Author Archives: wendy

The sick and carers fear the benefit changes

April 4, 2013   Carers, disability, ukcuts

Change to disability benefits appeals process could leave people penniless

A double whammy of a revised appeals process and the abolition of legal aid threatens to deny benefits to vulnerable claimants

 

Disability campaigners fear that jobcentre staff will be ill-equipped to make judgments about people’s work capability.

Amid the avalanche of welfare reforms being implemented by a government intent on reducing the benefits bill by £18bn, one controversial measure that seems to have fallen below the radar is a change to the appeals process for welfare benefit claimants.

There are fears that the change, which will deny people the right to appeal decisions about sickness and disability benefits until the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has first reconsidered their case, could leave claimants penniless. Moreover, its introduction, just as legal aid is abolished for many welfare benefit cases, could leave thousands of vulnerable people unable to access the law to secure the income they are entitled to. The double whammy has been attacked as “a disgrace and a scandal”.

The revised appeals process, called “mandatory reconsideration”, will be applied to anyone who, from October, fails the controversial work capability assessment (WCA) and wants to challenge the decision to deny them sickness benefits.

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‘Equal Lives ‘new name for Norfolk Disability group

April 3, 2013   Carers, disability, Norfolk, Uncategorized

“This government has torn up the rule book and targeted disabled people” says chief executive of relaunched Norfolk disabled rights group

By DAVID FREEZER Wednesday, April 3, 2013
6:30 AM

 Anna Abraham, who spoke at the Time for Equal Lives event at the Forum, Norwich. Photo: Steve Adams
Anna Abraham, who spoke at the Time for Equal Lives event at the Forum, Norwich. Photo: Steve Adams

Rights for disabled people were the main topic of conversation at the Forum in Norwich as the Norfolk Coalition of Disabled People was relaunched with a new name, Equal Lives.

 

The group’s new identity and services were unveiled yesterday with a presentation of upcoming plans and priorities in The Curve digital theatre, which was attended by around 250 people.

There was also a series of stalls with information, advice and activities from Equal Lives and its member groups.

Chief executive, Mark Harrison, said: “Over the last 25 years consecutive governments of whatever colour talked to people and acted on what was said, or at least tried to.

“The Disability Discrimination Act was brought in under the last Conservative government but this government has torn up the rule book and targeted disabled people in a completely unfair way for some of the sharpest cuts.

“So the demand for our information and welfare rights services are going up as our funding is reducing.”

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Tracking device for sufferers with dementia will help carers

April 2, 2013   Alzheimer’s, Carers, dementia

Sat nan! Dementia sufferer Anne gets tracking device to stop her getting lost

 

 

Lifesaver … Joanne Taylor shows how the Buddi tracking system works online
Cavendish Press
By BELLA BATTLE
Published: 4 hrs ago

A DEMENTIA-suffering great gran has been fitted with a tracking device dubbed a “sat nan” because she gets lost so often while out walking.

Anne Grimshaw, 78, has become one of the first people in the UK to be equipped with the technology so her family can find her when she gets lost.

The device – known as “Buddi” – is attached to Anne’s keys and shows her last known position on an online map daughter Joanne has access to.

Anne disappears up to FIVE TIMES A DAY and has been known to walk between 150 and 200 miles a week.

She once unwittingly found herself on the hard shoulder of the motorway and a police search helicopter has also been needed to track her down.

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