Do people who live in England who are disabled receive Disability income?

Examples of different scenarios of people claiming Benefits. Should they get it?

• Hi there, Which of these people deserve Benefit out of the following examples and which do not? (Please note that these are merely EXAMPLES and do not necessarily depict real life and are just scenarios I have made up, lol...) 1/. Katie is 18 years old. She has just had her first child 2 months ago. She is single. She got pregnant deliberately just so she could claim Benefits, wouldn't have to work and get a 2 Bedroom Flat. She gets about £80.00 (P/Week) or about £320.00 (P/Month) Income Support, Child Tax Credit, Child Benefit then also Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit. She doesn't receive a lot as her Child Tax Credits reduce her Income Support somewhat. Should she be getting this? 2/. Verity and Jack both live together as a couple. Verity is 25 and has Bi-Polar Disorder and Jack is 28 and is Autistic. They both declared that they live as a couple. They get just under £500.00 (P/Week) or just under £2,000.00 between them (P/Month) in Incapacity Benefit (both claim individually as you did with I.B before E.S.A), Income Support and Disability Living Allowance. They both get Low Rate MOBILITY and High Rate CARE and because of this, both are entitled to Income Support Top-Up with Premiums. Usually this would only apply to someone living on their own but if your partner is receiving D.L.A at same rate as you (CARE Rate only) then this changes things. They don't rent therefore do not get Housing Benefit (they would have been entitled to FULL) as they have a joint Mortgage that is almost paid off and they don't pay Council Tax as they both have an Exemption for 'Mental Impairment'. Should this couple be receiving this much even though they are both rightfully entitled to it? 3/. Tom is 20 years old. He has been on Job Seekers Allowance for two years and has no intention of getting a job. He lies about jobs he has applied for and states non-existent places he has apparently applied for. He sits outside the Job Centre sipping Lager and smoking every day with his friends. He gets £55.00 (P/Week) or £220.00 (P/Month). Should he be getting anything? 4/. Stacey is 32 years old and has Multiple Sclerosis and finds it very difficult to walk long distances. To save people pushing her around, she has an Electric WheelChair. Stacey is on Employment Support Allowance and gets extra Premiums for living alone and for getting D.L.A at Middle Rate CARE and High Rate MOBILITY. She has declared to D.W.P that she hasn't got a Partner but in actuality, she has and he lives with her. He works 40 hours a week and brings home around £900.00 (P/Month) after Tax. She hasn't told them about her Partner as she can squeeze and extra £215.00 (P/Month) out of the System by stating she lives alone. Should she get any Benefit? 5/. Louise is 45 years old and has Severe Anxiety and Depression. She needs motivation to get dressed and washed. She applied for D.L.A and got awarded Low Rate CARE and Low Rate MOBILITY. She currently lives with her Sister and her Sister's Partner as she cannot afford to live on her own. She also has a Part Time job working 10 hours a week. She gets around £90.00 (P/Week) or £360.00 (P/Month) after Tax from wages and D.L.A. Should she get anything? 6/. Charlie is 85 years old and is very frail. He keeps himself to himself and doesn't talk to many people. It was his Doctor that informed him about Attendance Allowance after he had a fall which in turn led to Pension Credit too. He was already receiving State Pension and Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit. Because of his age, he isn't always coherent and didn't declare his extra Private Pension which he didn't find relevant. D.W.P do not know about it as yet and he has no idea about the Benefit system and what he is or isn't supposed to tell them. He didn't deliberately try to defraud them but if they find out he may get done for Benefit Fraud and it will have an effect on his P.C, H.B and C.T.B. He gets around £250.00 (P/Week) or £1,000.00 (P/Month). Should he get any Benefit? What are your thoughts? Lin. x

• Answer:

  The 'moral' side and LEGAL side are two totally different things - and with MP's who thing nothing of defrauding the Tax payer with their fake 'expenses', you can be 100% sure there will NEVER be a 'moral' side to benefits ... So, rather than focusing on individual cases (which is what the newspaper do), far better to ask "how can the UK benefits industry be modified to minimise abuse whilst avoiding yet more billions being paid to 'consultants', 'investigators', 'tribunals' etc ?" The solution must, of course, be to eliminate money whilst monitoring spending = some sort of 'Benefits Debit Card' in fact ... (usable in Supermarkets, but not at the Cash machines)