THE LAUGHABLE SITUATION OF DISABILITY CLAIMANTS AND THE IMPACT IT HAS ON OTHER PEOPLE

The disturbing information that just six percent of new people who apply for disability benefits are required to have a face-to-face evaluation with a trained medical professional or physician has been brought to light by a study that was published not too long ago. This is a rather eye-opening realization when you consider the amount of people who are living on disability allowance because they are unable to work. Without a shadow of a doubt, there will be individuals who are receiving disability allowance who are capable of working in some capacity or another. While this is not the case for all claimants, it is clearly the case for some of them. In this particular scenario, there is a need for a reevaluation by the government on the manner in which individuals are evaluated for their capacity to work, which is precisely what they have announced for this month. Sayings of the Professionals According to Mike Penning, who is now serving as the minister for disability, “it is ethically unacceptable that so many individuals obtain welfare benefits ‘for life’ based on a form that they frequently fill in themselves.” In addition to this, Mr. Penning said that the Labour Party attempted to “manage unemployment” by enrolling individuals in disability benefits during this time period. Despite the fact that this is a plausible reason for Labour to make it simpler for those who are claiming disability benefits to obtain an allowance, it is important to keep in mind that things are not always as black and white as they seemed to be at first glance. False disability claims are going to be addressed by the government. Consequently, as the coalition government has stated, there will be an examination of the disability living allowance (DLA), and those who are now receiving it will be required to submit a new claim via the “personal independence payment.” Individuals who assert that they are unable to perform their job duties will ‘supposedly’ be subjected to a more stringent evaluation as part of the evaluation procedure for this new kind of disability claim. In addition, there will be periodical evaluations conducted in order to make certain that those who are not working because they have made the decision not to work are sent back to work; otherwise, benefits would be terminated. Despite the fact that this is beneficial for the local and national governments in terms of saving vast amounts of money, there is concern among those who are truly unable to work that they will be forced to return to work. The assessment might not be able to meet all of the requirements, and as a result, some individuals who are truly unable to work might be required to return to work or see their disability benefits revoked. In addition, there are further problems, one of which is that individuals who have severe disabilities would be required to undergo a large number of examinations and evaluations, which would be an incorrect practice. In light of this, the issue arises as to where the boundary would be for avoiding the need to go through evaluation. Or ought it to be the same for each and every person? What about those who are suffering from mental illness who are about to undergo a “physical” examination? There are a lot of questions that have not yet been addressed, which the new system will provide answers to in due time; possibly some trial and error will be necessary. The Opinions of Other People Medical charities and disability groups have expressed their displeasure with the new government’s intentions to restructure the disability living allowance system. These organizations argue that these plans would result in uncertainty for those who are now receiving benefits. On the other hand, the government has said that “without change, by the year 2018, one in seventeen persons will be claiming a benefit designated for those who are unable to walk.” This statement is made in support of the current measures. What are the costs that taxpayers incur for DLA? Since the introduction of the disability living allowance in 1992, the number of people who have applied for it has increased by an amount that has never been seen before. The number of people who have applied for it has increased from 1.1 million in 1992 to an astounding 3.6 million by the year 2015. 3.6 million claimants result in an annual cost of £13 billion for the government and taxpayers, which is almost equivalent to the whole budget for the Department of Transport when taken into consideration. These data seem to have gone a bit too high in comparison to the increasing number of people living here in the UK. It is true that there are more people living in the United Kingdom than there were in 1992; nonetheless, these figures appear to have escalated. Claimants are merely provided with a form to fill out at this point, and they may be requested to submit a letter from their physician at times. This is not even close to being satisfactory, particularly when considering the enormous sum of money that is at stake. The data that was gathered shown that 55 percent of the choices that have been made about disability allowance applicants have only ever been filled out with no proof that corroborates what it is that they claim to have done wrong individually. Andy is a knowledgeable expert in the field of healthcare, and he has offered both counsel and information on the subject matter. Andy is an expert in the provision of healthcare services and goods, including but not limited to incontinence pants, wheelchairs, living assistance, bath lifts, and other items.