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@Spectralis Gone by Christmas? They are not going anywhere. Don’t believe it 

@Matt Under ordinary circumstances I would agree with you but Starmer won because the public were sick of Tory austerity and hypocrisy. It's obvious to many in Labour and the public at large that Starmer is now an incredible liability.

@Spectralis Unlike the Conservatives, it is very difficult to remove a Labour leader.  And I'm not convinced that the backbenchers, disenchanted as they are, are willing to mount a putsch. It never looks good to the electorate - and one of the main reasons why the Tories were crushed last July (many Tory voters stayed at home).  I woudl say, though, that Reeves might have to go - after all, Rayner (a socialist apparently) eventually had to resign.

@Bronc KEEP  reform out out out . BE  no nhs, no benefits they gain power july 2029 4 yrs time . 

@Bronc Lol! And look how he turned out. (No disrespect to other pit workers old and new :)

@Frances It happened with my name too

@HL Thank you @HL .appreciated. its happened a few times and mostly when commenting on @Neil cooks posts for some reason.

@Frances @Frances Yes,I honestly do not understand it at all. 

@The Dogmother Sorry to hear this The Dogmother – it does seem odd that the same name can be used again. You could try contacting Benefits and Work directly, under “About”, “Contact”.

@The Dogmother It should not be possible for names to be duplicated, even innocently. It's confusing at best. 

@John 2 SIDEs   TO &  STORY ??????.   AGE 62 with mobility  disabilitys  back , DISCS L4/ L5  worn  start STENOSIS  Mobility with aide  walk stick MAX  60ft 20 meteres Stand up right  1- 2 min .  ALL  due to works  ACCIDENT  39 yrs back .     BUT  out last 45 yrs  I PAID IN  43 years CLASS1  tax , ni (paye)  NI  goes towards  NHS ,  STATE NEW OAP ,,,, BENFITS  ,,,,, UC, PIP ,LCWRA,, AA .     MIN  to get  full New state oap is  pay min 35 yrs class1 ni (paye) .    SO  more paid my state oap & any disability benefits  claimed .  BENEFITS not free but paid for over life time work 40/ 45 yrs .  OFF  pay in CLASS1  NI (PAYE) . 

@John Oh, I'm aware that's their policy. Hence the point of my comment that people shouldn't think they'll draw a line in the sand on a certain condition and they should throw said claimants with said condition to the wolves as long as they'll be fine.

I'm just referencing what they've stated at this recent conference, which is that conditions such as "schizophrenia, bipolar, post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and personality disorders as types of mental illness that would be exempt."

The bottom line is that PIP is not given out on the basis of diagnosis and it should stay that way. Unfortunately, Labour's rhetoric against claimants with mental health conditions has pitted those with physical conditions against them if it means they can keep their benefits. If you read anything from The Telegraph that concerns people with mental health issues getting PIP, you'll find commenters who claim to have physical disabilities who are all for it being cut because "we deserve it more".

Reform are now playing the same game to score votes. Which has been a genuine thing that people on this forum have considered in the past if it means getting Labour out. Leopards would never eat my face and all that.

@Anon Not just anxiety. Reforms policy is to remove eligibility for PIP and UC health / ESA for anxiety disorders and depression disorders. 

@Anon
I have no knowledge of how anxiety disorders affect people. To get PIP and/or UC health/ESA it must be debilitating.

I do know. people can end up hospitalized with depression due to self neglect, suicidal, obsessive unable to change their train of thought, delusional their mind makes up reasons for their depression, catatonic. It is not as Reform painted it feeling a bit sad or something to laugh at people being on PIP or off work for as if it is ridiculous. I half suspect Reform thinks depression is caused by weakness of character and talking therapies are giving people a stern talking to.

And to think Lee Anderson worked for over a decade for Citizens Advice first as a volunteer then as a paid employee, including advising people on benefits, and then worked at Homeless shelters. And is now a constituency MP. He must have come into contact with numerous people suffering from mental health problems. He must know how devastating Reform's welfare polices will be. Yet he is full of vitriol and mocking and his opinions appear based on pure bigotry. To be so out of ignorance and misinformation is one thing but to be so with knowledge is something far worse.

@John It seems to me like they're banking on people with "actual mental health conditions" such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and so on (which they've claimed will be exempt from the cuts) to throw people with anxiety under the bus.

And the sad thing is that people will fall for it because the logical thing to assume is that going after anxiety means that Reform won't then go after everybody that isn't in a coma. 🙄

@Neil Cook Neil we could all be working as Hod carriers on building sites soon like in Auf Weidesen Pet.

@Spectralis And the cost! Even with a disabled Railcard, which can't be used if purchasing a season ticket.

@D Thanks for this useful information. It's difficult to be certain with Starmer's government whether or not what one minister claims is or will remain policy in the future.

@The Dogmother Why the down votes for somebody using my name???? So you agree with it,is that what your saying? Maybe if your user names jacked you won't like the content they comment. Absolutely unbelievable. 

@Neil Cook I didnt write that message @Neil.. im fed up of my name being used. Not from me.  

@The Dogmother Who said he's getting in ?Anything like that is still a fair way off from what I've heard and read ...... hopefully.

@The Dogmother STOP USING MY NAME!!! 

@John I watched the live stream and it was 50 minutes of waffle, but very little about what Reform would do. They said they want to get those with low level mental health into the workplace. How would they cajole employers to take these people on? It was mentioned that those with bipolar and schizophrenia weren't on the hit list.

They also want to bring back more face-to-face assessments - presumably by the same types of companies that are currently doing them. This is illogical if the aim is to reduce the benefit bill. No mention of how much the contract to maximus, serco et al (£2,769,640,000 btw) is costing the taxpayer; no mention of the £several million each year the DWP spends on appeals; no mention of the bonuses that WCA assessors and DWP staff are paid every time some one is found fit to work (apparently they don't get bonuses - cough cough splutter splutter).

If Lee Anderson did work for CAB (which I don’t believe), he must be fully aware of the effort it takes to get ESA/UC/PIP and the vast numbers having to go to appeals.

Reform are strongly for employing people based on merit and ability, which is the correct approach; an employer end up with the person best suited for the job. But most disabled people are not the best people for the job. In order to force employers to employ the disabled, Reform will have to go against its own principles of merit-based employment.

Even Reform acknowledge that there are people who need taxpayer-funded assistance. Who are these people and what health problems count towards someone being unsuitable for work?

They also mentioned talking therapy. Yeah, talking therapy. Proven time and time again to be useless and often makes people worse.

I would be interested in knowing how many of Zia Yusuf's staff at his Velocity Black company had low level mental health problems (or any health problems). I'm guessing the answer is zero. He can't expect other employers to employ the types of people he did not. 

@The Dogmother Here here

@John @John Isn't he some kind of special..  what a  fool. I guess my Aunt and uncle ,both mental health nurses ,and my uncle a very senior one, where being duped as they were bitten,spit at, punched in the face ,and my uncle who had to accompany the criminally insane to Brompton ,Broadmore etc was just playing a silly game for s*its and giggles.  

@Spectralis Not sure about Starmer going by Christmas; next May is more likely 

@Ant Evans Motobility only charge the amount that is given as a benefit so I don't have a problem with that. They do a good service and provide reliable safe cars as well as insurance and roadside help as well as provide rental cars to cover for accidents and also put money aside to help people who may lose their mobility. I do not have a problem with that as the do a good service when there is nothing else 

@Sad world we live in It all comes down to no progress in growing the economy and improving people's lives so they attack the disabled funds to make up for their lack of efforts as  a easy way. In fact they are just doing a cutting that will affect the economy even more by contracting it. Its like a person on a boat, As soon as water comes seeping in, instead of bailing the water out, they cut a bit of the boat off instead! 

@Maggie I have mentioned, in a previous thread, from personal experience that large organisations and the public sector (who will have the resources and time) may be more willing to take on disbaled applicants; small/medium size companies will not. Therefore, if you are looking to find work, try something like the local authority, NHS, utility companies, insurance, financail services etc.

@Maggie The ‘non-accelerating inflation rate of unemployment’ (NAIRU) for the UK is generally taken to be 5%. Unemployment below this rate causes inflation as employers compete to recruit and retain staff, and hinders economic growth as employers struggle to recruit and retain staff.

The natural rate of unemployment for the UK is also generally taken to be 5%. That is unemployment due to a mismatch between those looking for the work and the skills required by employers and pay offered by employers. People not taking jobs because either they do not have the required skills or the pay is too low.

Unemployment at these levels or below is considered full employment and is detrimental to the economy. The traditional response to unemployment falling this low is to increase immigration to increase the supply of workers.

The unemployment rate at the moment is 4.8% that is too low. The government's response has been to perversely cut immigration and instead try to get people the government has assessed as due to illness or disability so limited in capability as to be effectively incapable of any and all paid employment to join the workforce. The result unsurprisingly is poor economic growth and low productivity.

The reason for these perverse government decisions appears to be purely politically. Based on the assumption the UK if full of xenophobes and racists whose dislike of foreigners must be pandered to. And full of people who are happy to scapegoat the ill and disabled for the nation's economic problems. That is the assumption the right wing media accurately reflects public opinion rather than seeks to shape it. And should be pandered to rather than challenged by politicians. 

@Sad world we live in Unemployment has gone up to 1.7 million. There's little prospect of employers wanting to make adjustments to allow disabled people into the workplace.

@Neil Cook It’s all over the media 

@Neil Cook Cookie any more news.

@Neil Cook The Financial Times have stated recently that “welfare is not spiralling” as Reeves claims. I would have liked to have seen them being more vocal in rubbishing her claims. However, it’s just not fashionable to be seen as sticking up for the ill, sick and disabled.

@Bronc I think they intend to pass it as a money bill after all they already have form for doing this so as to avoid any potential challenges 

@Neil Cook Can't see any of this being passed unless it's a money bill,as the backbenchers won't like it.