Disability benefits and new DWP law

sanrioluver4eva

I feel so guilty I spend my disability money on things I want (after paying for what I need), people say that you should treat disability money like a job pays you but this new law is making me so scared like am I spending my money wrong? Am I using my income wrong? I'm sorry I know this might seem odd but it's genuinely anxiety fuelling.

I think I have imposter syndrome but things like this, yes, it's meant for fraud but I feel like such a faker even though I'm diagnosed? I'm sorry

Albus_Scope

Hi @sanrioluver4eva and welcome to the community!

Please don't feel like a faker.  The benefits are there to help you with your conditions, you're allowed to spend the money however you wish. 

sanrioluver4eva

Thank you for the reassurance it's been on my mind for days now @Albus_Scope

poppy123456

New law? I'm not aware of any new laws about what you can and can't spend your money on.

Biblioklept

I think they mean that the law about them checking bank accounts, it's got people worried they'll start looking at what they're spending money on.

Ralph

So to fund tax cut bribes for an election Sunak is taking money from those least able to afford it. Of course we knew this but here it is. 

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2024/jan/07/rishi-sunak-says-he-wants-to-cut-workers-taxes-this-year-and-may-reduce-benefits

sasqatch

It's an abomination more so when it affects disabled people.  The cost of housing illegal immigrants is around £3 billion a year and according to the government it is also costing around £6 million per day to put them in a hotel, their words.   What is the easy option, the easy option is to target the poorest and most vulnerable in society as they can't seem to get immigration under control with this Rwanda farce. They know they won't win the next election, but they still want to leave a legacy, so when they pick up again, they will eventually have less groundwork to cover. It's no different from when they targeted single parents in the 80s until the 90s, then they made single mothers the scourge of society and made the so-called yuppies at the time very rich. It is the same old story, take off the poor and give to the rich and in the wake leave the country in absolute chaos.   

sasqatch

woodbine said:

I'm not sure where Sunak is coming from on this (as ever) as they have already committed to increasing benefits by 6.7% (and pensions by 8.5%) in April, we will no doubt see and hear more of this rubbish from him during this an election year.

I tend to agree, that they are uplifting benefits but then say they want to cut them, it's like a two-edged sword. However, his wording is dire, in so much as we want to target long-term disabled as if they have a choice about their disability and like they are going to agree, oh I was long termed disabled, but I woke up this morning and all my disabilities just vanished so I am ready to take up a 40 hour week for peanuts and not be able to afford to live. Yahoo, let us do this!!! SMH in utter disbelief or the Conservative's arrogance and draconian ideals. 

nb123

It absolutely amazes me that working class people still vote Tory. I used to see them all in Lidl. 

nb123

No disrespect to Lidl of course. 

JasonRA

Conservatives using the old "Divide and Rule" method.

Disabled/Long Term Sick = Benefit Scroungers, lazy, "mental health is the new bad back".

I get so angry reading the diatribe by faceless people and WOE BETIDE if they ever got ill physically or mentally to the point they can't work. 

The Tories are cowardly bullies, who pick on the weakest, as someone said "why pick on a lion when you can kick a cat?" My question is what happens when the cat becomes a lion?

sasqatch

JasonRA said:

Conservatives using the old "Divide and Rule" method.

Disabled/Long Term Sick = Benefit Scroungers, lazy, "mental health is the new bad back".

I get so angry reading the diatribe by faceless people and WOE BETIDE if they ever got ill physically or mentally to the point they can't work. 

The Tories are cowardly bullies, who pick on the weakest, as someone said "why pick on a lion when you can kick a cat?" My question is what happens when the cat becomes a lion?

Well said!  The cat could become a lion if we all banded together.

I have a bad back, arthritis in my spine and severe anxiety and depression. I remember sitting at my desk at work, unable to function anymore, just sat there breaking my heart. Didn't eat or sleep for months after. I also am a single parent although my child is now grown and paying taxes, huge amounts of taxes as he is in the higher earner wage bracket.

So basically I tick all the boxes, bad back, mental health and single parent, oh not to mention I am over 50 another target on my back.  I don't know why I am surprised though, I read recently the government were contemplating giving obese weight loss injections to get them back to work. https://www.theguardian.com/business/2023/nov/18/obesity-jab-maker-data-to-profile-benefits-claimants.  Go figure!!

WhatThe

I suspect some people are flattered at being asked to use their common sense and I'm really not trying to be horrible here I bet we hear it again in the 2024 General Election campaigns.

People mostly trust what they're told by the establishment and what's reported in their chosen media because if they didn't there would be anarchy (in the UK). 
 

Meg24

I think going into an election it's good to remember how it is we came to have disability benefits at all. For centuries we lived in a system where the enobled rich governed for the enobled rich and the rest of us entered the lottery of life without privilege. Many of us did not survive, later on when suffrage began to spread, many of us were consigned to institutions, locked away or medicated into insensibility. The only reason we have any independance now is because socialist and left leaning people fought for us to have the same rights in life as everyone else and that struggle is ongoing. The right wing libertarians do not believe in the state supporting anyone but the rich, they want to take us right back to where this all began, they want us all to have to 100% fend for ourselves, they hate the idea of community, of solidarity, of the welfare of the many. The current Labour Party is a long way from it's roots right now, but they are the only ones who can stop this, they are the only ones who can stop our safety net fully unravelling.

nb123

If only….

sasqatch

I haven't voted since the 80's, as there wasn't a party I was particularly affiliated too. I realise that was probably not the right attitude, as nothing changes.  This time  I have made a point of registering to vote as I can't bear to see what I perceive to be an abuse of power continue to the detriment of others.

Meg24

nb123 said:

If only….

I can't guarantee that Starmer will save us all, but Sunak is declaring without doubt or apology that he wants to make our lives very much harder. I know where I want to place my bet.

nb123

You are right. Just such a disappointment after JC. 

JasonRA

Sunak has "hinted" that the election will take place in Autumn. 

A lot can change between now and then but I feel the next election will be a very low turnout, the Reform Party will erode the Tory vote and many Tory voters who are incredibly dissatisfied with their party will stay at home.

Labour should win a majority of 30 or 50, it won't be this super mega majority the polls predict as polls usually narrow before an election. 

Keep an eye out on the Local Elections in May and the By-Elections, that's another barometer of voters sentiments. 

I'm not political but I take offense with the Tories abusing and bad mouthing people who legitimately, genuinely have physical and or mental illnesses which stops them from working.

nb123

I think this current government is the worst in British history. It is tempting not to vote at all in the coming election. I still believe not voting is a vote for the Tories so I will drag myself out and put my x in the Labour box . 

Audinut70

Hi, I was looking for a comment on this subject. Sunak, and the Tory party are coming for us. As has already been mentioned here, Sunak will hang on as long as possible, force these issues through, and i fear labour won't reverse them. My pip and ESA claim are up for renewal in June. I had an assessment in may, had the expected "claim closed for none receipt of forms". Luckily sent recorded, and funnily enough, they suddenly knew exactly what time they received it. I have already commented on this earlier, but now I'm expecting to lose my renewal, and fully expect to have to go to tribunal again. Thing is, for Sunak to save the amount of money needed to make even a small dent in what he needs, I expect every claim to be refused and sent to tribunal. I have a rare autoimmune lung disease (COP/BOOP), severe depression and escalating anxiety, which is escalating at a rate of knots right now. It's now 6.20am, so as can be assumed, I'm not getting much sleep over this. I honestly don't know if I could go through the assessment process, as I expect it to be, again. Sunak has, on national TV, called benefits claimants liars. He doesn't believe the country has gotten 3 times sicker. So I guess carona virus(long covid) was/is just our imagination, as I can only assume those are the 2/3 extra claimants he's referring too.