There is something vaguely Orwellian and misleading about the Department for Work and Pensions’ title. The title would seem to suggest that you are either fit for work or on a State Pension.
I can well imagine the average voter, with no experience of receiving social security, assuming that if you do not fit into either the work or pensions group then you must, in some way, be playing the system. There are, after all, some people around who still talk about the Social, the DSS and/or even the DHSS.
Perhaps, changing the name to the Department for Work, Pensions and Social Security would be a small contribution towards changing attitudes towards people on sickness benefits (and lone parents on benefits not requiring them to seek work)? And, may be we could also resurrect the original Jobcentre Plus Mission Statement:
Help for those who can work and support for those who cannot.
The ramblings of a former DWP Civil Servant ... 
Reblogged this on sdbast.
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Reblogged this on stewilko's Blog.
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Reblogged this on jaynelinney and commented:
Isn’t interesting how ‘Words’ can mean So very much?!
John Turner demonstrates how this works in practice –
“Perhaps, changing the name to the Department for Work, Pensions and Social Security would be a small contribution towards changing attitudes towards people on sickness benefits (and lone parents on benefits not requiring them to seek work)”
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Pensions and disability support – not to mention most benefits other than Unemployment Benefit used to be assed by the Department of HEALTH and Social Security, and it took decades of wrangling, like boiling a frog, to wrest them into the clutches of the former Dept. of Employment.
Of course it was the old, HEALTH-centred DHSS who have since been accused of awarding disability benefits to sick and disabled people who happened to have also been unemployed, during the days of Thatcher (of all people). But this was before the disability denial factories of Unum Insurance and Atos.
Given the fact that most Jobcentre staff have now gone feral, and the ecalating rate of deaths related to sanctions and work capability tests, it would seem the LEAST the next govt should do is restore the social security budget for assessing vulnerable groups BACK to the Dept of Health.
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assessed 😉
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Reblogged this on Britain Isn't Eating.
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The Welfare Reform Bill should also be renamed.
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Since when have Pensions been a benefit? IDS and Co. seem to think it is.
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Reblogged this on Jay's Journal and commented:
DWP? They seem to have lost the health bit altogether!
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Reblogged this on SMILING CARCASS'S TWO-PENNETH.
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One big help would be to allow unemployed and low earners free or reduced bus fares so they can get around to look for jobs and interviews. Bus fare is so expensive and not everyone can drive.
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