Chancellor George Osborne’s announcement that those wanting to claim Disability Living Allowance (DLA) will have to undergo medical assessments to verify their handicap has been criticised as adding unnecessary stress.
Writing for the Guardian, economy expert Rhydian Fon James said that fraudulent recipients count for 0.05 per cent of all DLA claims and there is no real need to introduce policy to stop such a small number of ‘cheats’.
He argued that going after the criminals is not worth risking people being unable to receive DLA, adding that medical examinations can even cause stress for disabled people and may aggravate underlying conditions.
"I am interested in protecting my rights, and the rights of my fellow DLA claimants. I want to get on with my life and DLA helps me … do just that," he concluded.
Mr Osborne’s announcement came in the government’s emergency Budget and will mean that three million DLA claimants will need to be retested with the hope of taking benefit rights from 600,000 people.
Posted by Colette Paxton
Well, if Rhydian Fon James just comes forward with the names of th 0.05% frauds he would save everyone any stress at all! Juts where does he get his figs from? Why is he advocating mediocre standards? The target for fraudulant claims in any shere of the “benefits system” should be zero. Maybe not achievable, but a target all the same. Perhaps Mr von James ought to be reminded as to why a real “tightening of the belt” is needed, or is he another of these “academics” who remain unaffected by events in the “real world”. The standard for achieving success in claiming any benefit should be as tight and consistent as possible to minimise any fraud. DB
Surely contacting the persons GP would be enough instead of retesting 3,000,000 people.
David Barry is absolutely right. Mr James figures seem decidedly dodgy – to say the least. For example, when my cousin’s family owned a garage they had a customer who wanted a roof rack fitted to his new 4 wheel drive. The roof rack was required to take the ladders he used in his work as a window cleaner. Yet he was part funding the purchase of his new vehicle with a grant from Mobility.
In any case, stress is part of life. Get used to it!