New tougher MOTs.

[bert]

There's no figure can be put on tax avoidance as it is legally not tax due.

The DWP start with benefit fraud HMRC should start with tax evasion.

[Andrew]

But does that 'entitle' them to abuse a welfare system that was only intended to help those most in need ?.

[Andrew]

One of the presenters of the Last Leg, with funny hands and an artificial leg, has a blue badge which coincidentally allows free parking.

But he manages to jet all around the world to the paralympics and make it to the C4 studios every week, and is obviously not short of money.

So he has a disability, but is he 'disabled' ?.

[Andrew]

You have a motability car and benefits because her 'eyes are f*cked'! (your description).

If she can look at clothes, things can't be all that bad, apart from the downside to your wallet, but then I expect the money comes out of other peoples pockets.

Did she ever drive when her eyesight was OK ?.

[Andrew]

Which everyone knows is DETECTED fraud, usually as a result of someone phoning the hotline, and not because the DWP and all the other useless penpushers have done their job properly.

The real figure could well be many times that amount, and probably is, if you are a typical example of the Britains endemic 'entitlement' culture. Are you claiming all these benefits because you actually *need* them, or simply because there is a juicy loophole and you can ?. If so you are no better than our MPs and local councillors who grab every penny they can.

Are you now saying that Benefit fraud is socially and economically acceptable while (much exagerated) tax fraud is not ?. Trying to justify your position based on nonsense figures from the Grundian and the Inde, (all the usual suspects) won't help.

The so-called tax fraud amounts that Grady, Corbyn and that lot regularly bandy about have been done to death by numerous commentators on the TV and radio and the figures are wildly exagerated.

I once met a couple of not-very-old people at an RSPB cafe who were enjoying their retirement with their two gold-plated public service pensions. He was ex-fire chief retired well before 60, and she was a teacher, and very clearly left-wing and made the mistake of mentioning the original £120 Billion 'tax evasion', and then threw in all the names of the Coffee shops. 'Starbucks, Costa, ..' I stoppped her at that point and asked if she knew who Costa were ?. 'Oh its one of those multi- nationals who send their profits abroad'.

Except that Costa are wholly owned by Whitbread PLC, who employ a lot of people in Costa, Premier Inns, and other leasure outlets and pay all their NI and corporation tax in the UK. This didn't cut the mustard with ex-teacher, she just carried on banging on and on about all those dreadful tax-evaders.

[Andrew]

When being observed or assessed they 'suffer', but the rest of the time they are fine.

[Andrew]

You are claiming benefits based on your wifes apparently poor eyesight and have been since 1999, that's 19 years. Can we assume that she doesn't work, and has no need to be ferried to and from home ?

In what way would a lack of auto-box 'annoy' her, if she isn't doing the driving ?.

[Marland]

Where did he say that?

He said she could not drive because of poor eyesight, the car is more likely to have been granted for other conditions he has not given details off.

Looks like you are disabled yourself in the comprehension department.

GH

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Meaning a disabled parking permit should only be available to the poor? That would cure the problem since they probably couldn't afford a car.

Would you be willing to trade a leg for a disabled parking permit?

[whisky-dave]

I thought they were availble to those that are disabled, or at least that's who they should be aimed at.

Or you could insist they hand in their application forms at an office on a mountain top somewhere.

Bit of an unfair question, would anyone with one false leg settle for a clo ser parking space if they gave up their remaining working leg ?

I'm not sure how disabled badges indicate how disabled a person is, but I w ould assume that someone with no arms and no legs would get a higher disabi lity rating than someone with just one disabled leg, and the fact that they can win an olypmic running meddle shou,d mean that their disabled spot cou ld be located in the same area as anyone else that has never won an omlypic medal for running.

[The Natural Philosopher]

Before my first heart op, I could barely walk 60 metres Before my second, I could barely walk 5 metres. Before my third, I was back down to 60 meters.

Now, as long as I take the pills and dont drink too much coffee I can walk indefinitely. On good days. Sometiems I am pushed to do 60 meters without stopping.

Disability does indeed vary greatly day to day.

Oh, and I havent got a blue card nor do I intend to get one.

I need the exercise.

[whisky-dave]

Back down or back up to 60 AVOs ;-)

Wow but then again jonnie peacock can run 100 metres in under 11 seconds and he has a leg missing.

SO who should get the disabled badge and what should it mean ?

That would cause a problem for administration too.

Most people do. :-(

[charles]

err . NO

[charles]

They are, but it can be applied to the vehicle in which they are being driven.

[dennis]

You need to get the PIP enhanced mobility benefit to get a blue badge AFAIK. Then the car is "free". They might even pay for driving lessons if they can't afford them. If they are really poor they might want to use the cash for something else.

[Steve Walker]

No. My mother-in-law suffered from osteoporosis - to the extent that she twice suffered spontaneous fratures of her spine. She was constantly in pain.

After injections to her spine, she was great and could walk to the shops and carry bags back, but she needed injections every 6 months and the NHS would not let her book her next appointment until 6 months elapsed - and then there was a 3 month waiting list. Each time, as she was getting towards 9 months, she'd be absolutely crippled and hardly able to move.

I myself am not registered disabled, but some days I can walk half a mile or stand for half an hour on the train and then, in reaction, the following day I can hobble to or from the car and that's it!

SteveW

[Steve Walker]

Disabilities are indeed graded and affect whether someone is expected to work and how much benefit they get to cope with the increased costs of their disability (extra tansport costs, extra heating requirements, etc.)

The blue badge is not graded. You can only get one if you cannot walk more than 50 metres without significant effort, pain, breathlessness; need support equipment that requires extra space around the car to get it in and out; are a driver rather than passenger by have problems with your arms and cannot use a parking meter; are registered blind; along with another group that have non-physical problems such as debilitating anxiety outdoors - this is not an exhaustive list, just the most obvious ones.

SteveW

[dennis]

I bet none of the complainers would not claim when they are issued a DS1500 and McMillan call to fill in the forms!

[tabbypurr]

the sort of crass foolishness that Andrew demonstrates with that comment ha s spread throughout our society, resulting in a whole lot of stupid decisio ns that are good for no-one. Unfortunately such stupidity became positively fashionable in the 1960s and has yet to fall out of favour.

[tabbypurr]

I'm not aware of any loopholes built in to the disability benefits claim system. Quite the reverse, many that should get such payments don't.

NT