Disability?

Sandvich

I'm wondering how disability allowance is being affected by the budget. Generally it's been joined at the hip with the dole, which for under 24s is being cut to €150. This is madness and if I have to take that level of drop it's difficult for me to afford to stay here and I'd have to move back in with my parents which is not good for my sense of independance(not to mention the fact that I'm in Cork doing a course far far away from home).

dvpower

Disability allowance is cut to €196

NatureGirl

The Disability Allowance has been cut from €204.30 to €196.00 per week from January 2010. This is a cut of €8.30.

If you have a car and heat your house with oil - then you will have an additional cost of AT LEAST €3 a week from the new Carbon Tax.

This would leave a single person on Disability Allowance running their own home, at least €11.30 a week worse off, at the very minumum. If you use coal and brickettes - this will rise enormously and could be as much as €15.00 a week worse off.

Do the government have no care for the permanantly serverly disabled and sick members of society, who can't work no matter how much they desparately want to ? Is it not bad enough that they have to live on a meager income and have an undeserved stigma...

The government decided not to change the pension rates - obviously because they considered it would cause a riot - Do they think that the permanantly disabled are any different ? Do they think that they don't matter and won't fight back ?

I for one would join any march or protest now, after this grossly inconsiderate and unfair announcement.

Yours seethingly,
NatureGirl
Co Galway

Sandvich

Fair enough, that's more or less what it was a year or so ago. Will the same reductions for under 24s apply?

nesf

Sandvich wrote: »

Fair enough, that's more or less what it was a year or so ago. Will the same reductions for under 24s apply?

No, those reductions are only for people on Jobseeker's Allowance. As far as I can see Disability payments won't (for obvious reasons) be cut if someone refuses a job or anything like that.

NatureGirl

Yes, as nesf said - your Disability Allowance is not age related and so you are safe in that respect

Hopefully for you your heating costs are contained in your rent etc

Good luck with your course

Sandvich

NatureGirl wrote: »

The Disability Allowance has been cut from €204.30 to €196.00 per week from January 2010. This is a cut of €8.30.

If you have a car and heat your house with oil - then you will have an additional cost of AT LEAST €3 a week from the new Carbon Tax.

This would leave a single person on Disability Allowance running their own home, at least €11.30 a week worse off, at the very minumum. If you use coal and brickettes - this will rise enormously and could be as much as €15.00 a week worse off.

Do the government have no care for the permanantly serverly disabled and sick members of society, who can't work no matter how much they desparately want to ? Is it not bad enough that they have to live on a meager income and have an undeserved stigma...

The government decided not to change the pension rates - obviously because they considered it would cause a riot - Do they think that the permanantly disabled are any different ? Do they think that they don't matter and won't fight back ?

I for one would join any march or protest now, after this grossly inconsiderate and unfair announcement.

Yours seethingly,
NatureGirl
Co Galway

I guess that could be a serious problem. I wish the government would think things true. "Tough" decisions aren't really tough decisions when they're sweeping generalisations that don't take circumstance into account.

And actually, they're right, we won't fight back. Irish people are kind of like that.

Sandvich

NatureGirl wrote: »

Yes, as nesf said - your Disability Allowance is not age related and so you are safe in that respect

Hopefully for you your heating costs are contained in your rent etc

Good luck with your course

Thanks

I use an electical(Hallogen) heater, though if I move to a place with central heating I could be hit. Should increase fuel allowance slightly really.

nesf

Well it'd be a bit crazy to turn around to someone on disability because they can't work and tell them they're taking 50 quid a week off them because they refused a job!

Sandvich

nesf wrote: »

Well it'd be a bit crazy to turn around to someone on disability because they can't work and tell them they're taking 50 quid a week off them because they refused a job!

Trust me, half the posters on PROC would love that.

NatureGirl

How much will it take to make the less advantaged members of society to stand up and shout ? It's sad but I think you are right - apathy reigns and there's an assumption of 'of sure what difference will it make'

I lived in England when the Poll Tax riots occured - and then people were so angry that all sections of society marched - AND WON eventually The lady did turn !

And also - I have to apologise for the spelling errors in my original post - I was so angry I just typed fast and didn't read it through !

NatureGirl

OK I'm kind newish to boards.ie - but what is PROC

And yes - some people assume everyone on disability is somehow faking it and lazy. I'd do anything to be able to work and not be in pain all day every day !

Sandvich

NatureGirl wrote: »

OK I'm kind newish to boards.ie - but what is PROC

And yes - some people assume everyone on disability is somehow faking it and lazy. I'd do anything to be able to work and not be in pain all day every day !

I absolutely despise the average Irish person because this seems to be the attitude.

The last time I worked I had a series of panic attacks. I wasn't emotionally stable enough at the time and thanks to our wonderful health system I still haven't recieved appropriate treatment/therapy, as well as still being on a waiting list for numerous physical ailments.

PROC is here:

http://www.peoplesrepublicofcork.com/~peoplesr/forums/showthread.php?t=171018

Full of genuinely malicious people.

NatureGirl

Oh my - PROC full of malicious people doesn't sound like a site I'd like to visit !

:mad: Some people seem to have an inability to see all aspects of something - shame. They are easily led too :eek: