What actually is the point?

I would suggest it comes down to how much each of the respective benefits pays. I'll leave you to do the maths.

Sorry but I just cannot fathom this out...what in reality are they trying to prove or save?

Their own ideology, which -- thanks to the greed of banks, criminal irresponsibility of financial speculators, and debt-iceberg of dubious PFI deals -- is presently in danger of being exposed as cargo-cultist nonsense. Likewise their holy cow of an alleged "free market" which in fact is anything but (it's rigged as can be).
To shore up these ever more gaping doctrinal holes, the Government must keep on subsidising UK banks (and transnational finance) at a continually increasing rate.
Ad infinitum, actually. The debt never ends. That is their system.
And if companies .. favoured .. by Establishment and Government grandees can trough themselves lots of profit via the various processes of cutting and asset stripping, then so much the better.

Timewarp.
These last 10 months that i have spent as a so called "scrounger" have been such an eyeopener, as a certain tabloid journalist used to say.."you couldn't make it up"
We have our dignity and humanity stripped away and i have never felt so unwanted in my life, we just have to believe things will get better but this crip ain't holding his breath...

Ranald.

Hi Ranald. The way you are feeling is the way the Govt and Press want you to feel. Just ask yourself am i legally entitled to the benefits i receive? The answer will be yes. So dont let them get to you. I heard something yesterday on local radio about benefits etc it was stated Tax Fraud is happening on a scale of 10 times more than benefit fraud and there is no public outcry about that. Best Wishes

here are some handy calculations, if you are on IB with an age addition below 35 you get at present £106 per week, low rate care of £18.95 high rat mob of £49.85

In total £175.80 per week

Fail to migrate to ESA and also have your DLA cut because you didn't pass the medical - which is what they are doing at present - and have a partner that works total saved = £9141 per person per year

No partner working then you are on around £198.80 per week (an addition of IS).

Same circumstance of not getting migrated + loss of DLA leaves you only eligable for the couple rate of JSA - which is £102.75 making a saving of £2626 per year per couple.

That is for a couple not recieveing middle rate care and therefore carers allowance also.

Those thousands will eventually add up to millions and possibly even a billion saved.

I havn't taken into account council tax, support for mortgage interest or LA/housing benefit savings.

This will dramatically cut the benefit bill - without harming pentioners. I'm not sure however how much it will cut the DWP bill in total when you take into account extra work for ATOS and appeals.

It strikes me that at some point someone has to come to the conclusion that ATOS has a licence to print money at present. They are paid to do the medicals - if someone passes they are paid to say when the next one is needed. As I understand most people are having a medical every 6 months to 1 year. I'm not convinced that is sustainable expenditure. We will have to see wether they get away with this.

This what worries me about HMG, by law they have to provide for the country's unemployed, sick and disabled, they cannot just take it away and leave people with nothing otherwise they are breaking the law of the land - does that matter to them? obviously not from what is going on. they'll just change the law in all probability.