Plans for 11 thousand esa medicals per week?

[belvederebabe]

That is very interesting have you got a link treborc...yes these politicians are brilliant they can make disabled well again, make 8 million jobs out of a few hundred thousand, keep inflation at a record low when it is sky rocketing....Turn water in to wine, walk on water...they all think the are gods sit in their ivory towers sipping expensive wine eating expensive food with their rose tinned glasses on..brilliant on top of that they than answer a question 100 times over without actually answering the question put to them...sheer brilliant !!!

With regard to the 1 year rule becoming 2 years...it would in fact make a big difference, I still think it is wrong however, but could mean another year of independence and a chance to save a little before I have nothing. Also it might give me a bit longer for all this to go tits up and they get rid of atos, or even it gives me another year of support to find a suitable miracle job. OF Course they are out there the gods at parliament say there are..... xx please If you do have a link would love to see it ..

[the jem]

I believe minimum wage should be based and related to maximum wage as a percentage and therefore in any organisation the minimum wage cannot be lower than a certain percentage of the income of the person in the company getting the maximum income from the company ie including salary and bonus. Hence that percentage should apply in the whole of the UK the same percentage of the maximum income earner.

Perhaps the government should look at what is required to live and how much it costs just the basic standing charge - part of todays living and this should be incorporated into all basic wage. ie standing charges for utilities (which have increased considerably) council tax and mobile, internet and tv which are now a part of todays society that has become a necessity and was not a few years ago.

[treborc]

Labour backs majority of government’s welfare agenda
Labour’s new shadow work and pensions secretary has backed large sections of the coalition government’s welfare reforms, but has criticised some of its cuts to disability benefits as “not compassionate”.

In a speech to the Institute for Public Policy Research, Liam Byrne suggested there would be no radical change in direction from the former Labour government’s welfare policies.

He said he would back the coalition government when it puts in place “radical welfare reform that works”.

But he warned that the government’s welfare reforms would fail if there were not enough jobs available.

He said: “Without a faster growing economy, the government’s changes won’t push people into a job. They will push them into a corner.”

Byrne said the coalition was “failing the compassion test” with some of its reforms, including removing the mobility component of disability living allowance (DLA) from most disabled people in residential care.

He said this was not compassionate or supportive but was “a punishment for people who need our help”.

And he said that cutting housing benefit by 10 per cent for all those who have been claiming jobseeker’s allowance for a year – which will affect many disabled people denied out-of-work disability benefits – was also “not compassionate” and was a “punishment”.

But Byrne said Labour agreed with more than three-quarters of the “principled and burden-sharing welfare savings and efficiencies” the government was making next year.

He said he didn’t agree with imposing a one-year time limit on people in the work-related activity group claiming “contributory” employment and support allowance (ESA) – the replacement for incapacity benefit – because it “could hit people recovering from cancer”, although he said a two-year limit “could work”.

He also backed the need for DLA reform, although he warned that if it was “driven by a top-down cuts target” it risked denying support for “those in search of a more independent life”.

The government has imposed such a target, saying it wants to cut spending on working-age DLA – and the number of working-age claimants – by 20 per cent by 2016.

The disability poverty charity Disability Alliance (DA) welcomed Labour’s apparent move “away from the simplistic tone of office” and the “helpful” recognition that there must be “genuine work opportunities” available if welfare reform was to work.

DA added: “We believe DWP must develop, in partnership with employers, sustainable employment opportunities for disabled people rather than focus on reducing benefit levels.”

News provided by John Pring at www.disabilitynewsservice.com

[belvederebabe]

Thank you treborc ....very interesting read.

[saintjanet]

Thank you treborc ....very interesting read.

Liam byrne has made many comments, since being appointed shadow sec. of state for work and pensions on 20.1.11, as is the norm. when anyone moves into this or a similar position. I would like to know more about what he intends to do and when, rather than his opinions, i think he made these comments a couple of weeks ago.

I remember yvette coopers comments when she was appointed, she gave credence to what is now taking place, only on a smaller scale, i wonder what would have happened if labour had won the election?