One possible solution to getting the feckless and workshy back into the work ethic?

[url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-16836065British men forced into slavery abroad[/url

I'll lay odds IDS's minions are busy investigating the feasibility of rolling it out nationwide

This all could backfire on the government big time. Talked to hubby last night and we have worked out we would be financially better off him taking redundancy. We would get Housing Benefit (pay the interest on the mortgage), council tax benefit, free presciptions, free dental care and free optical care. I will get to keep my £94 a week ESA under the income based rules and hubby would probably get carers allowance. Because we don't have kids we would be well under the £26,000 cap. But we probably won't be doing this because we are the type of people who will work if we can, and so we struggle on, getting behind on the mortgage, raking up credit card debt, not having the heating on during the day all for the sake of £94 to keep us going. Shame on you ConDems.

As you were:

[url=http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/government-acts-over-loan-chiefs-tax-dodge-6298309.htmlDanny Alexander is going to "unwind" any similar agreements[/url. The caveat is:

[i"Across Government, if any appointments are found, whether agreed by this or the previous government, which do not provide value for money, I would urge departments to seek to unwind them as quickly as possible and as quickly as is compatible with securing good value for public money."[/i

"Provide value for money"? I suppose that not exposing the government to paying employers' NI could be viewed as providing "value for money"

As the man who apparently agreed Lester's "arrangement" I hope he's having a good look at his own contract, the ginger rodent

Thats tame - he usually gets Beaker from the muppets in my house!

Harriet Harperson called him that at a Labour conference and had to apologise. Personally, I felt it wasn't harsh enough

I love that quote fromn a former colleague, when asked if he was surprised at Alexander's elevation to No 2 in the treasury: "Surpised? Most of us were shocked when he managed to get the job of Press Officer to The Cairngorms National Park"

Oh well done Danny, I suppose you think this is a start?
It's peanuts ... now get your finger out and start chasing the biggies.

Yet more proof that the private sector is more efficient when it comes to benefit claims:

[url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-16937742Employment Minister Chris Grayling said they were "probably about four months behind where we would wish to be and we're in the process of clearing the backlog"[/url

Looks like the French contractor cannot cope with the claims. If Grayling reckons, they're "four months behind where they'd wish to be" and the assessments should be made within 13 weeks of initial claim, does that mean that they're actually up to seven months behind?

Quote ="cod'ead"Yet more proof that the private sector is more efficient when it comes to benefit claims: [url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-16937742Employment Minister Chris Grayling said they were "probably about four months behind where we would wish to be and we're in the process of clearing the backlog"[/url Looks like the French contractor cannot cope with the claims. If Grayling reckons, they're "four months behind where they'd wish to be" and the assessments should be made within 13 weeks of initial claim, does that mean that they're actually up to seven months behind?'" I belong to a few disability groups and 7 -9 months is what I'm hearing. I was lucky, mine was filled out and posted in July and it took about 5 - 6 weeks. People who filled out their ESA50 forms in Nov - Dec are still waiting. I think Atos and DWP are saying around 6 months. You're only supposed get the assessment rate of ESA for the first 13 weeks while you are awaiting your decision but this is obviously being prolonged due to the backlog. indymedia.org.uk/en/2011/08/483162.html blogs.mirror.co.uk/investigation ... n-and.html

Quote ="cod'ead"Yet more proof that the private sector is more efficient when it comes to benefit claims: [url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-16937742Employment Minister Chris Grayling said they were "probably about four months behind where we would wish to be and we're in the process of clearing the backlog"[/url Looks like the French contractor cannot cope with the claims. If Grayling reckons, they're "four months behind where they'd wish to be" and the assessments should be made within 13 weeks of initial claim, does that mean that they're actually up to seven months behind?'" I belong to a few disability groups and 7 -9 months is what I'm hearing. I was lucky, mine was filled out and posted in July and it took about 5 - 6 weeks. People who filled out their ESA50 forms in Nov - Dec are still waiting. I think Atos and DWP are saying around 6 months. You're only supposed get the assessment rate of ESA for the first 13 weeks while you are awaiting your decision but this is obviously being prolonged due to the backlog. indymedia.org.uk/en/2011/08/483162.html blogs.mirror.co.uk/investigation ... n-and.html

[url=http://www.private-eye.co.uk/sections.php?section_link=hp_sauce&Good old ATOS[/url

Quote ="Hull White Star"I belong to a few disability groups and 7 -9 months is what I'm hearing. I was lucky, mine was filled out and posted in July and it took about 5 - 6 weeks. People who filled out their ESA50 forms in Nov - Dec are still waiting. I think Atos and DWP are saying around 6 months. You're only supposed get the assessment rate of ESA for the first 13 weeks while you are awaiting your decision but this is obviously being prolonged due to the backlog. indymedia.org.uk/en/2011/08/483162.html blogs.mirror.co.uk/investigation ... n-and.html'" Mine took about ten weeks to sort out. Although I will be receiving the same as before, I will now have to attend some kind of re-training at the job centre. What are they going to do? Cure my illness?

Quote ="Hull White Star"I belong to a few disability groups and 7 -9 months is what I'm hearing. I was lucky, mine was filled out and posted in July and it took about 5 - 6 weeks. People who filled out their ESA50 forms in Nov - Dec are still waiting. I think Atos and DWP are saying around 6 months. You're only supposed get the assessment rate of ESA for the first 13 weeks while you are awaiting your decision but this is obviously being prolonged due to the backlog. indymedia.org.uk/en/2011/08/483162.html blogs.mirror.co.uk/investigation ... n-and.html'" Mine took about ten weeks to sort out. Although I will be receiving the same as before, I will now have to attend some kind of re-training at the job centre. What are they going to do? Cure my illness?

The DWP will shortly announce a £500m per year contract to help get the leadswingers back to work. Southern Baptists are looking forward to their new role in Jobcentres nationwide:

My father in law would be delighted if someone could do that. He's currently on chemo for Hodgkins and is hoping that he'll be fit to return to work in the next few months, but DWP have told him that until then, effectively, they'll give him sod all support towards anything. This seems to be because they calculated the figures wrongly and rule state that they'll only pay him anything 6 or 9 months from a qualifying date of October when he was diagnosed, after 3 months of doctors fannying around trying to decide what was up with him, most of which he spent in hospital unable to work. He's challenging the decision, but the condition leaves him so exhausted and uninterested, he often feels that he would prefer to get well, rather than make a fuss.

I'm all for catching leadswingers but to let some Johnny Tickbox decide who is and who isn't fit to work based on no contact with the person and who is therefore deserving of support is about as low as it gets, and typical of the lot that are in charge right now.

Yes this is personal, but I wouldn't want to see anyone who is genuinely ill be unable to support themselves because of this ridiculous policy. Who is better at diagnosing illness, a qualified doctor or a penpusher at Atos?

Is there some sort of competition within the government to see which of the most vulnerable they can hit the hardest?

[url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2012/feb/16/disabled-unpaid-work-benefit-cutsDisabled people face unlimited unpaid work or cuts in benefit[/url

Every day, I hope that the stupid fookers who voted for this shower, sit and reflect on just what they have unleashed on those in our society, who are less able than most.

I sit and reflect...then realise how lucky we are to not have Labour in office anymore.

I hate Atos with a passion, but they don't actually make the decisions. It's a penpusher with even less medical knowledge than Atos that ultimately makes the decision. They don't even always pay heed to Atos.


I've had my DLA taken off my after the DWP "Decision Maker" decided, without a report from my GP or either of my consultants or sending me to Atos, that I am "at no risk from fits or blackouts". I do wish they'd told my brain that because it isn't playing ball. They are so arrogant that after a "reconsideration" they still didn't bother to get anything from any of the Doctors or even look at the last Atos report I had done. Basically hoping people will give in before getting to tribunal. It's farcial. It's all very well them saying "if you win at tribuneral we'll backdate all the money", but that doesn't pay the expenses now.

Between 60 and 70% of people are winning at DLA tribunals atm. There should be an outcry about that, but because it's being portrayed that everyone is at it its not. Stop the stupid decisions and you'd slash the number of tribunals which would save a fortune as it can't be cheap to have them. Get the decision right first time and you'd save way more than treating people like scumbags for having the tenacity of being ill or disabled.

So are you pleased with the ethics shown by this government in their proposed treatment of the sick, disabled and unemployed?

I read that article this morning although it won't affect me. Why? Because they are taking my ESA off me in September because hubby dares to work and earn more than £7,500 p/a so I will no longer be part of their statistics or back to work programmes. They can't threaten me with taking my ESA off me if I don't comply because thats already gone in the 365 day rule. I'll be on my own, thrown out by this government because I have a condition. I feel like I am being punished for my illness by this nasty Tory government.

I've also noticed no one uses the term "coalition" government anymore, imo because its clear that this is no longer a coalition, its the Tories, using the same old Tory cons, tricks and lies.



I hope you are proud of yourself for voting this shower in and what they are doing to me and 3.5 million other disabled people.

It's similar in my line of work. Stupid refusals challenged and around 40% allowed, increasing every year. The staff are under so much pressure to push decisions out that they don't consider the cases properly (or in DLA etc, I suspect that the push from above is to tighten the criteria so much that refusal is the only option).

Bob on there Chris. Just a few examples of questions on my ESA50 form and you can make up your own minds as to whether they are loaded or not:

[iCan you reach above your head? Yes/No

Can you pick up an empty cardboard Box/ Yes/No

Can you transfer from one chair to another with someones help? Yes/No

Can you hold a pen? Yes/No

Can you press down one computer keyboard letter/touch dial pad on telephone? Yes/No

Can you mobilise 50m even with aids (including wheelchairs, motorised aids, crutches and walking sticks) Yes/No.[/i

No wonder everyone is failing when you can only answer yes/no and there isn't room to eleborate. But the likes of the DM would have you believe that 8 out of 10 ESA claimants an work. They failed to mention that on appeal it would only be around 1 out of 10.

Get a grip please.

I don't think its me thats lost the grip, you need to look a lot closer to the Tories for that.

Nice to know what you think of the disabled of this country, shows you for what you are.

Yes everyone who voted for the tories must hate diabled people. Like I said, get a grip, you ae hysterical.

I have every right to be "hysterical" after what the Tories are doing. I will lose all my income in September because Mr Cameron doesn't think I am ill anymore. Cancer patients can only be on Contributory ESA for one year, children born disabled will not be able to claim ESA when they reach 18. Now today we find out we will have to stack shelves at Tescos for nothing but our benefit. Just a thought but will disabled peoples carers be working stacking shelves along side their patients too?

Again, I'm not the one whose "lost" the grip. You voted for them, you reap what you sow.