So you’re trying to help disabled people in to work? I don’t think so….

As a disabled person with a deteriorating muscle condition. I believe in working. It’s not possible for everyone, but I do see the benefits of working, the interaction it gives with other people and the purpose of getting out of bed and living for a reason can’t be denied.

Unfortunately the definition of work is somewhat confusing in this day and age. The government white paper on disability and work defines work as any work whether paid or unpaid voluntary or otherwise including caring and parenting. Most of my disabled persons do volunteer or do something for the community which would be covered by this definition. However if you read the rest of the white paper it is obvious that the government only considers paid work, or taxable paid work as work and not as per the definition they have given in their own paper.

However even when you a disabled person are prepared to work, life isn’t easy. And they don’t make it easy for you. Let me tell you about the recent ridiculous situation the government is putting me through.

I am on ESA, in the non-working support group. Last year I was lucky to be employed by an advocacy organisation, and I spent up to 16 hours a week working as an advocate helping disabled people. The scheme is worth a go as it allows you to do some work, subject to finding an employer who can cope with your disabilities and your flexibility arrangements. Thankfully this national advocacy group was such a group. I won’t go in to being made redundant 2 years later due to cuts in funding to this organisation by the government, as that’s not what this is about! Give it ago by all means but do not stray beyond the set criteria as laid down whatever you do.

For me I recently received a letter telling me that I had been over paid £126 over the period between April and July 2015. I look through my pay slips and find that I received a bonus of £200 from the organisation for the hard work I’d put in the year before. To be honest id barely noticed and thinking it was a bonus it wouldn’t be counted, everyone in the organisation received an amount of bonus form the advocacy service and for them not to have given me this would have in effect been potentially disability discrimination. On top of this overpayment of £126 I am fined £50 pounds for not telling the DWP.

So as per procedure I ask for mandatory reconsideration, to then receive having looked through  the case, without even responding to my arguments as above that in fact actually I owed them £157 and £50 fine please. Again after the long 20 minute wait on the phone I speak to an advisor I ask this time for a reasonable adjustment, can I email my issues to be told no it’s not possible. I explain that due to my disabilities, I can’t hold the phone to my mouth so have to use the speaker phone, I want to have a private conversation as I have carers around me and speaking for long periods give me a bad throat, due to muscle weakness. Again its refused even though I point  out I know that a person has previously made a similar request and got a long response under Freedom of information saying its possible. Eventually I’m called back and again this second person also refuses to make reasonable adjustments I asked for, I tell them the story above and ask them for an explanation of how they have calculated the above figures. As they seem incorrect. I got no answer. I asked and said there must be a specific calculation they use (look it up there is). But he was not be able to tell me or explain. All I got was he will put it forward as another mandatory consideration.

In the mean time I get contacted by other local benefits agencies, housing and council tax. I am told in writing that I now owe the housing people £67, because of the above. I send them all the documentation requested and am told via email no its fine your still under the limit nothing is owed. Only to receive another letter the following week saying I owe the same benefits team the same amount even though I have an email saying I don’t. Again I ask for an explanation and don’t get one. So I write to them advising I won’t be paying until I get an explanation.

I then receive a phone call to be told that I am in arrears with my housing benefits by £11.00 a week, I again explain all the above to them. Advising them I’ve received no paperwork of communication from them at all.

Apparently it seems HMRC have written to all parties saying I earned too much for those three months period because of my bonus. Instead of a sensible decision being made all the agencies and organisations are now chasing me for more money than the actual bonus, I got paid for trying to work. The amount of time and people on this case for it to be sorted for a measly payment, which a disabled person gets for trying to work will end up costing those parties more in work and investigation time than sensible. Oh and to top it all, I received a letter from HMRC saying I’m owed £120.80 because of overpayment in tax.

I hope the above made sense to you because it’s confusing me as I’m trying to figure it all out.

Given £200 bonus

DWP says = £157.00 overpayment

Fine + £50

Housing = £11 a week for 14(?) weeks =£154

Council tax = £67

Want paid back total: £428

Owed: £120.80 overpayment in tax…….

So far 11 letters from  agencies, 4 phone calls, 14 emails, spoken to 10 different people and still ongoing……..,

After reading all the above, can someone please explain why a disabled person should or would even try to work? What’s the incentive? Where’s the benefit? Even when you are happy to try! Oh and I don’t mind paying money back if owed, but is a bonus really paid work?