Uk-ers, anyone elses family affected by current IB and DLA appeals farce?

[trumpetbum]

I'm interested to see on a wider scale.
Living in an area which has a high percentage of vulnerable people I seem to be hearing of more and more people struggling due to their IB and DLA being cut off and having to go through a long, back logged appeals process.

My families story: My mum and dad are struggling seriously at the moment.
It's difficult to see a once proud working man and a frugal honest woman living below the breadline, struggling to make ends meet and getting by only with the little help yself and my two brothers can give them. It all just seems so unfair.
My dad worked all his life, when he was made to take early retirement through physical ill health he went out and got himself a window cleaners license and did that for a living.
He now doesn't work and suffers from confusion which is being investigated as well as other more minor physical and mental health problems. his doctor has said he is unfit to work, is absolutely NOT to drive and the Job centre told him after the initial interview that he needn't return as he isn't employable. He would bite someones hand off to get a job but some days he'll think that someone who has been dead for 10 years still lives at their own house and terrify us by wandering off to go visit them at their old house.
He is undergoing investigations just now for his issues and yet the private company which assesses IB and DLA has rejected him. He has now been living on practically fresh air since March with no word of an appeal and we have been told it could be the end of the year or more before his case is seen. My mum is worried sick, I'm worried sick. Their financial situation just gets worse and worse as does his confusion and ill health.

Sorry for the long story. Anyone elses family affected?

 

[Blah11]

oh thats sad

i understand why theyre reassessing everyone though because as usual, a few people take the piss and ruin it for everyone else including people like your dad who really can't work

 

[faun]

The lady 3 doors down from me is in a wheelchair and has been for the whole 7 years i have lived here i would imagine much longer not sure whats wrong with her but she can't stand and shakes uncontrollably and her head twitches she also gets very confused, her husband is her carer. Anyway i popped over to give them some pears and plums off my fruit trees and they were very upset i asked whats wrong and they told me that her DLA and his carers allowance had been stoppped until they had completed a full investigation, who knows how long it will take but they are really struggling already i feel so bad for them and i really hope that it gets sorted quickly for them.

 

[aly888]

it's like blah says, the minority are ruining it for those who really need it sorry your parents are going through this. I dont know how it works but can they back-date it once the appeal goes through?

ETA- it's disgusting to hear that they are suspending payments pending a review. They should continue the payments throughout the review process then once reached a decision, give appropriate notice to those who no longer qualify doing it the way they are means hundreds of people are struggling unnecessarily

 

[faun]

I'm not 100% but i think they changed it so you can only get 1-3 months backdated depending on the benefit you qualify for.

 

[lesleyann]

My dad tryied to claim and got rejected because he could walk up 3sets of stairs the only reason he did that is because we lived in a flat and they refused to move us and he would leave the flat like once every 2weeks.. Now he has tryied to claim again since being moved since he has really bad back problems meaning he cannot walk very far at all or really carry things and has mental problems still waiting for the outcome now.. My nan has not had her DLA stopped asfar as im aware so i dont think there stoppping everyones

 

[trumpetbum]

oh thats sad

i understand why theyre reassessing everyone though because as usual, a few people take the piss and ruin it for everyone else including people like your dad who really can't work

Me too, the people who play the system make me mad. The way it's being done though is the awful thing. Everyone is being cut off at the same time, making the appeals process backlogged and leaving vulnerable and genuine people in extreme poverty. The assessment is also being undertaken by a private profit making company rather than genuine medical professionals and the appeals process costs a fortune because the tribunals who reinstate the majority of claims employ a doctor and judge to hear them at great expense.

 

[trumpetbum]

The lady 3 doors down from me is in a wheelchair and has been for the whole 7 years i have lived here i would imagine much longer not sure whats wrong with her but she can't stand and shakes uncontrollably and her head twitches she also gets very confused, her husband is her carer. Anyway i popped over to give them some pears and plums off my fruit trees and they were very upset i asked whats wrong and they told me that her DLA and his carers allowance had been stoppped until they had completed a full investigation, who knows how long it will take but they are really struggling already i feel so bad for them and i really hope that it gets sorted quickly for them.

I hope they get it sorted. Unfortunately right now it seems as though it's a long drawn out process.

 

[trumpetbum]

My dad tryied to claim and got rejected because he could walk up 3sets of stairs the only reason he did that is because we lived in a flat and they refused to move us and he would leave the flat like once every 2weeks.. Now he has tryied to claim again since being moved since he has really bad back problems meaning he cannot walk very far at all or really carry things and has mental problems still waiting for the outcome now.. My nan has not had her DLA stopped asfar as im aware so i dont think there stoppping everyones

As far as I've read only 1/3 of claimants have been passed and everyone else rejected, many on similar grounds to your dad.

There's an interesting article here, but what is most interesting is the comments section.

https://www.guardian.co.uk/commenti...enefit-reform?showallcomments=true#comment-51

 

[lesleyann]

My dad tryied to claim and got rejected because he could walk up 3sets of stairs the only reason he did that is because we lived in a flat and they refused to move us and he would leave the flat like once every 2weeks.. Now he has tryied to claim again since being moved since he has really bad back problems meaning he cannot walk very far at all or really carry things and has mental problems still waiting for the outcome now.. My nan has not had her DLA stopped asfar as im aware so i dont think there stoppping everyones

As far as I've read only 1/3 of claimants have been passed and everyone else rejected, many on similar grounds to your dad.

There's an interesting article here, but what is most interesting is the comments section.

https://www.guardian.co.uk/commenti...enefit-reform?showallcomments=true#comment-51

its bad because i no someone claiming DLA for something that does not affect there day to day life or anything.. The only thing affecting there day to day like is being overweight though there own fault with no disere to fix teh problem