DWP failures and the real life costs

Bl4ckGryph0n

I’ve mentioned I Daniel Blake before, it very clearly illustrates my point regarding the people that work in that sector. Changing the government won’t ever help with that.

Derek S-H

And the government's response to the UN envoy's damning report?

"This is a barely believable documentation of Britain, based on a tiny period of time spent here. It paints a completely inaccurate picture of our approach to tackling poverty," a spokesman said.

"All the evidence shows that full-time work is the best way to boost your income and quality of life," the spokesman added.

What evidence? And what if you're not capable of working due to physical or mental ill health? What if there actually isn't any work to do because your area is so deprived? What if all the jobs are low paid, long hours crappy call centres or menial service work? How are you meant to work full time if you're a single parent?

What is "barely believable" is that Professor Alston found so much evidence in just TWO WEEKS whilst your cossetted mob have been in power for years and you still won't acknowledge this issue.

Absolutely clueless and/or uncaring.

richp007

The answer is both. I at least hope this incarnation of the Tory party is buried alongside May. Ineffectual, and utterly useless in all areas.

The current Labour party might do no better, but they certainly won't do any worse.

Trollslayer

Sadly I think they might.

richp007

Of course yes they might, but I think the nation needs to take that chance. No way can the Tories be given another term in office.

tapzilla2k

They are looking at replacing Universal Credit in some areas with Universal Basic Income as part of a trial. What I think they'll probably do is change the regulations and probably suspend the sanctions regime. They'll probably also end the contracts with the private providers for assessments fairly quickly, as it's a massive waste of money given the amount of appeals the DWP loses. The quality of evidence produced wouldn't stand up in a criminal trial according to the top HM Courts and Tribunal services Judges. They can pretty much spread out an appeal case load for the day/week and pick out which ones have the weakest evidence from the DWP and thus shouldn't have got to the appeal stage in the first place. They might yet start charging the DWP for the cost of appeals.

The DWP will not seek medical evidence from GP's and the NHS, you have to gather that yourself. It's a cost cutting exercise for the DWP. When I got the DWP's reasons for denying my PIP claim my medical evidence was stamped "Unsolicited" and "Poor Quality". Poor quality might have been to do with the photocopying used of the documents my GP Provided or the fact they didn't rate the evidence highly. Who knows with the DWP. My GP swung the appeal in my favour with his evidence, and I do believe he's getting angry at having to pick up the pieces when patients are denied benefits and they spiral down. Another hidden cost of IDS benefit reforms there.

Trollslayer

Sweden just tried that and it didn't work out.
These things tend to be great at first but after a period people take it for granted and some stop working so the remaining workers and businesses are taxed more heavily.
Also Sweden's GDP per capita is twenty five percent higher then the UK.

tapzilla2k

UBI will clearly need some carrot and stick i.e. You could make it conditional on doing a certain amount of voluntary work in the community that has a worthwhile impact in exchange for UBI or being in education to improve employment prospects. However it's time probably won't come until jobs are lost to automation via AI and Robotics later in the century. If climate change doesn't tank the global economy first of course.

Bl4ckGryph0n

I’ve got no problem with UBI when there are mutual obligations for all of working age and ability.

Trollslayer

Does it apply to pensioners as well?