General Chat

Clearly there are those who are not fit to work nor never will be, but there are many who most definately are able to work. You cant tell me that the 20% of people in Merthyr Tidfil of working age who are on DB are completey unable to work at anything at all? The more astute will have also noticed that Disability Discrination Act now makes it ilegal for employers to discriminate against people soley on the grounds of their disability. You can almost see that the drive to take people off benefit will be coupled with a move to force employers to provide them with work, under threat of legal action.

I know of some who flaunt the system.but at the moment i am in what i jokingly call switch off,i cant walk it can last for a few mins to an hour and it can happen any time,,,i will sit here with you lot for company till husband gets home,, I work part time but my husband has to do a lot for me on occations. next time you see someone fall flat on their face dont always assume that its the drink please, its happened a few times,and i have been acused of being drunk,,,,,its not i only wish!!!! then it would be by choice,,,i have seen my future,,,i'm scared S****** not very nice!!!! i get DLA ,,i'm 56 ,,,,am i entitled to it ???oh an if you hadn't read its Parkinsons Disease

Clearly those who think Brian's BIL who has Downs Syndrome and a mental age of four, should go out to work, have never experienced a full range of people with the condition. Not every person with Downs has the same mental ability, so shouldn't be lumped together as so. As said before, many are very capable and can do jobs and work, and live alone with just minor support from others. but those with a very severe learning disability cannot. I wouldn't let a four year old go to work neither would I send a disabled person with the IQ of four to work either. Ive seen people with Downs do wonderful things, live almost an unaided life, but I've also seen adults with downs, being led by the hand round the shops staring vacantly Not every able bodied/minded person is the same, the same goes for Downs. Elaine x ps Hubby used to work with disabled people and said the same All are different with different abilities, dont lump 'em together

i do understand what you are saying brian but at the same time maybe if his parents had have encouraged him to get out into the world he would not be stuck the way he is the girl i work with is 48 i am 24 she is twice my age and the energy she has would put me to shame some days!!! dont get me wrong she has her health problems but she certainly makes the most of life and enjoys getting out to work for a few hours a week!

it's when they get given cars that get my goat. Two examples i know of: 1/ a man never worked in his life and had 6 kids. They are all grown up so he loses most of his benefits. He hobbles around on a stick for a couple of weeks and is given a brand spanking new car. Then he grows lots of plants and has 25 tubs and hanging baskets to water twice a day, he uses a very large and heavt watering can! 2/ Local woman hobbles on stick. Got bad back. Gets nice new car. Have you ever seen her walking her boistrous, large (strong) dog. I wish I could handle my dog like that! Thank you. I feel better now lol Claire

Yes Brian i understand, but maybe its time to break the mould as they say, and gradually get him some support, as when his Mum is no longer able to support him he will find it very difficult to adjust, and interact, To be honest with you i think you would see a change in your Brother-in-law if he had more interaction and involvement outside the family net work, believe me i know its hard but it does work,

I think that everyone with downs syndrome should be assessed on their own merit Some have a very good mental ability whilst some have severe learning difficulties and would find working almost impossible. Its the same with people with physical disabilities. Each case is unique....what one person thinks the other can do, may not necessarily be the case. I'm sure those who truly rely on these benefits, with medical evidence wont lose them. It will be the few who claim they cant when they really can (if you know what I mean those who say I cant do that my leg/arm.nose hurts...then goes off and plays a game of golf) that will lose their benefit.

All i can say is good luck . They have made a right pigs ear of D.L.A giving to those that don,t really need it or given it at the wrong rates to those that do . I can imagine them making a right B*****ks of this incapacity shake up . I bet it is the people that really should be on it that suffer . Cath

I kmow what you are saying, Lil and Lynda, but Steve is 40 and has never been exposed to the outside world, has lived with his parents all his life and his mother is now 84. He can't read or write, cannot go out unsupervised and has a mental age of around 4. Would you send a 4 year old out to work? With proper training and stimulation in his teens he might have got somewhere, maybe in a sheltered workshop, but really it is too late to make the change. His parents didn't push for assistance and the local Council was happy to let them get on with it.

Hi Dawnie I can empathise with you, my husband has been on incapacity benefit for 12 years now, he served 25yrs with the R Navy then went to work as a drugs rep for a major american firm for 18 months then his health suddenly deteriorated he is a severe arteriopath ,has blocked arteries all along the major illiac atery, he has had one heart attack, suffers with angina and many more problems , he is in fact awaiting major life threatening graft surgery, but has just been threatened with his benefit being taken away, it seems to us that it always the soft targets that they go for, we have just been given the all clear for 3 years, now they announce that that has gone out of the window and they are after us again!! I hope you don't have too many problems with the powers that be, good luck Julie x

We have a Downs Syndrome lad where I work, who does brilliantly. We also have a woman with severe arthritis and a guy in a wheelchair. They only work part time, but they do their jobs extremely well and seem to enjoy being here. Bev x

I get the Disability living allowance ,but i work ten hours a week, I have Parkinsons Disease

Hear Hear Linda

excuse me brian but i work with a girl whos is in her fourties and has down's and she manages just fine it is all about knowing your limitations!!

Excuse me Brian there are people with disabilities that do work, but if they are on DLA or SDLA they usually stay working below the 12hrs a week, and just cos someone is Downs does not mean they cannot work, regards Lesley PS i know lots of people with down's that work, and they do a better job than some Regards Lesley pps and you will find most people are able to do something even if it is sitting at the computer researching for a short time a day

My uncle's ex girlfriend's father was on disability allowance for a bad back... his hobby was rock climbing.. you can imagine what we all thought!

My brother-in-law is Downs Syndrome and gets DLA. No way is he capable of working!

hi dawnie. i am also on incapacity benefit. i had a spinal fusion in my lumber region 5 years ago. i have metal rods down either side of spine and screwed to my hips. i am in constant pain daily so i sympathise with you. just to let you know that you can go for all sorts of jobs, that you are probably well capable of doing. but, and it is a big but, you will find it very hard for anyone to employ you because of the INSURANCE! if there is only one aspect of the job that you cant do you will NOT be employed because you will be a liability to their insurance. so worry not my friend and rest easy. go for the interviews and answer their questions truthfully. maybe, one person will employ you, but as soon as they see that you cant do the job they will say that they have to ask you leave because you are an insurance liability. i have experienced this on numerous occaisions. i have always worked since i left school and while bringing up my children, and this has made me feel that i have been 'put out to pasture' at the ripe old age of 45. i now spend my days on here and compiling my family tree. good luck to dawnie. regards from taylor

I get Disability Living Allowance is that being affected as well,

I am sure that, if you are genuinely unable to work and have certification to back it up, other than maybe having to be re- assesed you wont see any difference. I am pleased they are doing it, that way only those who genuinely need help will get it and the scroungers wont. (Well that is what is supposed to happen). Ann Glos