Half of disabled cyclists fear being seen cycling in case they lose benefits

dottigirl wrote:

Oh, FFS. BtB is trolling again. Has totally derailed this conversation.

BtB - if you really think (and have proof) he's working the system, shut up about it and report him. Do be sure though. I've had my bank accounts gone through with a fine-tooth comb before now. It was a fucking horrible experience. I even had to justify the bills money my housemates had paid me. Every single bill. I was scared of selling anything on eBay in case that also was counted as income.

 

In the meantime, can we return to disabled cycling please?

I didn't derail anything, I made mention of how unfair it was to punish people riding bikes that had disabilities, however there are people who are on disability benefits who are self inflicted and have no incentive to come off benefits/get healthy and continue to do damage to their bodies. I answered a direct question and someone who disbelieved the scenario I described. To think this never happens (people self inflicting and being the root cause of their problems) is naive

Maybe if they were cycling it could actually help with the issue at hand but then given what this article mentions there's even less liklihood these people would do so or want to do exercise because of fear of losing their benefits, the system actually fucks itself over in some instances (by not making an incentive to get healthy) not to mention fucking over people who are trying their best to get about or is the only option for them to get about, as well as using cycling as a means to help with mental health and/or physical health so as to try stave off deterioration/getting worse. 

Nope, you and others aren't able to grasp that discussing matters about both ends of the scale is acceptable. You want to dictate what can/can't be discussed.

Whatever modabe

What? is this a plea from BTBs about accepting differing points of view?

"Nope, you and others aren't able to grasp that discussing matters about both ends of the scale is acceptable. "

Oh, the irony.

dottigirl wrote:

I have experience of this.

My cycling counted against me at the assessments. Everything counts against you there though.

I had to go through the appeal system, twice, which I turned up to with my bike and was allowed to leave it a few yards down the hall. The appeal people were lovely, and were very positive about my attempts to keep active.

I've spoken with other disabled people who are in permanent terror of being penalised for cycling, and have cut back or stopped because of it. Their mental and physical health has since suffered. 

I hate this country sometimes. The system is so cruel.

Don't hate the country, I've lived in several & believe me, this one isn't bad at all. Do, tho, feel free to despise the people, of whatever political persuasion, who run it. Our electoral system seems explicitly designed to select idiots with a grossly inflated idea of their own abilities (IMHO; I'm sure other opinions are available...).

dottigirl wrote:

I have experience of this.

My cycling counted against me at the assessments. Everything counts against you there though.

I had to go through the appeal system, twice, which I turned up to with my bike and was allowed to leave it a few yards down the hall. The appeal people were lovely, and were very positive about my attempts to keep active.

I've spoken with other disabled people who are in permanent terror of being penalised for cycling, and have cut back or stopped because of it. Their mental and physical health has since suffered. 

I hate this country sometimes. The system is so cruel.

Unfortunatly we had the opposite experience of the appeals process. The medical and legal experts were very nice. The disability “expert” was a total prick. He clearly acted like my wife didn’t have a disability because it wasn’t visible and point blank refused to be accommodating, getting aggressive and repeating questions slowly and loudly when she couldn’t answer because they were questions she didn’t understand and asked him to rephrase. 

BehindTheBikesheds wrote:

And yet you see massively overweight self inflicted types getting brand new BMWs and VW SUVs handed to them by the benefit system and still continue smoking, where is the incentive to get these people healthier when they can stay the same because currently they can remain the same and live a life of virtual luxury compared to some.

Where do you see this?

ConcordeCX wrote:

BehindTheBikesheds wrote:

And yet you see massively overweight self inflicted types getting brand new BMWs and VW SUVs handed to them by the benefit system and still continue smoking, where is the incentive to get these people healthier when they can stay the same because currently they can remain the same and live a life of virtual luxury compared to some.

Where do you see this?

 

6 doors down from where I live unfortunately, 'Fat' Ricky the former drug dealer (though I have no doubts the late night callers aren't just round for late night snacks) recently exchanged his BMW for a nice shiny VW SUV. My neighbour who works her butt off was disgusted.

The guys daughter is okay, she keeps herself to herself, I remember when she was a sweet little girl when they were rehoused here, helped her dientangle her leg when she fell off her bike and too k her back home, but he never gave a shit about his kids and social services were in and out on a very regular basis. His son is a right 'merchant' who drives his own car like a twat, somehow manages to run a motor without a job.

BehindTheBikesheds wrote:

tAnd yet you see massively overweight self inflicted types getting brand new BMWs and VW SUVs handed to them by the benefit system and still continue smoking

Nonsense like this is part of the problem and the prejudice people with disabilities face every day.

Thats not how PIP, the higher rate mobility component or motorbility works. No one is handed a car. People who meet the criteria for the mobility component of PIP get a set amount of money to pay for transportation, as they have mobility requirements that limit their ability to use public transport. Those who get the higher rate (there are two rates) can lease a car from the Motorbility charity. There are cars motorbility do that are less than the benefit rate. BMW SUVs are probably not (although I haven’t checked the rates in years as I have not had need). They top up anything else from their own income (disabled people are capable of working you know...).

The problem with having a mobility limiting disability is that it can make exercise very hard. Just because someone is overweight and claiming PIP does not mean that is the cause of their disability, or impacts it at all.

John Smith wrote:

BehindTheBikesheds wrote:

tAnd yet you see massively overweight self inflicted types getting brand new BMWs and VW SUVs handed to them by the benefit system and still continue smoking

Nonsense like this is part of the problem and the prejudice people with disabilities face every day.

Thats not how PIP, the higher rate mobility component or motorbility works. No one is handed a car. People who meet the criteria for the mobility component of PIP get a set amount of money to pay for transportation, as they have mobility requirements that limit their ability to use public transport. Those who get the higher rate (there are two rates) can lease a car from the Motorbility charity. There are cars motorbility do that are less than the benefit rate. BMW SUVs are probably not (although I haven’t checked the rates in years as I have not had need). They top up anything else from their own income (disabled people are capable of working you know...).

 

The problem with having a mobility limiting disability is that it can make exercise very hard. Just because someone is overweight and claiming PIP does not mean that is the cause of their disability, or impacts it at all.

Nonsense like this is a fucking reality sonshine, everyone knows the guys circumstances, his disability is being fat druggie freeloader, too fat, smoking and doing (not to mention dealing) drugs has caused his situation, it seems to me that it's simpler for the system to keep it that way so they don't have to take his kids off him and put them into care which will make it more costly.

But clearly you know the whole situation better than I do despite me living 6 doors down and people who knew him before they were rehoused here having spoken about his 'lifestyle'!

BehindTheBikesheds wrote:

John Smith wrote:

BehindTheBikesheds wrote:

tAnd yet you see massively overweight self inflicted types getting brand new BMWs and VW SUVs handed to them by the benefit system and still continue smoking

Nonsense like this is part of the problem and the prejudice people with disabilities face every day.

Thats not how PIP, the higher rate mobility component or motorbility works. No one is handed a car. People who meet the criteria for the mobility component of PIP get a set amount of money to pay for transportation, as they have mobility requirements that limit their ability to use public transport. Those who get the higher rate (there are two rates) can lease a car from the Motorbility charity. There are cars motorbility do that are less than the benefit rate. BMW SUVs are probably not (although I haven’t checked the rates in years as I have not had need). They top up anything else from their own income (disabled people are capable of working you know...).

 

The problem with having a mobility limiting disability is that it can make exercise very hard. Just because someone is overweight and claiming PIP does not mean that is the cause of their disability, or impacts it at all.

Nonsense like this is a fucking reality sonshine, everyone knows the guys circumstances, his disability is being fat druggie freeloader, too fat, smoking and doing (not to mention dealing) drugs has caused his situation, it seems to me that it's simpler for the system to keep it that way so they don't have to take his kids off him and put them into care which will make it more costly.

But clearly you know the whole situation better than I do despite me living 6 doors down and people who knew him before they were rehoused here having spoken about his 'lifestyle'!

On “sonshine” (do you think copying mockney gangster talk makes you look hard on the internet?) I clearly know the benefits system much better than you, which is what your original comment was about, about “free cars”. Your just spouting the same old ablest “free cars” and “lazy disabled people”. 

Perhaps you you do know one person who’s lifestyle has caused disability, or perhaps you know fuck all about this person other than other people prejudice. Perhaps your just another angry prejudice person the people in the article, me and other posters are talking about. Either way you clearly know fuck all about how PIP works. No one is “given” a car, and anyone who has made a PIP claim (and all of the evidence on benefit fraud) will tell you that people in recipe of PIP are in need of support, whatever the cause of their disability.

BehindTheBikesheds wrote:

John Smith wrote:

BehindTheBikesheds wrote:

tAnd yet you see massively overweight self inflicted types getting brand new BMWs and VW SUVs handed to them by the benefit system and still continue smoking

Nonsense like this is part of the problem and the prejudice people with disabilities face every day.

Thats not how PIP, the higher rate mobility component or motorbility works. No one is handed a car. People who meet the criteria for the mobility component of PIP get a set amount of money to pay for transportation, as they have mobility requirements that limit their ability to use public transport. Those who get the higher rate (there are two rates) can lease a car from the Motorbility charity. There are cars motorbility do that are less than the benefit rate. BMW SUVs are probably not (although I haven’t checked the rates in years as I have not had need). They top up anything else from their own income (disabled people are capable of working you know...).

 

The problem with having a mobility limiting disability is that it can make exercise very hard. Just because someone is overweight and claiming PIP does not mean that is the cause of their disability, or impacts it at all.

Nonsense like this is a fucking reality sonshine, everyone knows the guys circumstances, his disability is being fat druggie freeloader, too fat, smoking and doing (not to mention dealing) drugs has caused his situation, it seems to me that it's simpler for the system to keep it that way so they don't have to take his kids off him and put them into care which will make it more costly.

But clearly you know the whole situation better than I do despite me living 6 doors down and people who knew him before they were rehoused here having spoken about his 'lifestyle'!

And how often do you socialise with this person? Speak to him about his condition?  You do know that disability isn't always obvious, right?  Maybe a hidden mental health issue is the cause of his addiction?  Or are you just letting your predujices get in the way as per usual?

In one post he's a former dealer and in the next he's a dealer.  If he is a dealer then is possible, just maybe, that that's what funds a new car? 

hawkinspeter wrote:

That's terrible - shaming people for trying to get some exercise when they have difficulty with other activities.

Maybe something like a blue badge for cycles is needed.

This is even before the dwp gets involved- sounds like the first guy is suffering from the same thing that makes people leave stroppy notes on cars with blue badges ("well, you don't look disabled!")

brooksby wrote:

hawkinspeter wrote:

That's terrible - shaming people for trying to get some exercise when they have difficulty with other activities.

Maybe something like a blue badge for cycles is needed.

This is even before the dwp gets involved- sounds like the first guy is suffering from the same thing that makes people leave stroppy notes on cars with blue badges ("well, you don't look disabled!")

I took it as being all about the DWP. I assume that is why people fear being seen cycling. After the birth of my first child the ATOS assessment changed dramatically and the comment we had from the person doing the assessment was “well if your managing to look after a child it can’t be that bad”. It made her feel like the choices were no PIP or social services being involved. Neither of which are appropriate, as her disability has no impact on her ability to look after our children (or her mobility for that matter. She just hates cycling).

John Smith wrote:

brooksby wrote:

hawkinspeter wrote:

That's terrible - shaming people for trying to get some exercise when they have difficulty with other activities.

Maybe something like a blue badge for cycles is needed.

This is even before the dwp gets involved- sounds like the first guy is suffering from the same thing that makes people leave stroppy notes on cars with blue badges ("well, you don't look disabled!")

 

I took it as being all about the DWP. I assume that is why people fear being seen cycling. After the birth of my first child the ATOS assessment changed dramatically and the comment we had from the person doing the assessment was “well if your managing to look after a child it can’t be that bad”. It made her feel like the choices were no PIP or social services being involved. Neither of which are appropriate, as her disability has no impact on her ability to look after our children (or her mobility for that matter. She just hates cycling).

I get that, but the story is about people being scared of others seeing them or taking photos, not the dwp actually coming to them and saying “oi, if you ride a bike you ain’t getting benefits!”. It’s the fear of interfering busybodies, egged on by the tabloids, just *thinking* that they’re a scrounge and not disabled enough and deciding to report them. Hostile environment.

hawkinspeter wrote:

Maybe something like a blue badge for cycles is needed.

Far better to foster a more supportive, inclusive culture. But that's not popular at the moment, the government and the Brexiteers (and other forces) have turned us on each other. Divide and rule. 'Benefits' has become a dirty word.

dottigirl wrote:

I have experience of this.

That sounds awful.

dottigirl wrote:

I hate this country sometimes. The system is so cruel.

It's what 'we' voted for.

But I certainly did not vote for it. I never would and I detest this government, what the media does and what Britain as a country appears to have become.