WHO SAYS WE'RE INCAPABLE? On July 11th a group of people with disabilities, working under the name Incapacity Action, pelted Peter Lilley with eggs in protest at the new Incapacity Benefit, which is replacing sickness benefit and invalidity benefit. To get IB, claimants will have to pass a test to show that theyÕre incapable of working. The assesment is carried out through awarding points for particular questions about ability, and can be checked by one of their own doctors, who is quite likely not to be experienced in such matters. The change was introduced in with hysteria about "scroungers" and doctors supposedly willing to sign people as sick when theyÕre not, but as well as just another attempt to save money and force people of benefits, this is a complete (deliberate) misunderstanding of what disability entails. The new system returns to viewing diability in purely medical terms, as an accumulation of points, instead of recognising disablity as a social question, a question of experience and of people being disabled by social conditions. The question is simply whether someone would be capable of carrying out work, ignoring whether they would be able to get there, the massive prejudice of employers, the nonavailability of apropriate facilities and support at the workplace etc. The new system also denies people with disabilities the right to decide what treatment is best for them, as they can be cut off for not taking what the doctor considers helpful, or for having become incapable of work through their own "misconduct". Getting Your Money As the benefit is dependent on how you fill in the form its best to get advice from people in the know. Staff have been told theyÕre not allowed to help or make suggestions. Many people like to be positive about what they can do, but this can get you cut off. Remember, you have to score enough points to get the benefit, and that the questionnaire is about working, not about what you can do on a good day, but what you could have to do 5 days a week for the rest of your life. You will have to score either 15 points in the physical and sensory incapacity test or 10 in the mental health test, or 6 points in both. The points system is available so you can work out what you need to be able to pass. The physical section is divided into different functions and you only get one score for each, but it is possibvle to get the necessary 15 points for one function. If you get sent to one of their doctors, ask them about their experience and qualifications, and point out that you know a lot more about your situation than they ever could. For more details about getting your money and fighting back, contact Incapacity action at P O Box 9, 136/138 Kingsland High Street, London