Consultation outcome

Reach response

Updated 23 March 2020

1. Background Information

Reach is a group advocacy project, supporting adults with learning disabilities (Reach members).

At one of our meetings on March 3rd 2020, Reach members discussed the Social Security Advisory Committee바카라 사이트檚 public consultation on how the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).

Reach Advocacy Facilitators had created Easy Read posters, based on the main themes of the consultation, to help facilitate a group discussion.

11 adults with learning disabilities (7 men, 4 women, all aged between 40 and 75) attended the meeting. Two attendees are also on the Autistic spectrum. Four have mobility impairments and one has a visual impairment.

2. What People Told Us

바카라 사이트淭hey [the DWP] don바카라 사이트檛 listen. What바카라 사이트檚 the point? They never have listened. They just want put people to work, even if they can바카라 사이트檛 work.바카라 사이트�

바카라 사이트淲hy do they drag people in for assessments when they바카라 사이트檝e already got the information they need? Why make them come in for an assessment when they바카라 사이트檝e got your forms, they바카라 사이트檝e got information from your doctors?바카라 사이트�

바카라 사이트淕et them [the DWP] out here, get their staff going out and meeting people, meeting advocacy groups like this, get them listen to real people.바카라 사이트�

바카라 사이트淭hey should give people a chance to try out a work placement instead of sending them straight into work.바카라 사이트�

바카라 사이트淚 went for my Personal Independence Payment (PIP) assessment. Was good to meet somebody and talk face-to-face. I had somebody with me, somebody who works for the city council and helps me sort out my money. He was there if I needed him, if I didn바카라 사이트檛 understand something or I got stuck, he could help me out. I was anxious and nervous before I went in but having somebody to support me made me feel better.바카라 사이트�

바카라 사이트淭hey [the DWP] should tell you more, give you more information and be clear about what you should be getting. Getting to talk face-to-face is always best.바카라 사이트�

바카라 사이트淭hey could do home visits, like in people바카라 사이트檚 houses, or residential homes, go out to see people who can바카라 사이트檛 get out as easy.바카라 사이트�

바카라 사이트淲hy don바카라 사이트檛 they have people with disabilities on their interview panels when they바카라 사이트檙e interviewing for new staff? Then they can see how people talk to people with disabilities. See how they treat 바카라 사이트榚m.바카라 사이트�

바카라 사이트淭he DWP are just there to take money off people.바카라 사이트�

바카라 사이트淲hen you get form after form it can take hours to fill them in if you can바카라 사이트檛 understand them.바카라 사이트�

바카라 사이트淲hen you바카라 사이트檙e filling in forms, you can get help to do it, but you have to pay. It cost me 拢30 and that바카라 사이트檚 a lot of money to some people. It should be free if you바카라 사이트檝e got a learning disability.바카라 사이트�

바카라 사이트淭he DWP need understand that people with disabilities need forms in a different format. They might need Easy Read, or bigger writing because usually the writing바카라 사이트檚 too small. They might need Braille or audio.바카라 사이트�

바카라 사이트淲orking with Reach/Asist is like working with lots of other organisations. They support us to speak up to the NHS, the city council, lots of others. They write down the information, the things we say and send it on. Could do that with the DWP. DWP should work with advocacy groups.바카라 사이트�

바카라 사이트淭hey need talk to you. Talk to people. Talk to groups.바카라 사이트�

3. Additional Feedback

During the discussion, Reach members suggested we share an existing Reach report from 2014 called 바카라 사이트楾hinking About Consultation and Engagement바카라 사이트�. Reach members said this would have relevant information in it and would be useful for the DWP to see how 바카라 사이트楨asy Read바카라 사이트� information can be written so it is accessible for people with learning disabilities.