The difference between voluntary work and a favour

Jeff1 wrote:

Hi papasmurf, I know what you mean, the bloke the other day who was caught jiving etc, the papers stated that the DLA was meant for people who have to use wheelchairs. We know that is not the case but the media and the general public think if you are not in a wheelchair you are not disabled. (no offence to wheelchair users)

Perversely I have had the opposite problem.
I was putting on my neck brace and wrist supports before getting on my motorcycle, when a man came up and had a go at me ranting a disabled person should not be riding a motorcyle.
Before I could give him a "sex and travel" message. A motorcycle training instructor and a motorcyle driving test examiner gave him a "sex and travel" message instead.
I happened to be parked outside the driving test centre.

Sadly, since the introduction of ESA the focus is on what a person can do as opossed to what they can't.

The Government are fully aware that there are not enough jobs for those who are fit and healthy let alone those who are not. However, they are not concerned with these facts. Their agenda is to reduce the deficit, hence the reason for so many people being found fit for work, despite their illness. They also know that having been through horrendous medicals with the ATOS, people will break under the pressure and are less likely to make an appeal to a tribunal and accept JSA. JSA is less than IB or ESA.

Sadly, anything you do which demonstrates you are fit for work, albeit a one off gesture of goodwill or even giving your time freely to a charitable organisation as and when you feel OK to do so, will provide the Government with ammunition to find you fit for work or in less need of DLA. Ask yourselves, for what other reason does the Government plan to target the working population who claim DLA?

Terrific reply, papasmurf!
Thirty odd years ago I used to ride pillion on a Ducatti 900. It's bit of a come down to be using a Suntech, or Rainbow electric now, LOL!

That was obviously someone who knows you then who did that to you, nice

This thread makes me wonder whether voluntary work is worthwhile. I haven't been in employment for 15 years so have no means of obtaining a reference. I receive DLA lrm & mrc, long term IB due to bipolar. I study part-time, which 'they' know about. Voluntary work would be valuable to me in improving my self confidence and esteem - something I have none of. Does worry me about the transfer to ESA as if I'm deemed fit (am exempt atm), inspite of the DDA, who will employ someone with no work history/refences and a severe mental illness?

In order to know what you can and can't do, surely common sense must prevail, for example, if a person was asked could they walk 50m 100m 200m etc, etc. How could they answer the question if they had never tried to push themselves a little further. I see this as the same sort of thing for me to say that if a friend waited long enough for me to feel up to a certain task, and I was willing to give that certain task a go, no matter what it was, surely this is a clear indication of me 'wanting' to test and see if I could perform that task. The point in question though, is that I could never do it without lots of relaxation and at a time when I felt up to having a try.
Is my thinking wrong, or this system that we are governed by completely and unequivocally incorrect? If so, what can be done about it?

Linsky