Since 2013 17,000 Died

[spathiphyllum]

Since 2013, more than 17,000 people have died while waiting to hear whether their claim for disability benefit had been successful

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/pip-waiting-time-deaths-disabled-people-die-disability-benefits-personal-independence-payment-dwp-a8727296.html?fbclid=IwAR0KJcR25EBRZ_hMARhxgTQDhZH20SRb8yOvGg3XYbFAnqMqdyKy3z887v8

I personally know someone with severe rheumatoid arthritis. He has had it since he was born. It has always affected him, docs said he'd be in a wheel chair by the time he was 18. Thankfully he's holding out, but just coming up to 30 it's becoming more of a issue.

The gov have assessed him numerous times, and claim he is fit to work. (Trust me, he isn't, i'd be the first to expose a benefit fraud, but that's the thing, they won't give him benefits!)

Have you seen the adverts about arthritis? That's literally him every morning. It's horrific. I feel so bad for him, but thankfully he hasn't died. It's a shame the same can't be said for the 17,000 other people.

[SparklyKid]

A good reason to stop overseas aid.

[spathiphyllum]

It has nothing to do with overseas aid.

Regardless to the above point.. Only 1% of our tax goes to over seas aid. And it does a lot of good.

[bednobs]

pip has nothing to do with being able to work or not so i conclude you don't know what you are talking about.

[spathiphyllum]

Oh.. How so?

I think my friend is more than entitled to personal independence payment to help with the extra costs of living with a long-term health condition or a disability.

Just because i spoke about being fit to work as well doesn't take away his need. The fact he isn't fit to work and they think he is, is a typical government standard.

[spathiphyllum]

Put it this way BK, if you're deemed fit to work good luck getting Personal Independence Payment

[wolf63]

It may be that they would have died even if no benefit claim was made.

[bednobs]

how so? well, PIP has NOTHING at all to do with "them" thinking you are fit for work or not. There are no questions about work, you can get it and still go to work

[spathiphyllum]

Fact is, we need a system that can asses people before they die.

[Mamyalynne]

There's no doubt that delays in sorting claims causes a lot of hardship and worry - but these bald figures don't help really.
Each case is individual and has to be seen as such, those diagnosed as terminal (not expected to live more than six months) should be treated under Special Rules.
However Doctors can't or won't always commit themselves leaving someone in an unsure state.

[wolf63]

People are give a form to fill in which asks for full details of how an illness impacts on a person's life. Under the old DLA system people often have insufficient information.

[spathiphyllum]

bednobs i never said it did. I was simply including a story to my post. No need to be so rude. They are correlated

[Mamyalynne]

Spath, if your friend has been refused out of work benefits, has he tried to claim PIP?

[wolf63]

Which meant no award made. They would appeal, supply more information and a new decision would be made.

I know zilch about PIP but it is similar to what DLA was.

[spathiphyllum]

He has, he was also refused. He has been refused all benefits apart from UI (use to be JSA)

[Mamyalynne]

Is he overseas?

Don't know UI.

[spathiphyllum]

No, Sorry, UC, universal credit (when i said UI i thought income)

[fiction-factory]

Pointless statistic, spath. Yes, people die. Since 2013 over 2.5 million people have died in the UK, over 99% of whom were not waiting for claims to be settled. There could just as easily have been 17000 who died while watching daytime TV or while out walking. Can you show how many of these people would not have died if PIP had been paid more quickly?

[spathiphyllum]

No but i also can't tell you how many would have survived.

[douglas9401]

This is a glimpse of what life would be like if spaniels spoke English.

[New Judge]

"...bednobs i never said it did. I was simply including a story to my post."

Then why? Countless more people have died in the same period whilst not waiting to be assessed for disability benefit. Therefore (by your logic) you are far more likely to die if you are not waiting to be assessed than if you are. Thousands of people die whilst they are waiting to win the lottery. Therefore (again by your logic) not winning the lottery seriously jeopardises your health and causes premature death.

"They are correlated"

They are obviously not (see above). You need to show a causal relationship between the two (i.e. that awaiting a decision on disability benefit causes death, not simply that people awaiting such a decision die). Do that and I'll listen.