Anne Maguire - Welfare reform interview

[rosemary]

Here is the link which shows you all of her replies.

http://societytalk.guardian.co.uk/WebX? ... @.7760a716

[philippa_150712]

.....and she dodged the question again...

I wonder if politicians have to take a course on how not to answer direct questions

We recognise carers contribution to society and that is why we are putting carers on the same benefit as someone who is out of work and available for work???????????

blah blah blah but we won't be expecting carers to undertake work based activity....too right they won't.They wouldn't be prepared to fork out for the respite we would need.

Since Ms Mcguire won't answer the question I will:

Q. How does placing carers on JSA recognise carers contribution to society?

A. It doesn't.

[Matt Hill]

This is from the Minister's reply in the webchat -

But I want to make it clear that although carers undertaking 35 hours of care a week would be getting JSA, there would not be any requirements to look for or go back into a job. Carers would not be required to do anything more than they do at present and there would be no change to their benefit income. But every carer’s situation is different, and for many caring is temporary role. Over half of all working-age carers not in work, say they would like to work again at some point. This change would help us to make sure that help is available to carers who want to find a job or combine work with their caring duties.

Whilst it is reassuring to see this spelt out, I would make the point that if there is no requirement for carers to seek a job, why put them on jobseekers? The Minister states that the employment and support allowance (ESA) is for people who's ability to work is limited by illness or disability - what are carers if not limited by illness or disability? In fact we've argued consistantly that carers are a special case and need treating differently.

Just my thoughts, what do others think?

Carers UK will be pursuing this issue further with our campaigning.

[philippa_150712]

They are streamlining the benefit system Matt. We're being streamlined

Carers UK will be pursuing this issue further with our campaigning

.

Good to hear it Matt

[rosemary]

If they push this forward, will it be DLA next ??????

People do want to work and in many cases they need training to do so but lumping everyone under the one benefit is not only idiotic but criminal.
The pressure this is going to place on many families is inexcusable and any MP who puts their name to this should hang their heads in shame.

I am copying Belles template here again for anyone that wishes to use it.It can be amended in any way that suits you best in case you want to include some of your own circumstances.

Draft 2 Letter to MPs

Dear (MPs name)

I am writing as a carer and as one of your constituents to express my anger at proposals to transfer working age carers on Carers Allowance and Income Support to Job seekers Allowance as is proposed in the Green Paper: No One Written Off: Reforming Welfare to Reward Responsibility.

Transferring carers who are providing a minimum of 35 hours a week unpaid care (work) to a benefit that suggests they are not working and are available for work is an insult to carers and a contradiction of the government’s claim to ‘recognise’ carers’ ‘immense contribution’ to society (estimated to be worth £87 billion a year).

Furthermore, placing carers on JSA is misleading in that it implies that those with substantial caring responsibilities have the choice to combine unpaid caring work with paid employment when in fact the lack of appropriate affordable respite in the system means that many carers do not have a genuine CHOICE.

Carers are angry that the long awaited Carers Strategy announced this summer failed to deliver any immediate improvement in carers’ income. The proposal now to transfer working age carers to JSA has left many of us worried about government plans for the future of Carers Allowance.

The Green Paper claims to be reforming welfare to reward responsibility. Carers are amongst the most responsible members of society. Carers are used to praise from MPs (unsung heroes/heroines). As a carer I would like to know if MPs are prepared to back their warm words about carers with action.

I am writing to ask for your support in urging the Govt to recognise carers valuable 'social input' as members of the working community by keeping carer benefits separate from the rest of the benefit system.

I would very much like to know your personal views on this issue but I would also be grateful if you would forward a copy of this letter to James Purnell at the DWP.

I look forward to hearing from you.

To contact your MP if you dont already have their details please use this link

http://www.writetothem.com/


.

[Guest]

Isn't there something inherently distasteful in the statement that for many caring is only a temporary role, how convenient to already have someone on JSA when their caree dies, straight into the availability for work scenario with WFIs and sanctions if the carer is too distressed to attend and without the need to go through the decision-making process.

And don't forget the ESA claimants who will be expected to engage in work-related activities, will carers still be entitled to be treated as exempt from seeking work or will they become just another JSA claimant because their caring duties are reduced while their caree attends compulsory programmes aimed at getting them back to work?

And how long before those on ESA work-related activities are transferred to JSA, the government has talked about having one benefit for all unemployed people, this appears to be the penultimate step towards reaching that goal, everyone with a very few exceptions, i.e. those very few accepted as being exempt from seeking work because their illness or disability is so severe, on JSA.

[Guest]

Anne McGuire:

Any review that we undertake in the DWP involves a range of people and organisations - so David Freud, who brought a wealth of expertise to the subject matter, also consulted widely as did Dame Carol Black, who incidentally has a health care background, for her recent report on the health of Britain's working age population.

What an extraordinary statement, Freud had no knowledge of the benefits system when he was asked to report, he was a banker, his report contains some glaring errors of fact and the draft report was completed in three weeks despite his lack of prior knowledge yet the latest reform paper is predicated on his recommendations. Such a shame that no-one was able to question the statement and ask McGuire to specify where this expertise lay, certainly not in benefits.

And I'm so sorry that your question wasn't answered Alex although I'm not sure that she actually answered any of them.

[g.herschel]

Iam still confused re my entitlement they always say carers on I.S. or carers in receipt of other benefits will go onto J.S.A. the only benefit i claim is carers allowance so as far as i can see i remain on carers allowance as i "work" full time but will the carers allowance exist when all others are on J.S.A. its only £10 per week more- if you are on carers allowance and I.S. will you be worse off on J.S.A. its only £60 per week once again it looks as though my private pension is being used against me and i thought it was non means tested .



GEORGE======

[JohnT]

Isn't there something inherently distasteful in the statement that for many caring is only a temporary role, how convenient to already have someone on JSA when their caree dies, straight into the availability for work scenario with WFIs and sanctions if the carer is too distressed to attend and without the need to go through the decision-making process.

And don't forget the ESA claimants who will be expected to engage in work-related activities, will carers still be entitled to be treated as exempt from seeking work or will they become just another JSA claimant because their caring duties are reduced while their caree attends compulsory programmes aimed at getting them back to work?

And how long before those on ESA work-related activities are transferred to JSA, the government has talked about having one benefit for all unemployed people, this appears to be the penultimate step towards reaching that goal, everyone with a very few exceptions, i.e. those very few accepted as being exempt from seeking work because their illness or disability is so severe, on JSA.

Well if they send my missus out to work they is gunna have to employ us both at the same company cos who else is gunna take her to the toilet and wipe her ass etc.that would cost em twice the minimum wage which is a lot more than they are paying us now in benefits.Where's the sense in that.Come to that how many employers are gunna put up with a hell of a lot of toilet breaks not to mention the late starts when her IBS flairs up at the first sign of nervous situations etc and we arrive late for work just about every day.we'd be in and out of the dole office more times than ive had hot dinners lol

[Guest]

Unfortunately the reality of disabled people's lives and those of their carers seems to have conveniently slipped under the government's radar, or has it?. The government and its advisers have hijacked the social model of disability and used it for their own ends when in fact disability is a complex mix of medical factors and social barriers. Believing that by moving the social barriers to work the majority of people with disabilities will suddenly be able to work is simplistic in the extreme as we all know. Or perhaps this is simply an ideological and cost-cutting exercise and the government has chosen to promulgate a model of disability which fits in with their aims.