Tackling the benefits system

If the changes to the benefits system confuse me, I can’t think what they must do to those with mental health issues.

Tax Payers’ money must have been used to change the names of the Benefits – all to no purpose, because there was nothing wrong with the names that they had.

If you asked the man on the Clapham omnibus the following questions, he would, probably, give you the following answers:

‘What is Universal Credit?’ ‘It must be credit that one can obtain from a wide variety of sources.’ ‘What is Employment Support Allowance?’ ‘It must be a payment available to top up the income of the low-waged.’

‘What is Job-Seekers Allowance?’ ‘It must be an allowance – available to people – to enable them to get some smart clothes, and to help pay their fares – when they attend interviews for jobs.’

‘What is Personal Independence Payment?’ ‘ It must be money, given to young people, to enable them to live independently of their families.’

All these answers are incorrect.

The old names for the Benefits – Housing Benefit, Incapacity Benefit, Unemployment Benefit, and Disability Living Allowance, told one exactly what they were.

Last week, I succeeded in getting Personal Independence Payment, for a lady who has suffered from cancer, and other, physical, as well as, mental, health problems. With relief, she said, ‘Now I will sometimes be able to take a taxi, instead of waiting for the bus.’

This was one of the very points that Sir John Redwood kindly submitted to the Ministers, for me, when I was commenting, to Parliament, on the changeover, from Disability Living Allowance, to Personal Independence Payment.

I disagreed with the abolition of the Low Rate – explaining that a person, with a moderate, mental or physical, disability, who would not qualify for High or Middle Rate Benefit, might, just about, be able to struggle to the supermarket, for food shopping, but would need to take a taxi, back.

The Low Rate of Benefit, would enable them to pay for the taxi.

At least, I managed to get Standard Rate, [the old Middle Rate], for this lady. But often, people with only, mental, disabilities, who, in the past, qualified just for the Low Rate of Disability Living Allowance, may, under the new system, get nothing!

For this reason, when I apply for them, I always submit full medical evidence.

I explain that this always carries the most weight. We may be saying exactly the same thing, but he, nevertheless, is a Fellow of the Royal College of Psychiatrists, and I am not.

Pam Jenkinson, The Wokingham Crisis House