British Lung Foundation

Tonight: 'The Great Disability Scam'

Posted by Parvati
28 Jan 2013
17 comments

On Panorama tonight AT 8.30 for those who may be interested

"Only half of all people with a disability are in work. Panorama investigates if one of the government's most ambitious welfare reforms, costing billions of pounds, can solve the problem of disability unemployment. Reporter Sam Poling reveals the private companies who are getting rich from the new reforms despite only being able to get a small fraction of disabled people back to work, and speaks to the charities who feel the most vulnerable in our society are being failed."

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17 comments

respectfully
respectfully
28 Jan 2013
The saddest thing is that it attempts a cover up of the motives for it's actions by turning society against the disabled. Producing a rise in hate crime against the disabled at the same time it fails in it's aim of saving the government money.
A thank you for bringing this onto my viewing list

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Parvati
28 Jan 2013
Quite right. This is not a good time to be sick or poor in Britain. I will hold judgement on tonight's programme until I have seen it, but have to admit even the BBC has been letting us down lately, laying blame on the companies (ATOS et al) yet not scrutinising government policy or it's nasty but effective divide and rule propaganda. They also forget that chronic illness can be a very different type of 'disability' that does not fit well with tick boxes about metres walked etc. Someone with pneumonia, smallpox or whatever may be able to walk 20 metres but that would not make them fit for work.

I could 'talk' a lot more but have been quite below par for some time now, hence my prolonged absences from the computer. Hoping to be back on form sometime soon and back to my vocal self , P :)

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Dunroamin
Dunroamin
28 Jan 2013
An area that has largely escaped the media unless it has actually had high profile voices questioning the activities of our caring professions (mid Staffs Hospital and Benefit qualification) raise issues that were unthinkable a the country lauded our Paralympic athletes, admiring achievements set against personal battles with disability.

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cofdrop
cofdrop
28 Jan 2013
Thank you for the heads up Parvati. Hope it's as enlightening as the first Panarama on disability and Dispatches one also.

Love C xxx

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Hergernt
Hergernt
28 Jan 2013
An answer in the who is scamming who debate, are the disabled targeted for savings in benefit or are there indeed a large proportion of those that have qualified for benefit the scammers, my own thoughts on this are biased by having gone through the claims process so it will be enlightening if any answers are brought forth.

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millstone
millstone
28 Jan 2013
More informed debate instead of dismissing the vulnerable is long overdue.

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hypercat
hypercat
28 Jan 2013
This is what politicians always do - they promote divide and rule. While we are too busy fighting each other they can then shaft us.
Bev x

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y_not
y_not
29 Jan 2013
Thanks Parvati for the advice. I watched and was surprised that the disabled didn't appear to be the "bad-guys" for once!

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PompeyBob
PompeyBob
29 Jan 2013
Unfortunately in society there are always the bad guys in every walk of life they do represent the vast minority, however there are people claiming disability who are perfectly well but give people who are needing disability benefits a bad name.

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Parvati
29 Jan 2013
To be honest Bob, I would say it's the gov't that are giving the disabled a bad name these days :(

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fishtail
fishtail
29 Jan 2013
the government would like us all to crawl away so that they can carry on living the high life.they still believe in the "Downton" era when the oiks gave the orders and the "lower class" were forced to obey.we are far better educated these days,we must not allow them to beat us.They are the thieves,robbers and cheats,with their tax dodging,off shore banking,etc,etc.I hope Cameron and his missus choke on their £40 steaks next time they go on their "date night"

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timber
timber
29 Jan 2013
I strongly dislike the very title of this programme "the great disability scam",the average daily mail /express reader would have seen this and thought,more about how the skivers falsely claim benefit.
It also used many examples of people with enduring mental health problems unfortunately many people's attitude to mental illness is they need to pull their socks up.
This government is determined to get society "against" the disabled ,it makes cutting their benefits a much easier task if the electorate believe we are all scroungers .
I am not sure if this programme did our cause any good at all ,probably not.

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Parvati
29 Jan 2013
Of course the title was referring to the companies cashing in on the new disability back to work 'support' programmes, it is they who are the 'scammers', but I do take your point that anyone seeing the title would assume it was aimed at the disabled themselves.

It seems to me that the gov't is taking the money away from the disabled and handing it these private enterprises. Those helped by the scheme are the staff and the shareholders!

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Parvati
29 Jan 2013
Having watched last nights programme, one point remains uppermost in my mind - the use of the term 'LTB's'. For those who missed it, this was the term used by staff supposedly 'supporting' disabled people including the blind, wheelchair bound and mentally ill. 'LTB' stands for 'Lying Thieving Bastards'. That is how these 'professionals' refer to us. As I sat down to watch the programme, I thought nothing could shock me as I only expect the worse. I haven't looked at the newspapers yet but I hope this has been picked up on. These companies are paid millions to get the sick and disabled into work, and that is how they refer to people like you and I - as 'Lying Thieving Bastards'! Perhaps they should look in the mirror...

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timber
timber
29 Jan 2013
very valid points Parvati ,doubt very much if the staff are paid very much,but that does not excuse the shocking way they referred to people.Incidentally one of the companies named and shamed last night w4u or something similar ,it,s founder a woman and of course a multi millionaire is a close personal friend of our prime minister there again I doubt if he has any friends who are not in the same boat has him filthy rich.

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oarsome
oarsome
29 Jan 2013
For a service that was aimed at assistance it was shocking that such attitudes were present, more so that they were the majority of those employed in this company.
When the disabled are trying to carry on working this is fraudulent behavior which would result in prison terms if the roles were reversed.
Stunned by the use of LTB, have a small minority made this possible with fraudulent claims that have enabled all that follow be given the same label.

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cofdrop
cofdrop
29 Jan 2013
I actually thought the title was quite a clever twist. The folks who believe what the Mail, Telegraph etc say is gospel would have tuned in and got a bit of a shock hopefully, unless their guilty pleasure was Corrie. So agree those with mental health problems are going to find the going very tough indeed, and that the goverment and R wing press are doing their level best to get the voters onside when it comes to cutting benefits for sick and disabled.

'LTB' disgusting language, but then the language which has crept into government and media circles is unacceptable 'strivers and skivers' - try telling that to the poor folks who have just lost jobs from Comet, HMV etc.

It was shameful that these companies tenders were accepted with one of the provisos being they consulted medical charities (who they were supposed to pay) and they had not done so as it ate into their profits. Some of the charities on the list had not even signed up to it. It's all jobs for the boys, with companies who have an abysmal track record, but are still being paid huge amounts. These folks who are calling us 'LTB's' would do well to remember sickness and disability can happen to anyone in a nanosecond.

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