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The future of care and benefits
Posted Thursday 20 August 2009
UPDATE: Disability Living Allowance will not be scrapped!
This week we've been contacted by lots of people who are concerned about reports that Disability Living Allowance may be scrapped, as part of the Government's plans to reform the social care system. The DLA is a really important benefit for people with mental health problems, so it's not surprising that we have received many calls and emails.
When we last asked our supporters about this issue, people told us the DLA was essential to pay for social activities, transport and to help with basic living costs. Seventy-eight per cent of people said they would oppose any proposals to pool DLA money with the general social care budget, as DLA provides financial support for the extra costs of living with a disability, which are different from care costs. Mind has always argued there must be no change to DLA.
But it is not true that the Government has any concrete plans to get rid of DLA. They have published a new Green Paper, which sets our their vision for the future of care and support and which asks people for their views about whether Attendance Allowance - the equivalent of DLA for older people - should be pooled with social care money. But there is absolutely no mention of scrapping DLA.
The Government's proposals are still in the very early stages and far from becoming law. They are asking for people's views, and Mind will be responding to the consultation in the Autumn. If, at a later stage, there was any proposal to scrap DLA, Mind would strongly and publicly oppose this.
Everyone can have their say on how social care services should look in the future. You can respond online, on Facebook or Twitter, or go along to one of the 'Big Care Debate' events taking place around the country. And although there is no threat to DLA now, we do need to tell politicians of all parties how important it is for people with mental health problems. I will be writing to my MP about this and I hope everyone who has contacted Mind about DLA will too.
Amy Whitelock, Policy and Campaigns Officer, Mind
Update: See below for Amy's reply to readers' comments
16 Comments
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Then why does the Green Paper state 'disability benefits for example Attendance Allowance' and 'disability benefits such as Attendance Allowance' and perpetuates obfuscation. If they mean Attendance Allowance alone, why not state Attendance Allowance. I don't believe them and wonder why MIND believes them.
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I agree with Linda, the green paper talks about 'sickness benefits, such as attendance allowance' it refers to all sickness benefits, and if DLA is not at risk then why are they using the terminology sickness benefits.
If they can dispose of AA which in my opinion is unjust as it is in fact DLA for the elderly, then what will stop the government disposing of DLA for the under 65's.
Don't trust the government they are trying to claw back money to refill the coffers by targetting the most vulnerable in our society, hoping that we will not make a fuss.
Also there is mention in the green paper of all the consultations around the uk, where have they advertised these consultations? The first I heard of it was via Benefits and Work website, it all seems very undercover..... -
Is it right that some people claiming MH benefits get more money than the people paid to care for them..?
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Amy, your article seems to imply that Mind would have no problem about scrapping attendance allowance to pay for social care.
If this proposal is accepted, it would mean that a mentally ill person who qualified for DLA aged 64 years and and 364 days would get DLA as long as his or her need persisted, but that a person who suffered from an identical condition with identical needs aged 65 years and one day would not get the equivalent amount in attendance allowance.
This is clearly age discrimination, which I would have thought was against Mind policy.
Mind should oppose the proposal to pool attendance allowance. It is a way of robbing one lot of people who need support to pay for care for another lot.
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"But it is not true that the Government has any concrete plans to get rid of DLA"
So the government has SOME plans or ideas to scrap DLA?
That statement alone should set bells ringing amongst disabled people and their Carers.
The 'wait and see' strategy is a joke, stop sitting on your hands MIND and start fighting for the people you claim to represent.
(2 questions- how much money does MIND receive from the various governmental departments? Would this be in danger of being withdrawn should MIND speak out?)
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I personally would not trust anything politicians or the DWP and other government departments say about disability benefits. If i am correct the Green paper mentioned other disability benefits, so what are those other disability benefits?
It is the same type of behaviour that was used for welfare reform, all government really want to do is cut benefits, create fear and save money. That is the agenda.
In my view they are out to scrap all work related sickness benefits, put everyone within 10 years on JSA. One thing is certain there will be few jobs for the mentally ill, especially the long term sufferers.
The charities know what is going on but they will not upset the government and its private cronies
As for DLA and attendance allowance they will means test both those benefits and make the criteria much harder to qualify The disability charities sould say they do not trust this government How can they still be going on about support for jobs, right to control etc, when all our rights are being taken off us .
The country is in a huge amount of debt, the government are going to use us as the scapegoats.
Paul
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I apologise if I wasn’t clear in my article, Mind absolutely opposes scrapping both Attendance Allowance (AA) and Disability Living Allowance (DLA). We know from talking to our networks of people with experience of mental distress that both AA and DLA are a really important part of the support offered to people with mental health problems, precisely because of the independence and personal flexibility afforded by these benefits. Mind would certainly not support any proposal to scrap AA.
The only reason I talked largely about DLA in my article is that this is what most people have contacted Mind about.
Mind has repeatedly made the case to Government that both AA and DLA must be retained and not pooled with general local authority funding as part of any future reform of the social care system. We will continue to argue this in the weeks and months ahead. But we all need to work together to tell the Government and politicians of all parties just how important AA and DLA are for people with mental health problems – so I hope people will take part in the Government’s consultation events, contribute to the debate online, or write to their MP about this important issue.
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Mind may say it apposes things but it looks like all it will do is leave it to the public to complaln now.
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Thanks for your comment webglynne.
Mind would oppose any plans to scrap DLA or AA, now or in the future. We have pressed this case to Government many times and will continue to do so. But, ultimately, the most powerful thing we can do as a charity - the most powerful thing any charity can do - is organise our supporters to campaign for fair treatment. We are fighting for fair treatment, but we can't do it without you!
As Amy mentioned in her post, there are consultation events throughout September and October. You can find out more here: http://www.coievents.co.uk/careandsupport/
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I hope that commenting on this site will not prevent people from opposing the proposals in the Green Paper more directly. Perhaps Mind should offer more help and advice to enable people to make their feelings and objections known.
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It's not what they say, but what they don't say... but more than that it's the way they don't say it! :(
If you want to claim DLA - Disability Living Allowance before it's too late then surf on over to The Mental Health Survival Guide for exhaustive information at:
www.houlston.freeserve.co.uk/mental.htm
With best wishes from,
Benefits Bob... The Welfare Weasel. -
I feel that Mind have responded well and are committed to oppose the removal of DLA/attendance allowance but people should make their feelings of opposition known, particularly to their elected members so they are in no doubt as to peoples feelings. As said above the most worrying thing about the green paper is the way they avoid being specific.
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http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=144582257576
The campaign is progressing: we need to spread the word that alarm bells are ringing that the Government cannot be trusted to act with sensitivity. Take the Housing Benefits claw-back issue for instance. Wreaks of petty-minded victimisation.
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I do not trust Mind, I feel they are in the pocket of the Government.The Government always talks about consultations and then does exactly what it wanted to do regardless of what people want.Mind seem to me to do what the government wants them to do and I do not think Health workers and the mental health charities should be working hand in glove with the DWP.The welfare state is slowly but surely being stripped down to the barest minimum and I do not feel that Mind has the best interests of the mentally ill at heart.The government has every intention of stripping away both DLA and Attendence Allowance and with the collusion of the mental health charities will succeed in that aim.
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I find it really quite worrying that charities like MIND are putting so much emphasis on DLA. A LOT of them - MIND included - keep on saying "well they haven't specifically said DLA, only Attendance Allowance, so don't worry". Isn't that a bit ageist? The implication seems to be that it's OK for disabled people to lose their benefit if they are old! The Green Paper specifically mentions Attendance Allowance so I think the threat to that is far greater! Personally I think that old people are seen as a soft target - for one thing, not so many elderly will be reading all this on the internet. Don't be fooled: if AA gets the chop, DLA will be right on the list. It's the thin end of a large and nasty wedge. They are both the same benefit, just with different names depending on how old you are. Also, there seems to be the idea that people already receiving these benefits will keep them. No. It only says "an equal amount of care and support". And look what happened to the promise about people who already had Incapacity Benefit not being affected by the change to ESA...
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Mind, in partnership with a number of disability charities, has launched a public petition to make clear to Government the vital importance of DLA and AA - and how strong feeling is on this issue. Please follow the link below to sign and show your support!
http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/AttendanceA/
The petition reads as follows:
We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to recognise the vital support that Attendance Allowance (AA) and Disability Living Allowance (DLA) provide to disabled people, and to ensure that these benefits are secured and are not removed as part of any future reform of the social care system in England.
Thank you!
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