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Why wait till 2010? Start now. Child benefit should reviewed. Payment only for the first two kids, you want more, you pay.

Nick

Isn't this 'tougher' line yet another reannouncement or indeed re-reannouncement ?

Re the Budget, Darling's presentation had me thinking that he's depriving somebody of a good funeral director.

The proposed new incapacity benifit tests are a waste of time for me. I have attended dozens of NHS appointments since may 2005 when I was forced to stop working. I still do not have a diagnosis. I wait months between appointments, the NHS system cannot look at the patients complete global condition. The seperate departments do not usually communicate with each other. Yesterday I saw my consultant heamatologist, the first thing he asked me was have you seen the local Neurologist yet I had to tell him no. He picked up the telephone and tried to contact the Neurologists appointments secretary. He was promised that a message would be left with my home telephone by the end of the day. Quess what I never got the appointment, however I did get a call today to say I might be see sometime in May! Problem is I have been waiting since October to be seen. Not much chance of getting back to work if you cant be seen by the relevant doctor.

Coupled with the changes in the Welfare Reform Act, these changes including the one to housing/council tax benefit will make disabled claimants lives a misery. But, no one really speaks for them anymore, the big disability charities are much too keen to get Gov't contracts to challenge these reforms.

I am a single mum of three (single through no fault of my own) I am currently on benefits, using a pre paid electricity meter. I struggle to make ends meet and find myself permantly in debt with little to no help from my children 2 fathers.
I am currently at college studying NVQ2 in beauty therapy in order that i can work for myself and fit my hours around my childrens needs.

The government hasn't really done anything to help anyone in my situation, a mention of possibly helping those on pre-paid meters is no guarantee that anything will happen, an extra £50 a year in child tax credit will not even amount to 50p a week extra. I don't know what the change to the housing benefit rules will mean to me in the future but thats not help to me now either!

I am trying to do something to help myself and my family to get out of this situation i have been put in, and the government seems to not to do much to help me while I do it. I spend a fortune on materials for my course, extra lunch clubs for my children while I study, but i'm starting to think why should I bother? I wonder how much i'd have to be earning to be better of than I am now?

Hey John - if your well enough to travel and see so many Doctors, then your well enough to work !

So stop scrounging off hard workers like myself - get off your back side and earn a living !!!

These tests will work well to sort out the work shy fops and reduce State handouts.

As usual we are told that these benefit changes are to help the not so ill back into work while in reality it is all about saving money for tax cuts for the better off for the next election.
Also, what about the genuinely ill? I have been chronically ill and in a lot of pain since a car smash a few years ago and I am really frightened about my future in this 'Brave new world' of new labour. These worries are making me even more ill and my GP has had to up my dose of beta-blockers to calm me down. What about us mr Brown.. sorry, Darling.

As someone whom has suffered from illness for many years, and tried to work through it until I was diagnosed with M.E. three years ago I would welcome some attention from the benefits people. If they can arrange for the kind of support that a sufferer of a different ethnic origin or gender would recieve I would be delighted.

For the record despite the rubbish commonly printed in the papers and believed by those with a very severe lack of intelligence being on incap benefit does not afford me a life of luxury, far from it! £80 something pounds a week.

I would also be delighted to hear as to why Mr Brown also makes it virtually impossible for me to take attempt to set up a small business from home and indeed to live with my partner due to her similar circumstances without effectivley having to gamble on being responsible for her and her two children becoming homeless should my condition result in my efforts to fail.

Please ladies and gentlemen of the press can we have some coverage of people like myself who are perfectly willing to try damn hard to get off benefits, rather than concentrating on those who are quite happy to live of others taxes.

As it stands I have a choice of the following

Stay on benefits

Risk prosecution for benefit fraud

or risk the roof over the heads of my partner and children.

Now if I were of a different religion or nationality I suspect my prospects would be somewhat different.

The Welfare Reform Act 2007 abolished Incapacity Benefit from october this year, what are they talking aobut? Difficult to have a new medical for something that doesn't exist. If they mean the new medical for the new Employment and Support Allowance, that's existed in draft form for over a year and is nothing new. We had no date for exisitng claimants of Incapacity Benefit to start being transferred to the new Employment and Support Allowance, do we now with the date of 2010?

2010 is not soon enough. It sickens me to see all the people claiming incapacity who could work. I've worked all my life, been a single parent for most of the time, and have never received any benefit. I have really struggled while the people on these welfare benefits can afford to go abroad 2 and 3 times a year, drive a car and smoke! Get tougher on the fraudsters.

My 20 year old daughter is autistic and is in receipt of Incapacity in Youth. She attended a special school until the age of 17, there are no services in our area for autistic people and now the government is going to attempt to take away her only possible source of income. The people assessing my daughter will probably have little or no knowledge of ASD and very little understanding of how it affects her and the rest of the family.
What kind of future can we, as her parents, expect her to have? Are we going to go back to the days when people like my daughter were locked away and forgotten about?

there is no way the new i.b reforms will work - i work for jobcentre plus and all people will do is go between being ill and available for work - or even become a carer or have kids - this budget is a joke - there is no child poverty in Britain , only neglect by people unfit to be parents- if people spend benefits on scratchcards and fags rather than kids ,who is to blame?

Child Benefit for the first two children! Stop encouraging the mediocre to reproduce.

Amongst the many things that don't seem to make sense when this government tries to score political points with misguided policies, can someone please explain to me the no stamp duty until you reach 80% ownership on joint equity policy? Doesn't this just mean that you never want to buy over 80% - if the last 20% is going to crystalise the stamp charge? I thought the idea was to get people to buy their own homes, not to put a financial penalty that only kicks in when you're about to reach that goal..

I was assessed last year re-IB. I just wish they were more open about it. The form asked what you couldn't do - told you how many points were needed to stay on IB - but didn't tell you how it was worked out. After being assessed by a DWP doctor a few years ago I, and others, know how they can appear to make it up as they go along.

A friend, now dead, with lung disease, was told he could get a job as a car park attendant - preferably in an indoor car park - and his benefit stopped.

"New tougher medical tests"? Does that mean the current ones aren't torture enough for those unfortunate enough to be genuinely incapacitated. Why is it always the poor, incapacitated or unemployed who must face 'severe' tests to see if their existence should be tolerated - wouldn't it be easier if we were just rounded up and shot? Why don't we introduce tough measures to ensure investment bankers are paid the minimum wage unless there is any measurable way to prove they make a greater contribution to society as a whole?

Yes I agree with vetting people on incapacity benefit but I hope it doesn't become a farse where those who need it are penalized. My husband is disabled and I am his carer for which I get just under £47 per week, if he could work he would but alas he can't we need a large car to fit a wheelchair in and our fuel bills are already through the roof as he has to maintain a constant temperature.We don't get any help with them, I feel agrieved that the elderly get winter fuel payments which aren't means tested when some of them don't need it. I feel we are already put in the catergory 'Doesn't work, won't work' and we seem to be penalized for his illness.

I remember this little darling uttering words of woe for IB claimants when he was the social security secretary a few years back - very little of his proposals came to fruition then so there is nothing to suggest that they will now. Perhaps someone would like to remind him that he's moved to the treasury?

A lot can happen (and most likely will) between now and 2010 including a general election. I think that we cannot believe anything this government tells us, especially in light of the broken promise of a referendum on the EU constituion (a.k.a. The Lisbon Treaty). I'm annoyed about the broken promise, not whether we get a referendum or not. As far as I'm concerned, they lied.
It's little wonder that the vast majority of voters in this country perceive politicians as self-serving and arrogant.

Dare I suggest this may be an indication that Labour do not expect to win the next election?

Why else put this public relations minefield back to then?

For goodness sake Nick. Not only do we have to tolerate the inane anchoring of Edwards (honestly does this man know how to spell the word economics) we also have to tolerate your tittle tattle about political posturing. Constantly you fail to observe that for ten years Labour have promised revisions to the client state and delivered absolutely nothing except for incompetance and inefficiency. Some analysis of the history of government waste particularly in its failure to address the social and financial cost of the welfare state would not be a bad thing when you address the promises (again) to redress the failures. They will not and cannot reform the client state.

why wait till 2010 there are far to many people claiming benefit who are able to work but are to lazy checks should be done asap and get these tax dodgers back to work

The government changes the medical test on a person, stating they are capable of working? But employers decide if a person is capable of working.
I suffer Chronic Kidney Disease the job Centre say I am able to Work but companies think different saying I am not fit to work because I have a long Term health condition with no cure in site, and employing a Kidney Patient may affect health and safety of other Staff. Firms say kidney patients will have off work more often and this time off may affect the team and the business so firms would not want some types of disabled people even if they can work

Its about time all the spongers where sent out to work, rather than me paying for them too laze about doing nothing all day, cant they answer phones in call centres?

The ladie who lives next to me has been not been to work for 15 years and why because she gets nevevous if someone leaves her somewhere she does know but i think i would if was left some where it didnt know but it doesnt stop me going to work!

Its all well and good expecting things like this, but when a GP ignores your complaints and will not refer you what happens then?

Now Nick, why haven't you mentioned Ed Balls "so what?" comment.

Have you been censored?

So the battle for the centre ground is heating up? Cue election coverage!

Why should a household with an income of £56,000 pa get child benefits ?

They should extend these kind of tests to Disability Living Allowance which they seem to hand out in large amounts of cash to people who could easily work.

You should only get benefits if there is absolutely no job at all that you could do. If you can sit and type a message here on a computer there are jobs you can do! If you can walk down the street there are jobs you can do. If you can answer a telephone there are jobs you can do....illness or not.

Its very annoying that I work excessive hours and struggle to make ends meet whilst the government hands out my tax to people who could work.

The iodea was not first proposed by David Freud - it has been in practice in New Zealand for years.

What will happen to people with my sort of complaint. For 99% of the time I`m quite fit,but then I have a Grand Mal Temporal Lobe Seizure. I am also Asthmatic,Inncontinent and quite forgetful. I am also recovering at this moment in time from a fourth operation on my spine.A district nurse is coming to the house every day to change the dressings.
I cannot drive of course,and I have a bad memory.Will I loose my benefit,I worked for over twenty years in a Remploy factory also.

MR DARLING IS A COPOUT BECAUSE HE HAVE DONE NOTHING FOR SINGLE PEOPLE ON LOW INCOMES BAR TAKE MORE MONEY OFF US BY RAISING THE COUNCIL TAX BILLS AND THE WATER RATES AND THE RENT AND INFLATION I THINK THIS GOVERMENT ARE FINISHED THAY WILL NOT GET ANOTHER TERM IN OFFICE

it is about time benefits were overhauled. I used to work on benefit fraud and the amount of people now who still see benefits as an easy option is unreal.. I am a single mom of two children aged 4 and 9(not by my choice... I did not force my soon to be ex husband to go off with another woman and to subject me to regular voilence and agression so please no "single mom jibes"). I have worked since the age of 16 paying tax and NI contributions, I continue to hold down a full time job, doing my teacher training which I HAVE TO PAY FOR, have to pay private rent which is more than my income as there is a shortage of "council or social housing", do not qualify for housing or council tax benefit as I am £1 over the threashold... yes £1 and yet we are still able to live. Those on higher incap (ie over 12 months at normal incap rate) need to be reeducated and some even retrained, the All works test needs to be overhauled to make sure that those with genuine "conditions" are looked after.. did you know for example that those with a "mental condition" are RARELY assessed in a face to face meeting? The only fair way of benefits is "if you've paid enough into the system then you get it for a limited period..." like most European countries.... if you dont pay to the system then you shouldnt be entitled to it. Harsh words, but if more people got off there backsides and into work then we wouldnt need the influx of immigrants to take our jobs cos the "brits can't be bothered". And yes.... I do know what Im talking about, I worked for 10 years in government departments until a work based accident forced me to be medically retired... but i still got back to work, in a different profession, ona quarter of the salary and having to pay for my own retraining...and i was paralised for 2.5 months as a result of the accident at work and underwent 3 operations.... Britain is made up of two categories of people the workers and the shirkers.. the shirkers reap the benefits of the workers so that when the workers need help...the shirkers have used up all the money. When will the government wake up!

I am on longterm incap. I would love to be in fulltime employment. I am in a loop. I am still not completely heathy and have a lot of medical issues. There are days when I feel well enough to work, and other days when the pain I am in is too much.

I had an appointment with an advisor, he could give me no advice. This programme is simply lip service. They can not help to find us employment, because there is none.

I am applying for jobs and have had interviews, but to no avail. I have been ill now for 4 years, and have been on incap since 2005. I am still able and skilled enough to do the jobs I have applied for, however employers do not want anyone who has a long sickness history.

So tell me will this be any different in 12-24-36-48 months, I very much doubt it.

I did not ask to be ill, I have lost my career, my home and my dignity. It seems now that I may even lose my money. Hayho life in modern britain where there are Laws made that are supposed help us but actually they are just political stances to line the pockets of the politians.

I'm sick of Incapacity Benefit being looked down on. I've been sick for five years now and am very grateful to live in a country where people with genuine illness are supported.

If you really want to get more people off Incapacity Benefit how about actually helping people to get well? I've had next to no help these past five years from the NHS.

There needs to be far far far more access to talking therapies and osteopaths/deep tissue massage etc as millions are signed off with mental health issues and/or back problems.

Of course there are those who are working the system & there ought to be tougher medicals. But its not helping ill people get better and surely that should be the priority.

One of the reasons this is happening, because the NHS service is in a crisis. SO the DWP have decided to set up ther own little NHS department, within the DWP. EMploying semi-retired doctors and so called specialists! THis is to relieve the presure on the NHS.

My wife claims enhanced (due to her young age) long term incapacity benefit. (Brain haemorrhage)

We welcome any reform that gets people who have simply switched from unemployment benefit to incapacity benefit.

Payments are there for people with genuine needs, as such if your a genuine claimant you should have nothing to fear with these new changes.

I know 3 people who have been on IB for around a decade. They have all worked in the building trade throughout.

It has taken me 10 years to get a diagnosis. I want to work but my conditions prevent that How can an assessment be made by the benefits people when the experts of the NHS found it so difficult to identify what is wrong.

Two points on the green policy
- If government is genuine about reducing the number of cars on the road and hence congestion, FREE public transport will be the only real way to encourage people to leave their cars behind. Why not use the road tax money to implement some pilot schemes?
- Encourage use of bio-degradable plastic bags. Even some developing countries have effectively implemented this many years ago -- not sure why businesses and government aren't considering this as an option.

Gordon's encroachment into, not to say stealing of, every Tory initiative and policy beggars belief, (especially as it is hardly even registered by the media) and puts me strongly in mind of the character Steerpike in Mervyn Peake's chilliing masterpiece Gormanghast, as he manipulated his way up from kitchen boy to power behind the throne and beyond.

Don't the Torys recognise that they are being sytematically sqeezed into irrelevance by this master controller, and the British people should wake up before they find themselves trussed up and powerless.

My wife was a teacher who was bullied out of the profession by the head of her school under a culture inspired by the government (thanks Dave Blunkett!). She suffers from anxiety and depression, but the treatment from the NHS for mental health issues is appalling. She would love to work in her chosen profession, but can't get the treatment on the NHS that would help her to return. Now the government seems to want to take away the small amount of IB they so generously give her. Oh, and every time they sound off about this subject they make her anxiety and depression worse, cheers for that boys!

She would also like to retrain in another field that interests her, but she would get no help with paying for the fees, because she already has a degree. What a wonderful system! I can only think that the government is a bit brassic after forking out to save tinpot banks and fight wars nobody wants.

Note to all politicians, not everyone on IB is a workshy scrounger, some are genuinely ill with the most desperate illnesses that the NHS and other governement agencies fail to address.

We are both self employed and have one child (decided we could not afford another). I only work part-time though. Our income is well above the UK average and we struggle like mad. We cannot even afford an extra room we really need. The price of utility bills and food are much higher this year. Some people on benefits are living in much bigger flats than ours. We tax payers are paying for their council flats and for our flats at full London rates. The situation is untenable and very, very unfair. I don't suggest for a minute that people who need help should suffer but who is helping us? We don't want had outs from the government what we hard working parents need is a fairer taxation system (tax relief. That way the parents who are not working because they are taxed too much can be encouraged to go back to work. However the issue of child care has not been addressed yet and some women cannot go back even if they want to.

Also, children should not be DUMPED in nurseries aged 2/3. Money is what matter to this government but our children are been neglected. I do think there will be a price to pay for that in the future. The cost to society might be an unpleasant one.

It's been interesting to watch the Government's 'spin' change since they first announced their welfare reform agenda; at first it was all about 'enabling' people back into work... now ministers appear quite regularly crowing about the toughness of the tests to come and a 'fail' rate of about 50%.

The new physical health test is similar to the current one but harder - the same difficulties will in future score you fewer (or no) points.

The mental health part of the test is virtually unrecognisable and quite frankly an almighty mess...

The original recommendations of health experts charged with drawing up the test have been mangled almost beyond recognition with dozens of changes introduced by DWP lawyers by the time they appeared in draft regulations, all of them making it harder to 'pass' the test.

They've also combined many areas of assessment making the test incredibly complex - e.g.

'Has unpredictable outbursts of, aggressive, disinhibited or bizarre behaviour, sufficient in severity and frequency to cause disruption for the majority of the time OR has a strongly disproportionate reaction to minor events or to criticism, to the extent that he cannot manage overall day to day life when such events or criticism occur.'

Nice and simple eh? (Oh and incidentally, a 'yes' to that statement wouldn't be enough in itself for an individual to pass the test... it would only score 9 of the 15 points needed...)

Oh and the government has also scrapped the rules which used to exempt people with serious mental health problems and serious learning disabilities from the test. Oh Brave New World...

To provide support for those ready to move back to work is laudable. To play dice with the lives of the severely disabled to cut spending and pander to the prejudices of middle England is not.

I'm on Incapacity benefit. But for some to say I'm a scrounger is wrong. I will put this forward as a solution. Those who are deemed capable of work i.e. could answer phones etc. should be given a job immediately by (A) Taking an office worker capable of manual labour out of the sedentary job. (B) Those Thrown out of a Sedentary Job could take the job of an Immigrant doing a manual job. (C) Throw the immigrants out of the country.

I've been on Incapacity for 2 years now. after 6 months I had a medical with a young doctor who spent the whole session playing games on the computer and talking to friends on his mobile. I was then struck off Incapacity as "there was nothing wrong with me". As I have ME, Fibro Myalgia, a chronic back problem and have suffered 10 strokes in the past 2 years I'm not sure who he was testing but I ended up having to go for an appeal to be able to get my benefit reinstated. All this taking place 30 miles from my home where I had to get my disabled pensioner father to drive me. and causing me another 2 strokes. I have to redo it all again this December to try to keep my benefit I wounder how many strokes Ill have with the stress of it all this time?

To anna, i have worked from the age of 16, (20 now.) payed tax and national insurance too. I fell pregnant at 19 to my boyfriend, whom i'm still with and also works full time. I was living with my parents but me and my child needed our own space, i couldn't get a council house/flat so had no choice but to pay privatly. My child is now 9 months old and has a childminder which the government help pay for, so i could get back to work. I work full time 40 hours a week, 5 days a week. it annoys me how people stereotype the teenage mums! not everyone is the same. He is not DUMPED into childminders, he loves going and it will help with his socializing skills for when he is at school. I want my child to mix well with other children not to cling to my side. so please say how he is neglected and how the cost to society will be unpleasant.

I do manage to get by with the help from the government and an increase in child benefit and tax credits will give my child that little bit more. I am always trying to better myself within my job and grab every opportunity possible to earn enough money to do everything by myself but sometimes you have to accept help needed at the time!

I believe that rather than looking at individuals on incapacity they should be looking at the unemployed. I work with them on a daily basis and truly believe that 90% of them don't want to work. These people are getting help with rent, council tax, prescriptions and entry to various leisure activities so there is no incentive for them to take a job. The vast majority work on the side. I believe that they should be made to work for the income support or JS Allowance they receive, undertaking all the services that the councils keep doing away with ie grass cutting for the elderly, helping voluntary organisations, cancer care, and so on. I am sure there are plenty of things they could be doing. There are people out there who need their incapacity and these are the people who should be getting as much help as possible not the lazy and those with the "its my right" attitude

A while ago I had a great idea, I work full time my wife and I have good jobs, and we pay enough tax to cover somebodies benifits. We leave home at 7am get home at 7pm, and often get behind with household stuff like cleaning and doing the garden. Why can't our part of the tax go straight to one person who kindly does our cleaning and gardening. Then every month I will not moan about the amount of tax I pay and somebody who claims has something to do. May be thats wrong but I thinks its a great idea

I was totally appalled by the interviewer on Lunchtime news in her attitude towards the spokesman for the disability alliance. She suggested that most people on incapacity benefit probably should not be. ´óÏó´«Ã½ news seems to have become the British version of state control by being the voice of Government lies. It was only recently that we had an item on Putins control of the media in Russia and yet time after time we have ´óÏó´«Ã½ news making no attempt to expose the lying policides on some of the most oppressed in our society i.e.the disabled.
Even Murdoch's biased news service gives a more balanced view

I wish people would stop saying that there should be child benefit for the first 2 children only, let me remind those people that the children of today will be funding their retirement with their own taxes to pay so you should be encouraging people to have children if you want to receive any kind of help when you are older. If everyone started having less children then there will be very difficult times ahead, so please STOP complaining about people with kids!!!

Mr Darling and co remind of Baldrick in blackadder, a cunning plan that is not cunning and is shortsighted and
unworkable. How are the government going to impliment this "theory" into practice when they cannot be trusted on any issue concerning the electorate.I was a labour supporter but this attack on those that put Tony and Gordon in shames the party that they claim to support. An attack on those who cannot afford to lose any more money. Short term so called prudence to cover up ten years of financial fiasco. With a £45 billion black hole. Not cunning Mr Darling just tightfisted and grasping.

After having worked for 20 years, I gave up work in 2005 due to my failing eyesight. I have retinitus pigmentosa, which is an inherited eye condition, and am registered blind. Why doesnt the government target the people who are "pulling a fast one" to be on benefits, not the ones who are genuinely disabled or unable to work because of an illness.

I hope that George, in post 39 has reported these people who work in the building trade but also claim IB to the authorities!

Hello there,i have been on incapacity benefit for anxiety/panic attacks for a few years now, I came off the incapacity benefit myself over 4 years ago because I though I was ready to go back to work, I worked for 9 months, and was sacked because my employer said I was not committed enough, the fact was I was being bullied and became ill again because of it and was making mistakes at work because of my illness, i complained to the boss but nothing was done, I had a breakdown and was worse than what i was before i took the job and was on the brink of suicide i was devastated I had lost my job, i hate being ill like this i used to be a really confident person before my illness to a hold of me,I took the job of my own accord I would hate to think what would happen if I was forced into a job especially with my illness, employers have no understanding or compassion with anyone with a mental illness, I would love to be able to work but the fact is i am too ill, if the goverment want people back to they should give them more help and support to get better not to be force back to work,this could end up with people just back on benefits because they are still ill or worse, i know from talking to other people on incapacity benefit that because the goverment want the figures down, the mentally ill are being prayed upon because they are too ill to fight and are being force back to work because they are an easy target to get the goverment figures down, do the goverment really want this underhanded behaviour to get the figures down,Why do we have to suffer for for this, when they do the test/medical they dont look at the whole picture they just want you off incapacity benefit , the test needs to be fair and with qualified people in the field they are accessing but this is not the case.im sorry for going on but iam really upset about the budget announcement for long term incapacity, life with this illness is hard enough with the added pressure of this. Debs XX

all this talk of "getting people off benefits " worries me as no-one has yet suggested who will employ them ? employers are already required to employ a proportion of disablesd peole where feasible but few do - the government cant just withdraw benefits without offering an alternative - so what is the alternative ? - fruit and veg picking (seasonal work) or maybe work schemes to blur the figures like the tories community programme in the 80's - we had 30 staff members running the city farm at that time - all "off the dole" for one year only ... or maybe they could work for mp's - oh no you have to be a family member for that don't you? perhaps employers will be compelled or bribed with incentives to offer jobs to the sick and unemployed rather than promoting within the current structure... maybe they will offer them your job have you thought of that ??
meantime although living on benefits no one is exactly rich at that level - have a look at what the benefit system will give you to furnish a house then compare it to the mp's expense allowances! All this policy does is pay large amounts to outside firms to harass the long term sick back to work without offering any solution to why they might be ill or who will employ them. its nothing short of a witch hunt and everyone should consider how they would like to be treated if they lost their job or health before they judge

As an IB claimant have tried desperately for last 2 yrs to get back into work - Had worked for over 25 yrs but potential employers view IBs as high risk and dont offer jobs or, offer such low pay that further diminishes self esteem and confidence that puts us straight back to Drs. Waiting room!

I too have ME and I had a massive waiting time to see a therapist to help me improve my condition. However, it took no waiting time at all to see a compulsary capacity test. if I get better quicker by a shorter waiting list for therapist then I won't be on benefits anymore!!!!!

the proposed changes to incapacity benefit. this government fails to mention that it puts restrictions in front of disabled people when trying to retrain or get the required amount of work exprience to go back into work, a disabled person can retrain but when a job requires work exprience of a minimum 6 months or 12 months as well then all the training comes unstuck. also disabled people need to show an employer there illness wont effect there work or the insurance the company has to take out to cover accidents in the work place.then we have drug addicts who came sickness benefit due to the addiction, drug addiction isnt an illness its self inflicted and can be cured. self inflicted illnesses should be barred from claiming incapacity benefit.i am sorry if you think this is harsh but since the mid eighties people have known the pitful of hard drugs so why should they be molly coddled, also another point to remember the bill for sickness in the UK is going up each day due to migration as well, each person landing on the shores of UK with aids, tb,etc costs an average of 10,000 a year and cannot be deported, they have to be treated the same as us and given benefits. so how much benefit is actually paid out to those who are sick through no fault of there own. also another point to remember is a person on incapacity may have a review each year by social security doctors but a person getting other benefits has to be examined for each new benefit as well, a person claiming say incapacity,dla,motorabiltiy has had three full medical checks and all his/her medical notes reviewed each time, how can ministers round a figure of one million simple they want to cut the amount spent wether a persons sick or not. one minister once said ," what is ten pounds its only a cup of coffee and a cake in parliment" well they would say that, they claim up to 250 a day without reciepts. but ten pounds to a normal person on benefits can be the difference of eating or not for a week.99 percent on the sick are not there because they want to be, and the resons are varied and complex a sytroke of a ministers pen isnt going to make them well

If you look at the practical procedures I cant work out how the DWP is going to process millions and millions of current claimants unless they hire thousands and thousands of extra staff - staff that they need to train so its highly unlikely
the extra tests will be brought in when they Claim.

Looking at it from a money issue it would make more sense for the DWP to tests younger claimants first as potentialy they also have more to offer employers.

I receive incapacity benefit and DLA after two strokes and two Heart attacks - up until that event I had been paying employee taxes and NI for the past ' Forty Years '

By the way since I first claimed I have been examined on four separate occasions by the DWP Doctors.

I would love to be Healthy and working but I have to face facts - I will be lucky if I live out this year so any changes will not affect me but what makes me even sicker is having MP's who have been getting away with huge expenses without having to prove anything at all.

I would love to have the MP's in my shoes as the stress over the tests just makes matter worse.

Clearly they can shift the bar so high that very few people will ever qualify.

I am now nearly sixty how many employers will hire me ?

One wonder's how a Company would even get Insurance as its highly likely I will drop down ' stone dead '

You may end up in my shoes if you are unlucky and then you will see its not a easy touch.

* 44.
* At 09:46 AM on 13 Mar 2008,
* Anna wrote:

" Our income is well above the UK average and we struggle like mad.
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,who is helping us?"

What a nerve!