political aim of the present government, I can't agree that any review is wrong just because you disagree with the colour of the government.

The mobility component is important for so many people and keeping people mobile keeps them generally fitter so less of a drain on NHS resources (using government arguments back at them...) so protecting an important element of the package is good for the recipient, it can also be good for the exchequer.

That said, I'll judge the government by its actions, not by my own political idealism.