Post by Barney McGrew on Mar 18, 2014 7:46:29 GMT
Dying forced to wait eight weeks instead of eight days for help amid ‘dire’ benefits overhaul – MPs
MPs criticise ‘dire situation’ as terminally ill forced to negotiate call centres and endure long waits as disability benefits are replaced with new system
People dying of cancer have been forced to wait up to eight weeks for vital financial support previously available within eight days because of the bungled introduction of new benefits system, a committee of MPs has concluded.
Patients already certified by doctors as having only a short time to live have been left facing financial problems and in some cases unable to arrange care because of the delays processing applications, they found.
Carers or terminally ill people themselves have had to spend long periods on the telephone to call centres to make applications, instead of simply filling in a form, as happened under the old system.
Meanwhile disabled people who previously received support have had to wait six months or longer simply to find out whether they now even qualify.
MPs on the Commons Work and Pensions Committee described the introduction of the new Personal Independence Payments (PIP) system, which is being phased in to replace existing disability benefits, as a “dire situation”.
www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/10703960/Dying-forced-to-wait-eight-weeks-instead-of-eight-days-for-help-amid-dire-benefits-overhaul-MPs.html
When is Cameron going to wake up and get rid of the Idiot Duncan Smith? Fairness was promised by his overhaul of the benefits system yet we have more and more food banks because people are being sanctioned and refused benefits when they qualify them, people who could be scamming the system not being checked for two years and now this.
If god forbid the Tories do win the next election, Duncan Smith should be the first one sacked in a reshuffle. He must be one of the most useless people in any government ever.
MPs criticise ‘dire situation’ as terminally ill forced to negotiate call centres and endure long waits as disability benefits are replaced with new system
People dying of cancer have been forced to wait up to eight weeks for vital financial support previously available within eight days because of the bungled introduction of new benefits system, a committee of MPs has concluded.
Patients already certified by doctors as having only a short time to live have been left facing financial problems and in some cases unable to arrange care because of the delays processing applications, they found.
Carers or terminally ill people themselves have had to spend long periods on the telephone to call centres to make applications, instead of simply filling in a form, as happened under the old system.
Meanwhile disabled people who previously received support have had to wait six months or longer simply to find out whether they now even qualify.
MPs on the Commons Work and Pensions Committee described the introduction of the new Personal Independence Payments (PIP) system, which is being phased in to replace existing disability benefits, as a “dire situation”.
www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/10703960/Dying-forced-to-wait-eight-weeks-instead-of-eight-days-for-help-amid-dire-benefits-overhaul-MPs.html
When is Cameron going to wake up and get rid of the Idiot Duncan Smith? Fairness was promised by his overhaul of the benefits system yet we have more and more food banks because people are being sanctioned and refused benefits when they qualify them, people who could be scamming the system not being checked for two years and now this.
If god forbid the Tories do win the next election, Duncan Smith should be the first one sacked in a reshuffle. He must be one of the most useless people in any government ever.