Personal Message from June Brown, Actress - EastEnders.

"I am worried that the Disability Living Allowance Review is unfair as the form is tailored towards physical disabilities only-not Mental Illness, HIV/AIDS, Cancer sufferers, nor does it take into account the side effects of the medication on their general health.

Not only will people lose entitlement to Incapacity Benefit, their free travel. motability vehicle but also the Severe Disability Premium of Income Support so they will be forced into the utmost poverty, which can do nothing but harm their condition.

Employers will be reluctant to offer work due to the necessity of frequent hospital visits, periods of admission and bouts of prolonged ill health.

I would ask you all to support this petition in the hope this review is reassessed and to endorse the TCell campaign."

From the main www.hivbenefits.co.uk website.

Thanks to ....

On behalf of all the Disabled Community affected by the issues surrounding Disability Living Allowance.

We thank :

Todd Carty

Actor & Director - Doctors, The Bill, EastEnders & Grange Hill.

for signing the 10 Downing Street petition on the Right Payment Program.

As always I link the name of our public supporters & friends to a site where you can see their body of work. Please take a moment to look.

Also I will add them, with their consent to the "Friends & Supports" page of the main www.hivbenefits.co.uk website.

All Party Parliamentary Group on AIDS.

I have heard back from this group today.

"I just wanted to let you know that I had a very comprehensive read of your excellent website - it is a brilliant source of information from the front line. I am in contact with a number of organisations about the DLA issue and that I will be discussing it with Baroness Masham, who you wrote to. What we may end up doing is to write to the relevant Minister asking for improved services to soften the blow for people whose benefit levels are lowered and to help them find sustainable incomes. However we are gathering evidence from as many groups as possible first. I will keep you in touch."

I responded,

"Writing to the relevant minister as you describe is welcome. Thank you.

However I would draw particular attention to the process itself. It is not consistent or equitable in its application. We know it is prone to error.

Only yesterday. Some one asked me if the DWP could go straight to his GP ignoring that he has also given them information on his consultant. He has seen his GP on a very irregular basis over many years. I was asked if they could do this. Apart from an undertaking by the DWP that they would always in the first instance seek a medical report from the HIV consultant. http://www.dwp.gov.uk/medical/med_conditions/hiv-aids/sources_of_ev_hiv_aids.asp further clarifies this action.
He is to get back to the DWP and ask why they are ignoring there own “Sources of Evidence” guidance in his case.

This is just one of many comments I get about the process.

Yes some will not be entitled to the same rates. However this is questionable as we know some, unable to fight for there entitlements. Are to frightened to challenge initial decisions."

Useful report from the PSI (Policy Studies Insitiute)

PSI undertakes and publishes research studies relevant to social, economic, industrial and environmental policy. The Institute is a charity, run on a not-for-profit basis. In 1998 it merged to become an independent subsidiary of the University of Westminster.

PSI takes a politically neutral stance on issues of public policy and has no connections with any political party, commercial interest or pressure group.

Reported on "The take-up rate of Disability Living Allowance and Attendance Allowance: Feasibility study" in August 2007.

Some of the points covered maybe of interest to you if you want to understand more about DLA.

Thank you.

To Lord May of Oxford for noting the contents of our letter.

Thank you to Baroness Masham of Ilton.

Further to the letters written after the House of Lords debate on HIV/AIDS.

Today I received a very supportive letter from Baroness Masham of Ilton.

She was one of the members who had taken part.

To quote her first paragraph,

"I am very concerned that individual people with long-term conditions, not only HIV/AIDS are not getting the help and support they should. I know from personal experience of the problems people with HIV can have. Everyone is an individual"

Baroness Masham is going to ask Baroness Thornton to look at the issues and acknowledges we have also written to her. Also she is sending a copy of our letter to the All Party Parliamentary group on HIV/AIDS prior to their next meeting that she is due to attend.

On behalf of us all, we very much appreciate your support here. I will also write to thank her.

Thank you.

Effects of "10p" starting rate Tax Changes.

From the BBC News web story -

EFFECTS OF TAX CHANGES

Winners:

• Most people/ with incomes of £18,000+
• Under £18,000 but aged 65+ and therefore eligible for higher personal allowances
• Under £18,000 but with young children and therefore eligible for child tax credits

Losers:

• Under £18,000 and ineligible for working tax credits because under 25
• Retired early and therefore ineligible for higher personal allowances
• Part-timer working insufficient hours to qualify for tax credits
• Different personal circumstances may affect final amounts

Source: PWC & BBC.

If your DLA Personal Care is reduced to Medium or Lower Rate.

If your DLA personal care is reduced from "higher rate". There are implications for other benefits you receive. Many carry disability components that you may loose. You also loose your exemption to having your Incapacity Benefit reviewed and become eligible for the Personal Capability Assessment. Information gathered as a result of any reassessment of Incapacity Benefit is shared with and may have an impact on your DLA. The information is shared.

With the introduction of the Employment & Support Allowance in October 2008. Incapacity Benefit will be replaced. If you are down graded as described above. You will become eligible for reassessment for this benefit. Initially you will simply move across to this benefit. Then by April 2010 the government want to have reassessed all these claims that simply moved across.

Reducing DLA personal care from the "higher rate" of personal care. Seems to be a mechanism to facilitate the re-assessment of those currently on Incapacity Benefit as the new system "beds in". These re-assessments will happen over time.

The assessments under the Employment & Support Allowance are more focused on what you can do? rather than what you cannot do?. Again any information gathered here may have an impact on any DLA award you have at the time.

I do not mean to cause worry. There are many changes in the pipeline. I just wanted to re-iterate the impact both today and moving forward. So you are aware.