Tories target incapacity benefit recipients.

[Bob Cratchitt]

What if they have Munchausens disease?

Then they should be forced to work over time for having something in common with a bad 80's film.

 

[Interpol Shrimper]

What if they have Munchausens disease?

Not sure, but I've heard they will be able to vote by proxy ;)

 

[Lord Football]

Look, we all know what the Tories will do when they get into power (and they will win the Election). They will clamp down on benefits, make life harder for those who can't, or those that struggle. It will be back to the "I'm Alright Jack" days. That's what Tories are about.

If you can and if you are able, you may find some positives. But when the **** hits the fan for you, you struggle. Survival of the fitess and all that. No social responsibility.

 

[Pubey]

Only if affects your day to day well being .

DS : I totally agree on the LIB Dems people will make a difference however industry media etc are all tied up to teh other two , the reason a 3rd is ignored is becuase it brings in to radical a change and reall isnt one ("wait you mean the lib dems want a to overhaul teh tax system as well as have a sensible economic basis that allows the moany rich to leave but not adervsly affect the country Nooooo!)

MRI's are free on the NHS , the GP isnt supposed to diagnose the back complaint completly unless they are a spine specialist (good luck with that ). The pharmaceutical and medical industries are one of teh largest and most profitable in the world hence why the equipment is so expensive and treatments ... it need not be , thats teh choice of those who provide developemnt and manufacture these for teh industry.

a lot of the devices and medical equipment markets are fairly competitive. if you want an MRI scanner then there are a variety of manufacturers you can go to. MRI scanners, x-ray machines are expensive because they're very complex pieces of machinery... also the complex way that NHS procurement operates may mean that value for money isn't being achieved. MRIs are expensive too because they require radiologists to spend time to go through them... and Dr's time is expensive too.

Personally if you have an illness then the NHS is there to diagnose and treat that illness... a rebate system for incapacity benefits is an interesting concept though. If something like a back problem can't be diagnosed either by a GP or a specialist then other than going private you can't do much about it. Ideally MRI's would be taken a lot more often for a whole range of conditions, but they require a huge amount of labour and capital resources to run them... also the system is currently so dominated with pharmaceutical costs that a lot of the effort undertaken (by people like me) is to establish when pharmaceuticals are value for money or not. MRI's and other diagnostic tests often get pushed down the lists of priority when looking to optimise services... which generally sees them either not being used at all, or inconsistency when one Dr will do it and another won't. causing stress for patients and pressures on the system.

 

[Interpol Shrimper]

If you can and if you are able, you may find some positives. But when the **** hits the fan for you, you struggle. Survival of the fittest and all that. No social responsibility.

Like me for 6 months last year then under our oh so fluffy and lovely "socially responsible" Labour government then???

 

[Bob Cratchitt]

Well if that attitude is good enough for the animal kingdom, then why should it not be good enough for us, after all we are just a bunch of jumped up apes.


If I offended you, I apologies but please remove the hook from the side of your mouth first

 

[Clinton Baptiste]

Good on Cameron, something needs to be done. Where I work we have people in wheelchairs who work, these days with the technology available there really are very few excuses not to work. What our wonderful Labour govt has done is create a benefits culture, an ever-growing underclass where benefits dependency is passed from generation to generation, perpetuating the social problems that comes with that. We now pay out more in benefits than we take in income tax. Yes there are people who can genuinely not work but the vast majority are skivers and its about time someone got tough with the 5 milllion on benefits which the rest of us have to pay.

 

[londonblue]

I don't see a problem with it, to be honest. He's not saying that he's going to force everybody, regardless of handicap, behind the counter of McDonalds, is he?

I've heard only anecdotal evidence about people who claim incapacity benefit when they're actually quite healthy, but I've heard enough of it to make it worth investigating.

It's not a question of punishing disabled people, he's trying to punish people who pretend to be disabled.

Indeed. And that investigation has proved that only 0.4% of claims are fraudulent. Even if this study was flawed, and the real number is 10 times that, it is still only 4%. To me it does seem unfair, therefore, to tar all claimants with the same brush.

To keep this football related, we all complain when we're all treated like hooligans because of a minority of genuine thugs, but that is exactly what we all do in this instance.

 

[Bob Cratchitt]

Interested to see the results of this investigation, obviously knowing the figures you will be able to point in the right direction to see what else the investigation said.

 

[Mad Cyril]

Indeed. And that investigation has proved that only 0.4% of claims are fraudulent. Even if this study was flawed, and the real number is 10 times that, it is still only 4%. To me it does seem unfair, therefore, to tar all claimants with the same brush.

To keep this football related, we all complain when we're all treated like hooligans because of a minority of genuine thugs, but that is exactly what we all do in this instance.

At least people who fraudulently claim incapacity benefits have the common sense to try and keep a low profile.

If they turned up to medicals wearing £500 Italian anoraks they might be a bit easier to spot.

 

[londonblue]

Interested to see the results of this investigation, obviously knowing the figures you will be able to point in the right direction to see what else the investigation said.

I heard it on the 5 live this morning...

 

[number11]

Indeed. And that investigation has proved that only 0.4% of claims are fraudulent. Even if this study was flawed, and the real number is 10 times that, it is still only 4%. To me it does seem unfair, therefore, to tar all claimants with the same brush.

QUOTE]

But that is gauging it against current standards. There seems to be 3 categories;

a) Fraudulent faking malingering scum who we all seem to agree should be drowned

B) people playing the system who according to the current procedures are able to legitimately claim benefits even if in all reality they would be able to work.

C) Those who are genuinely unable to work and therefore are deserving of benefits.

Surely the Tories aim is to remove the 'B' category and have those deserving of benefits able to claim what they are entitled to, and those who can work can do so.

 

[Interpol Shrimper]

But that is gauging it against current standards. There seems to be 3 categories;

a) Fraudulent faking malingering scum who we all seem to agree should be drowned

B) people playing the system who according to the current procedures are able to legitimately claim benefits even if in all reality they would be able to work.

C) Those who are genuinely unable to work and therefore are deserving of benefits.

Surely the Tories aim is to remove the 'B' category and have those deserving of benefits able to claim what they are entitled to, and those who can work can do so.

To quote one of Kenny Everett's more genius catchphrases in terms of Categories A & B, I'd round them up, put them in a field and bomb the b@stards!!! :p

 

[londonblue]

At least people who fraudulently claim incapacity benefits have the common sense to try and keep a low profile.

If they turned up to medicals wearing £500 Italian anoraks they might be a bit easier to spot.

Now there's an interesting concept. Anoraks being spotted, not doing the the spotting!

 

[BrettieAngell]

I think I need incapacity benefit! :'(

 

[Thorpe Groyney]

. What our wonderful Labour govt has done is create a benefits culture, an ever-growing underclass where benefits dependency is passed from generation to generation, perpetuating the social problems that comes with that.

You mean the generation whose parents were brought up in Thatcher's Britain? Can't think where this so-called underclass get their ideals, morals and values from ...

 

[Strykr]

i voted lib dem once.... cant think why, what a waste.
tory or labour voters surely must agree that its time for some kind of change, let the blue crooks in for a bit, see what happens, probably nowt! maybe the reds will come back stronger?
i actually take an interest in politics and find it quite fascinating, yet the current crop of leaders and potential leaders not aiming a single policy at my demographic makes me extremely apathetic voting wise. as for cameron, he's only saying what his labour counterpart will be saying in a few years time. i'd love to see a politician boldy speaking his mind on policies, not always taking the middle road, if hes wrong then vote him out.

 

[Interpol Shrimper]

Just heard on the news that Cameron is also likely to abolish committees such as the East of England Development Authority. They've had some input into the new stadium IIRC, so hopefully if they get disbanded it won't prove to be yet another barrier to getting the building under way!

 

[canveyshrimper]

Just heard on the news that Cameron is also likely to abolish committees such as the East of England Development Authority. They've had some input into the new stadium IIRC, so hopefully if they get disbanded it won't prove to be yet another barrier to getting the building under way!

IMO the election won't be until May 2010, Brown will go at the last possible moment in the hope that something may turn up. If Cameron is elected it will take some time before he will be able to demolish the most costly quangoes, so I doubt if this policy will be an obstacle to the stadium development.

 

[Billy Bests boot laces]

Just shows how cofident Cameron must be, if he's not bothered by losing half a million votes by announcing this strategy.