Socially Acceptable Living Standard

[John Pruden]

with all the tests and reports in this country to get any sort of benefit is nothing short of a miracle? consultants notes medical documents GP reports all have to be given to a pen pusher often who has no medical background and its them that decide it is crazy to think and even doctors don't like the system they are getting overridden but one tip always ask for a copy of any medical reports from hospital visits they are free the DWP have access to scans and xrays so what cant speak cant lie there has been cases were this company that suppose to put you off sickness benefit the claimant has been passed fit for work has died weeks later the company is not to be trusted at all? give me a days work anytime and they could shove all the handouts as far as they can get them!!!!jp

[Les Woodard]

It is a caqtch 22 situation for sure. If you can fill out the form then you are literate enough to not require disability under the mental test. If you arrive in person you have not only proved that you are mobile but that you can see and hear enough not to get hurt. End of another disability claim. Should you have someone else fill in your forms or represent you, then you must be financially well of and not need any support or have enough relations to support you. If you can get your doctor to assess that you are on deaths door step then they will look into it with a commitee that will take at least twelve months to decide the outcome. Does this sound about right.

[Captain Kong]

In 1979 I had my leg crushed on Sea Island in the Gulf. We had no gangway, it was middle of the night, Just topped off with 256,000 tons af crude. The Mercury Draft readings were faulty so I went ashore to read the draft figures and climbed over the dolphins onto the platform. on the way back in the dark shadows , I didnt see the join between the Dolphin and the platform, the ship surge a little and my leg was inbetween.
The Tibia was crushed and splintered and the flesh ripped off.
After an epic trip to the hospital at Al Khoba in Saudi where they wanted to amputate the leg, I arrived home and then had to sign on for sickness Benefit.
ESSO paid my salary less the going rate for Sickness benefit. I was called in to see the people who decide.
I was on crutches and had to climb the stairs to their office with great difficulty.
They removed the dressings off my leg , my bones were still exposed with no flesh on them.
They then said, You are fit to work behind a desk, get yourself a job in an office in Bolton.
I explained I was on contract with ESSO , I was a Navigator and there was no demand for Navigators in Bolton, not having any ships there. So there is no way I could get a job in an Office, no one would employ me.
That is not our concern, they said. You are still fit for to work behind a desk.
My Benefit was stopped. I was married with two young children with a mortgage, I needed that money.
I was off work for over nine months before I could pass the ESSO Doctor.
I have never had one penny in benefits in the 62 years since I left school. Still paying Tax on my miserable pension that I bought for myself with my own money. All the immigrants in my avenue all look fit and healthy,, no one works, They get everything.
Cheers
Brian.

[Gulliver]

I could not understand at first from some replies here who that rather high figure of £38,5000 p.a. was referring to.
It’s for a family of 2 adults and 2 children, and not every individual person in the country,and definitely not pensioners.

　
Seeing as how a ROWNTREE FOUNDATION study came up with much lower figures in April,I suspect the high figure of £38,500 includes such ‘socially acceptable standard ’ (! items as the gas-guzzling 4 X 4, running the second car for the wife,the kids designer trainers, the gym memberships and the annual family holiday to Florida ! Sorry,to my mind these are certainly not essentials,one should cut one’s cloth according to one’s means.Sadly people can not accept that today.

　
　
I noticed the article by the original poster of the thread was from The Times.
The Times ! That explains a lot ! ,but then again I’m biased, and only read the unbiased ! Independent

　
　
The figures from the Rowntree Foundation are as follows(I’ve done the maths for you and added the yearly figures in brackets):
According to what people said, in order to maintain a minimum, socially acceptable quality of life in April 2012:
^a single working-age adult needs a budget of £193 per week; (£10,036 per annum)
^pensioner couple needs £232 per week; (£12,064 p.a.)
^a couple with two children needs £455 per week ; (£23,360 pa)
^a lone parent with one child needs £276 per week ; (£14,352 per annum)
Notes
These amounts are after income tax, and do not include housing or childcare costs.
Most people relying on basic out-of-work benefits do not reach this standard. A single adult, working full time, needs to earn £8.38 an hour to reach this weekly standard. For almost all household types considered in this study, the minimum income standard is above the threshold used to measure relative poverty.



I’ve highlighted that; again because how much does that Times article figure of £38,500 factor in for a ’socially acceptable standard of living‘ .for example your lifestyle,normally .is going to be a lot less extravagant if you live in a terraced house in Coronation Street, than in a mansion in Alderley Edge…

Gulliver
　
　
　

[Tony Morcom]

.........I have never had one penny in benefits in the 62 years since I left school. Still paying Tax on my miserable pension that I bought for myself with my own money. .........

Reading posts like yours Brian it is quite understandable that there is so much ill feeling towards the 'system'. The challenge is that it all appears to come down to the individual dealing with the claim. There is no unity or consistency.

During the past week, which has been an absolute nightmare anyway, I have had dealings with two individual finance departments for the SAME division of the local County Council. This really bought it home to me just what a ridiculous state the so called system has become!

The first gentleman who turned up at our house unannounced, came to assess us for how much money income we have so he could decide whether or not Vhonda has to contribute towards her Care received in the home. His words were " tell me your bank account number and give me a balance figure" He did not even want to look at statements. He then entered the details on his laptop and printed out a letter saying no contributions were due!! Now don't get me wrong; he came up with the decision we want and need. Its the way that the decision was reached that bemuses me. When I pointed out to him that we had been through the exact same process six months ago when applying for a stair lift through the same Social Services department he just said that is irrelevant since they cannot access the information due to Data Protection. The fact that it is the same department doesn't count because they treat it as a separate case. Even this gentleman had to agree that it was ludicrous, but then again he gets paid £30k a year to do his job so he isn't about to rock the boat.

The second contact I had, again through Social Services ON THE SAME DAY, was to claim an allowance for myself as the carer. This allowance, up to £500 per year, is awarded to help relieve the stress of being a Carer by allowing you to have some 'time out' whether a short holiday, days out or whatever. If you like, its just a small pat on the back by a government who fully realise that there are 1000's of unpaid Carers working 24/7 to look after their relatives thus reducing the costs to the system. Anyway the point is that it is available but you have to ask for it ~ if you know its there in the first place which the majority do not. The reason you don't know its there is because they do not advertise it anywhere. It appears that it is totally arbitrary in the way it is awarded based on a decision after a personal visit from one of the assessors. Imagine; 2 different assessors on 2 different days # would they give the same decision? I think not!

So I do sympathise with Brian's annoyance because had the system been unilateral and properly administered he might well have received the benefits needed at that time based on his condition. After all each benefit is only awarded short term with the need for reassessment on a regular basis and as and when circumstances change. His earnings have contributed to the pot that funds these benefits in just the same way we pay insurance premiums. So he should be entitled to a pay back when things go wrong!! The fact that others, who have not even made contributions, receive the pay back anyway is understandably adding insult to injury. However it should be realised that it is not the claimants fault, it is the fault of the system, which in turn is the fault of the government, which in turn is our collective fault for voting them into power. In my humble opinion the first step to rectifying this horrendous situation is to have a law passed which makes voting mandatory. The 40 ~ 60% of people who do not vote are the ones primarily responsible. IF everyone voted then we would get a government truly representative of the population rather than a make do and mend one such as now! And we all know that it is those who don't bother to vote who moan the loudest when the 'proverbial' hits the fan!

Well that's my thought for the day based on my experiences this week which was also interspersed with having to have my 18 year old dog put to sleep. However the good news is I did get my new computer which is brilliant so at least some good has come out of it all. Now I await the next kick in the teeth which must surely be just around the corner

[Neville Roberts]

All of you should sell up and come on over too Florida where the homes are at an all time low , you can get a three bed 2 bath home here for $ 150,000. thats under a 100,000 pounds and some have a swimming pool in the back.I just sold out of the housing market and bought a 3 bed 2 1/2 bath townhome in a gated neighborhood with a comunity pool .for $138,000. so come on down and enjoy the sunshine .OH bloody hell its hot .until oct

[Jim Brady]

Neville,I know that you would love to be back in the Pool and all you other expats where ever you are would sooner be back in the old UK.Thats put the cat amongst the pigeons!!!!! There's No Place Like Home.
Regards.
Jim.B.

[john sutton]

I,d rather poke my eye out with a sharp stick.
john sutton
spain

[John Pruden]

john you would have to do more than that to get a new nissanjp

[Jim Brady]

I,d rather poke my eye out with a sharp stick.
john sutton
spain

John,are you drawing the OAP pension from here and still getting the Heating Allowance!!! When did you last come back and why did you come back?
Regards.
Jim.B.