News

DLA and ESA appeals both won
B&W:  Brilliant and Wonderful. I scored nil points in my ESA medical in July last year. They used that score for my ESA and DLA applications and was told that I could resume work within 3 months. I was totally defeated, then I found this site. THANK YOU GUYS!

My tribunal was this morning for ESA and DLA and I GOT BOTH! ! ! Higher rate ESA and mobility component DLA.
Helen

More feedback at the end of this newsletter.

Charities help with DLA cuts and Harrington rolls over?
Benefits and Work understands that at least one national disability charity has been actively recruiting members to take part in trials of the new personal independence payment (PIP)  medical assessment.  This is in spite of the fact that the whole point of PIP is to cut payments of benefits to their members and cause, in some cases, a catastrophic loss of income and quality of life . 

Happily, other charities are taking a very different stance, with Disability Alliance threatening legal action if the government fails to revise its plans to cut payments by 20% when DLA is replaced by PIP. 

(Stories in this newsletter are all members only, with the exception of the Good News from the Forums)

Meanwhile, the number of people receiving ESA may well be reduced by rather more than 20% as a result of the slashing of points that took place in March of this year. 

So, it was deeply disturbing that in his second call for evidence about the work capability assessment issued today, Professor Harrington heaped praised upon the DWP and failed to make any mention of the dramatic harshening of the test that has just taken place on his watch.  Nevertheless, we are encouraging members to take part in the review and tell Harrington what he’d possibly rather not hear.

Responses are also being invited by the Work and Pensions committee on the subject of axing DLA and replacing it with PIP.   Full details of the consultation and how to take part are available on the parliament website.

The DWP are also consulting on whether to close all Remploy’s factories – although they have already said they are minded to do so – and on other ideas relating to supporting sick and disabled people into work contained in a report entitled "Getting in, staying in and getting on."

FREELANCE WELFARE RIGHTS WORKERS
As regular readers will know, it’s not just disabled people who are facing a bleak future as a result of government  cuts:  welfare rights workers are likely to be made redundant in large numbers if proposals to end legal aid for help with benefits go ahead.

So, many thanks to everyone who commented on our article asking whether we should advertise the services of freelance welfare rights workers. 

Your responses have left us with lots to consider before we decide whether to take this further.  Whilst many of our members though it an excellent idea, our belief that most welfare rights workers would be against it has been borne out by the majority of the contributions to a similar discussion on Rightsnet, the site for welfare rights workers.

WELFARE RIGHTS WORKERS WANTED
We are, however, already looking for freelance welfare rights workers.  If you are currently employed, or have recently been made redundant from a welfare rights post and can write quickly and accurately to order, we’d like to hear from you.  There’s commissions available immediately. 

So, if you’re interested, please drop us an email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. with brief details of your current or recent employment and any experience you have of writing about benefits issues.

FACEBOOK THANKS
In fact, Benefits and Work already makes use of freelance help.  ‘A Way of Seeing’, for example, have been supplying and editing images for our website for a number of years now, having started out as members and supporters of the site. More recently they have set up and maintained our Facebook page with great success.

In fact, we have now had over 4,000 people ‘like’ our Facebook page. We also have a wealth of positive feedback from Facebook users.

As a small thank you to everyone who has supported us on Facebook, Benefits and Work and A Way of Seeing are offering some free giveaways. The winners will be drawn from people who have liked  our Facebook page by Thursday 21 July, so it’s still not too late to take part.

Prizes include 5 free Benefits and Work annual subscriptions and two Limited Edition Prints, of the winners’ choice, from the current collection “On the Waterfront” which can be viewed either on A Way of Seeing Facebook page or on their website.

MORE NEWS
All the latest news is now available from this link. This includes stories on:

Mobile fraud taskforce launched

Ouch forum closed

Disability Alliance takes on Skill work

Appeals successes remain firm

Freeze on DLA tribunal recruitment

Welfare cuts "could leave up to 40,000 families homeless"

GOOD NEWS FROM THE FORUM
Finally, as ever, we have a selection of cheery news from the forum to finish with.

IB to ESA support group without medical

0-24 points at ESA appeal

From WRAG to support group on reassessment

Care component reinstated on appeal

Higher rate mobility and middle rate care on initial claim

WRAG group without medical

Higher rate mobility and higher rate care on appeal

Support group without medical

Higher rate mobility and middle rate care on initial claim without medical

PLEASE PASS ME ON
Please forward this newsletter to anyone you think might be interested. You are also welcome to reproduce this newsletter on your blog, website, forum or newsletter.

You can read this newsletter online.

Good luck,

Steve Donnison

Benefits and Work Publishing Ltd
Company registration No.  5962666

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