One of the things I find quite disturbing is the number of disabled people who will openly and honestly say that they chose benefits as a lifestyle choice.

These individuals are quite accepting that even with their level of impairment, they could work - but choose not too.

I have seen four distinct groups emerging over the last year.

1) The “I can’t and never will be able to work” group.

Those that believe that they could never work because they adopt the sick role or believe ‘disabled people don’t get jobs because of discrimination so why bother’. They see work as out of the question and often refuse to engage with anything that might indicate otherwise.

2) The “I could but don’t see the need to” group.

Those who are comfortable with free housing, free support and free social activities paid for by the council. Many have had well paid jobs before they became disabled, are not contributing towards the cost of their support, have maximised their benefits and feel that their ‘income’ provides a desirable quality of life - so why change? Many have high academic qualifications and many sought after skills and experience.

3) The “I will try work if I have the right support” group.

Those that want to work, but find it difficult to get the right amount of support and a job that pays well enough to come of benefits. They accept the responsibility of citizens to seek employment - and see themselves as no different in that sense.

4) Those who truly can’t work at all because they have a very severe level of impairment.

Often individuals who have high disability related and housing costs that go far beyond what benefits will cover. Individuals for whom the benefit system is really supposed to help - and which doesn’t go far enough in it current format.

Equality - we must ensure responsible citizenship.

I have worked with many social workers and care managers who quite readily offer 2 or 3 days at a resource centre or Direct Payments to enjoy leisure activities, without exploring whether that person should be engaging with work (and may thus rule out the need for so much leisure support to make a person’s days ‘fulfilled’).

I am not saying that disabled people don’t deserve funds to enable them to access leisure - far from it.

However, as a disabled person, it grates to know that I might be slogging away for 5 days a week at work, whereas someone else with the same level of impairment can be having 5 great days worth of fun activities.

Where is the equality in that?

Tags:employment | independent living

"The best way to predict your future is to create it."

I work with many people who are influential in the lives of disabled people. Many of them will influence health and social care - either as policy or decision makers, assessors or advisors.

Every UK citizen will also make decisions which affect the lives of disabled and older people. Through our democratic voting - we are choosing who we want to influence our future and the way they will do it.

It is perhaps wise for us all to think that one day, older age or impairment may well creep in. Have we chosen our future wisely or will we regret what we have done or failed to do?

To understand this post you may need the key or glossary on the right.


Dragon's Den

How many business woman have to go through a 'business viability' check and 1:1 interview before they can do anything. I can not work without physical assistance. I have very little movement in my head and limbs. I had to endure a 1:1 interview and put my case forward as to why A2W should fund my personal assistance.

I had to disclose financial details such as how much I planned on spending on christmas presents, how much I spent on social gatherings, mortgage, utilities, magazine subscriptions, food..... and I was told 'to be honest'. The interviewer scanned her eyes around my home, where the interview took place, looking for signs that I had more or less money than I had disclosed. I had to prove that myself and my husband were living within our means and didn't have a 4 foot plasma screen TV hidden in the corner!
We went over everything from number of Degrees I held through to my marketing and financial strategies.

It took a good few hours. She would then go away and I would get the results in the post - if they said yes I could continue setting up in business. If they said no, then I would have to privately fund my assistance of over £700 a week or give up self employment.

In the meantime they would pay me £11 an hour for personal assistance up until the last day of October.

October came....

No letter, I have also filed out about 20 pages of two application forms to the ILF. I have both the ILF and Social Services on standby to provide financial assistance should A2W decide not to fund.

I have spent over a week filling out forms to organise my personal assistance.
I went on holiday for 1 week.
Postal strikes and IT failure plagued my efforts.

I had spent the last three months doing business set-up, mailshots, advertising, networking etc. I almost had three contracts - then they fell through. Time was pushing on ... still no reply. I wondered if all my hard work had been for nothing... what if they didn't fund. My business would be over before it had started.

The pressure was immense.

I am told I can not use ILF or DPs for work purposes. If this fails I will not be able to work.

I feel demotivated - will my hard work be for nothing. It is an ugly black cloud over my head.

It was a few days to go until the end of October, I contacted A2W to ask what they had decided.
They said the letter was 'lost in the post'. I was e-mailed a copy. It stated I had a viable business plan. I was asked how many contracts I had. I had none - and I hadn't been expecting an income until my marketing strategy kicked in. I had been given three months to secure substantial contracts - just three months. I am not told how 'substantial' these should be.

I didn't get the funding. Officially I am not working but doing 'meaningful activities'. The alternative is I go to a day centre with large numbers of other disabled people who could work given half the chance.
Once there I could make baskets and play scrabble or have a sing-a-long.
I would cost the tax payer a lot of money and go mad. It is no place for a person with two degrees and a desire to work.

I would find it almost impossible to work for anyone but myself because of the flexibility and home working base that I would need - not many people offer work that is flexible enough.

I will not be giving up on my business just yet though.