Saturday 14 May 2011

Call for Investigation of Maria Miller

Having previously mentioned Maria Miller's weasel words comparing the "higher rate" (without explanation of whether she meant Care or Mobility) DLA caseload for those whose main disabling condition is blindness to that for alcohol and drug abusers, courses of action to address this misleading of the public have been considered.

Prior to taking action, the case needed to be better quantified. As you would expect. the number of those with blindness as their main disabling condition outnumbers that for alcohol and drug abusers eligible for the Higher Rate of the Care component although not by much, perhaps because alcohol and drug abuse is often associated with underlying psychological problems and can often lead to severe physical problems. For the Higher Rate of the Mobility component, 7100 people with blindness as their main disabling condition are eligible against 9100 for alcohol and drug abusers. Overall, 12,500 disabled by alcohol and drug abuse claim the Higher Rate of DLA, against 12,200 disabled by blindness. Does this mean that Maria Miller was correct

At first glance, the claim appears to be a half-truth at best. The reasons that so few people with blindness as their disabling condition are eligible for the Higher Rate of the Mobility is that, at the date when the latest figures were collected, the visually impaired cannot qualify for the benefit due to their visual impairment. But recent changes to eligibility criteria make the claim entirely false.

The rules for eligibility to the Higher Rate of the Mobility component of DLA have changed since April 2011, meaning that many more severely visually impaired people are now eligible for DLA at this rate, so that Maria Miller's claim is no longer even half-truth. Over 20,000 people have been eligible for the Higher Rate of the Mobility component of DLA since last month.

This new exploration of the data is convincing evidence that Maria Miller lied, and that she meant to deceive the public. The lie was intended to set camps of disabled people against one another, and to use a tabloid perception of substance abuse for political gain. As such, The Broken of Britain has contacted the Cabinet Office to ask them to investigate a singularly malicious breach of the Ministerial Code of Conduct by Ms. Miller. This action was considered the best option, given that Ministerial questions in Westminster can be shrugged off and that the outcome of other courses of action would not lead to a satisfactory outcome. You will be kept updated of any developments.

22 comments:

Jan said...

Excellent work, as always. If it doesn't go anywhere, at least it shows we're listening and she's being held to account. Justice one day.

Jane said...

Yes, it is essential that someone tries to get these people to be accountable for what they say and do. Well done for this.

Adrian said...

Rhydian-I feel sure that Mrs Miller cherry picked her statistics carefully,continuing the recent statistics the PM mentioned re. addicts and IB.She also must have known of the April change you mention,which was passed in Parliament during the last Government.The cynical among us may think that she would use that fact in future statistics( ie.now far more visually impaired people receive higher rate mobility)to prove that her Government is at last properly targetting the allowance.This main disabling condition,to me is a statistical convenience which tells us little about the receiver.In any case ,as you know,people do not get it based on the fact that they have a particular disability/illness.Good luck with your efforts.regards.

RockHorse said...

Thank you all so much for what you're doing. Maria Miller and all Ministers must be held to proper account. They talk about this government being 'open and transparent' but are failing, except in being transparent liars.

Anonymous said...

Maria Miller shoudl be sacked forthwith! If this is meant to be the minister FOR disabled people - somebody who ''loks after our interests'' then it is very much lacking in every way possible.

I think we would be better off having a sdnail represent disabled people!

This woman would have done well working for Adolf - Sending us all to the gas chambers!

Anonymous said...

*snail* even

Anonymous said...

Shouldn't we be leaning on disabled people sitting in the Commons and Lords to get behind this as the advisory standards mechanisms and codes of conduct operating in those places are pretty circular to say the least and history has shown that its really not a good idea to allow the political class free reign to discriminate and incite .

Anonymous said...

We must not forget that as well as misleading the public, she is trying to stir up division amongst those who are ill and disabled.

Trying it on with the 'blind people are worthy' and 'addicts are undeserving' spin. Addiction is an illness, often caused by inability to cope with other disabling conditions either healthwise, psychologically or environmentally. We must not let these cynical tactics work. We must stick together in our resistance to the appalling treatment we are all being dished out by this Coalition and in particular this Minister.

Anonymous said...

Maria Miller lied, pure and simple and even if she hadn't lied she still likes to play one group off against another which is wrong and should be sacked for that alone
A disability or illness is a disability however miner and the person or persons responsible who are engaged in policy making should be well qualified to make well meaningful decisions soundly based for our needs and to neither guess or stereotype or to lie

There is no need for debate from maria miller she has already shown her true colours and has declared she hasn't a clue about illness or disability (good for her)so how the hell can she be relied upon to bring about policy's on our behalf ?

Mason Dixon, Autistic said...

I've been reading through the draft descriptors for PIP. It seems to me that April changes that will allow severely visually-impaired people to claim higher-rate Mobility will be reversed once PIP replaces DLA.

A lot of things which shaped DLA(tribunal and court rulings) will be reversed, PIP will wipe the slate clean. I'm currently seeing what I can write about it.

Anonymous said...

To be honest reading the descriptors for PIP - Seems you have to be dead to actually be able to get it and then you wont get it - cos youre dead!

So it seems they have made it so NOBODY or virtually nobody will get DLA - So to be honest - My life will become very small and very isolated (it already is to be honest) and I also wont be able to afford things like easy cook meals etc. Or heating!

I pray to God this PIP thing is somehow stopped in its tracks as against human rights or something as it seems I no longer have the right to live

Anonymous said...

Go for it Mason, we need more proof of their lies to become public knowledge!

Ron Graves said...

I'm pretty certain that Miller is doing exactly what she's being paid to do.

With this government is was probably a mistake to think she'd actually represent OUR interests

Visually Impaired said...

I am visually impaired and would like to thank you for looking into this. It is about time this woman was held accountable.

Anonymous said...

I agree she is doing what she is paid to - But she CANNOT be called ''Minister FOR the disabled'' as that is a blatant LIE

She should be just called Minister who buggers up disability - This PIP thing - The questions etc sem virtually impossiblefor 90% of claimants to get through. I know I will lose my DLA thus I wont be able to eat, I wont be able to keep warm so I will be in even more pain. All because they will suddenly deem me NOT disabled - Well that may be their view but I know damned well I am! My life is nothing to what it was pre this illness I cant go anywhere or do anything - I am too fatigued to achieve anything and then just cos a WCA medical or a PIP one says I am ok - Then i am suddenly cured?

What a load of blox that is!

I am disgusted with Cameron who should have learned through his son (RIP Ivan) Yet Cameron claimed DLA when he has 40million quid and didnt even need it - But he would begrudge someone else from having help that he took when he is so rich- He makes me sick. That man should also be sacked - In fact I think any govt that lies like this should - and its easy to say 'all polititians lie' WELL THEY SHOULDNT - They are supposed to work for the public and thats a lie too - They are money grabbing slimeballs who are only in it to cream money off the country - and they call US scroungers!!!!!!!!! - MPs are scroungers and thieves - They say they are there for us and thats a lie
Maria Miller disgusts me. How she can even look herself in the eye is beyond me

I wish this ''Attack the disabled'' thign hadnt started and I dont know where it will end as it seems this Govt will do as they please no mattr what everyone thinks or says. Which just tells me that no matter what - Cameron and his cronies have their plan to demonise the poor and enrish the already rich

ALL of them should be ashamed of themselves. And conservative and labour are liars so who can we turn to to get justice for the disabled?

Anonymous said...

David Cameron and maria miller should both be sacked just for causing unnecessary anguish to the sick and disabled with their constant attack on us

If a member of the public were to cause us anguish the police would be round like a shot to stop it but as it's the DWP the police say their is nothing they can do as they are above the law and providing they don't physically attack you your fair game

They can attack you mentally tho and abuse you and i must say from my own experience i certainly get a lot of that coming my way and have done for many years where I'm supposed to be getting rest and not getting involved the DWP keep me constantly involved week after week month after month and theirs no let up in sight and have no respite whatsoever and am extremely thin and run down unable to neither sleep or eat so things not looking good my end at all

so if you dont hear form me you'll no that they have killed me off. I have left instructions with my wife to let all you good folk know so that's at least something
My mp is so so but it's well out of his league so not that really helpful sad to say as he is a nice person i feel and would make a good conservative leader

Anonymous said...

How the hell did we ever get into this mess in the first place and with a minority conservative government
This government have caused more controversy then all the previous governments that i know of put together even Mrs thatcher had a break for a little breathing

Anonymous said...

Good call this one. Well done. I agree that the government is using tactic of 'divide and rule', amongst others. It's crucial that disabled people don't buy into this.

For me, I don't know when I'll be called up for reassessment for incapacity benefit or DLA. There's nothing to suggest I'll win on either count, even though I had DLA awarded 'for life' over a decade ago. All I know is that each time an envelope comes through the post with DWP on it, my heart races with dread. When my benefits are removed - as they surely will be, since I have the 'wrong impairment', I will lose my PAs, my accessible van and - oh, as a single parent - my child.

Funny thing is, I don't see myself as dependent or scrounging. Even if all that counts is economics, I'm pretty good value for money. I've been a good mother this past decade and have made significant social contributions through voluntary work over the years. But what a joke because if I say that on my behalf, it'll be used to undermine my claim, so I have to play the role of dependent scrounger. And on it goes...

Anonymous said...

i have thought for a long time that maria miller is not fit for purpose, she truely worries me, as i have observed her in parliament and read the things she has said. she seems deranged to me, or she has some deep personal problems but her judgement and compassion is zilch. she seems to be unable to understand anyone, and has a vendetta against disabled people. she needs to go and fast and hopefully taking the pm with her (if only). a millionaire who claimed benefits can this be right or moral, especially as he has no understanding or compassion for the disabled community what so ever.

Philippa said...

There is one fact about the figures for visual impairment which may be relevant and which has not been mentioned. I'm not even sure what the statistical ramifications are.

The majority of those who are registered as visually impaired have developed sight problems in late middle or old age. In other words, after they are entitled to claim DLA. You have to start including AA recipients as well as DLA ones to get any sort of figure and, just to complicate matters, many people going blind may also be developing other problems physical and mental at the same time.

Addiction does not have anything like the same age profile. I don't know exactly what it is, but I'm sure that it's not as skewed towards the pensioner age-group as visual impairment is.

Visually Impaired said...

Phillipa thats rubbish. I developed a problem with my in 1996. at the age of 19. So late middle or old age doe3sn't run true here does it.

I agree with you about other problems developing when your visually impaired. Mental health is a definate risk. infact I have suffered with mental ilness off and on for longer than i caare to remember.

One problem made it worse the governments bloody meddling with the way disabled people are looked after. eg my case I was stopped from seeing an organisation that worked wonders for me and made to see A4E who abused, hummilliated and hindered me at every turn. They claimed to provide a service for disabled in particular visually impaired and i can tell you they didn't 18 months on still waiting for large print documents, still. They refused to pay for my travel; to their office until i went to the indeopendent case examiner, they tried to get me sanctioned but it was overlooked. Not only is it that the dwp fails to deal with people with disabilities but they wash their hands of us when they send us to these profit merchants

Anonymous said...

speaks for itself
http://www.petition.co.uk/sack-maria-miller-as-disability-minister