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Labour carrying on Tory cuts for mentally ill

mangomungo

TW: mental health issues and talk

I’ve just seen on the news that the new government are going ahead with the Tory benefit reforms, which would see people like me stripped of over £400 a month.
I’ve been on ESA since 2017 for anxiety/depression and I’ve been on the list for an autism and adhd assessment for over a year. I have no help. There is. No. Help.
if this goes ahead I will no longer be able to afford the basics such as food. Scared to death is an understatement. I am shaking, I live my life on a knifes edge and I’ve recently decided to (trigger warning) live instead of seeing the ultimate way out as an option, now this happens.
How could a labour government do this? The system abandoned me as a teenager when I was crying out for help, the system failed me over and over as an adult until I gave up trying to reach out and now the government is going to take away the only thing that allows me to survive.
I don’t live a normal life, I’m unable to have or see friends, I can’t go to the hairdresser or nail salon because of severe anxiety, im barely living a life but it’s more than I can cope with already. Any stress over and above that has sent me into psychosis before. Forcing me into poverty will not force me into work it will force me into a grave.
My heart is broken and there is no way out is there? I thought labour would protect the vulnerable, I don’t even know what to do anymore.

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Comments

mangomungo

https://forum.scope.org.uk/discussion/comment/925103#Comment_925103

Thank you - last November I had an all our mental breakdown because of Mel Stride - I wasn’t able to get out of bed for the terror. Once labour got in I was relieved but now there’s no way out of it. Thank you for being kind when so many aren’t 😞

Charlie5

https://forum.scope.org.uk/discussion/124189/labour-carrying-on-tory-cuts-for-mentally-ill

I feel exactly like yourself,and I am really sorry to hear of your struggles.As for myself since approx 2012 been struggling with depression anxiety ptsd ocd and I am on waiting list for autism over a year now .

I dread to think what these cuts will do to people.When will these cuts in Lcwra begin? Everyday as you say living on the edge.

Any advice or opinion appreciated. Thankyou

mangomungo

https://forum.scope.org.uk/discussion/comment/925107#Comment_925107

I’m sorry that you’re going through this aswell - it is so unnecessarily cruel. Mental health is the sick man of an already sick man health service and people like Liz Kendall will never understand what it’s like to live this day in day out. I don’t have any advice unfortunately but I guess we’re all in this together ❤️

Charlie5

https://forum.scope.org.uk/discussion/comment/925113#Comment_925113

Excuse maybe my lack of understanding and BTW thankyou for your message.but what I understand from it people in the wca changes will happen in April,and people in lcwra group requires a longer time span to get through parliament? Whatever way this government looks at savings in welfare they just don't understand what a mental impact it will have on so many people.

carbow32

I wonder if they keep the bit of no one currently in the LCWRA will not be reassessed and can try work if they like.

Charlie5

https://forum.scope.org.uk/discussion/comment/925115#Comment_925115

Thankyou for your kind message.We are all in this together so hopefully we can all keep each other strong and supportive in our everyday struggles.Take care

carbow32

I had already had a bad nights sleep and then woke up to that article. Just shaking with anxiety and panic now.

Charlie5

https://forum.scope.org.uk/discussion/comment/925136#Comment_925136

Everyday I reckon up until the budget labour will keep us on edge like this,and it's totally cruel to so many people.Its like a soap opera circus all rolled into one

carbow32

https://forum.scope.org.uk/discussion/comment/925139#Comment_925139

yes lets .. I voted for them because I thought they would make the system fairer. They have always had my since I turned of age (30 years). They will lose my vote over this if that actually make it more difficult that the Tories were going to.

mangomungo

https://forum.scope.org.uk/discussion/comment/925150#Comment_925150

I also voted for them - I’m 26 and every election I’ve voted labour - I even campaigned a bit when I was 18 and not quite so unwell.
and I agree it’s like psychological warfare for the mentally ill having to read these headlines and speculate - I wish they would just come up with actual solutions and support and funding for mental health services - rather than threatening cuts all the time.
Next election I will be voted green or Lib Dems they have more than lost my vote - I feel betrayed.

carbow32

https://forum.scope.org.uk/discussion/comment/925164#Comment_925164

I do as well feel absolutely betrayed.

Hopeless

I’m so scared and struggling to cope with all this news. I’ve searched and searched for a job I could manage but in reality they don’t exist. I have severe and enduring mental illness of over 30 years but have been off-rolled from psychiatric care due to cutbacks and ‘we’re not doing anything’ so have very limited support (I do have a brilliant GP). Everything announced just pushes me further away from being able to cope and be part of society

mangomungo

https://forum.scope.org.uk/discussion/comment/925249#Comment_925249

Unfortunately I know exactly how you feel - the jobs they talk about like working from home etc aren’t that easy, especially for people like me who have no further education than GCSEs because I couldn’t cope at college.
I’m sorry you’ve been off rolled from the psychiatrist, I also have been left with no support other than my GP who’s overworked as it is.
I definitely feel the same way - every announcement makes my mental health worse. It makes me so upset that people are already struggling and the government seem to be kicking us when we’re already down.
Honestly though I think the gov need to be careful as part of the cabinet such as Rayner are already opposing the cuts - and I’m not sure labour back bench MPs will be happy voting this through knowing the harm it can cause.

Im keeping all of my fingers and toes crossed for all of us that we’re going to be okay and I’m sorry you’re going through this aswell 😞

Meredithshep

You're not alone, the news is absolutely sending me over the edge at the moment. I have physical disabilities but have always suffered with anxiety and depression alongside them. Following the unnatural and traumatic death of someone I loved very much I developed PTSD, the events running up to death were also prolonged and traumatic. Waiting for a year for a pip review following filling in the forms really made my anxiety worse during the inquest and trying to grieve at the same time and now all this! I don't know how much more I can take. I've done talking therapy, trauma therapy and am on meds but have to refer back again asap according to the therapist and the mental health worker has sent a letter asking the doctor to change my meds but they haven't. They give you all the numbers to ring should you need them but I'm not sure I would even ring them, the help is limited so god knows what state you need to be in to be classed as anything serious. I give up

Hopeless

thank you - it means so much to know I’m not alone

mangomungo

https://forum.scope.org.uk/discussion/comment/925275#Comment_925275

I have sent an email to my local MP explaining how frightened I am and others here are - when he was elected in I think 2017 I actually went and shook his hand and said congratulations at his election celebration event as I used to be a member of the Labour Party - it really is a betrayal.
i sent the email anonymously but confirmed I was a constituent so fingers crossed it’ll be ok

JasonRA

I'm getting really angry over this BS agenda against people who are ill and or disabled. Can I ask was being ill or disabled something we wanted in our lives? No it wasn't, was being on benefits something we wanted in our lives? No it wasn't. In our personal lives, was the trauma we suffered something we wanted so we could claim benefits? No.

It makes me more resolute to fight back against these spiteful, vindictive cowardly bullies.

I was diagnosed with Complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and the similarities in symptoms between CPTSD and Rage and Depression/Anxiety are close yet one is mocked in the media and the other is "severe". Both are severe, any mental illness is severe when you feel you can't go on and I'm tired of this BS all the time trivializing it like it's a joke, it's not a joke, I can't say that enough.

Try living with a person who was sexually abused who then turned to drink, burning himself, cutting his arms, being physically abusive to his mother and his brother for years.

When someone I closely knew took his own life in 2008 was it "put on"? That's my question to Labour, to the Tories, to Reform, to the daily mail crowd, to the Telegraph crowd? I don't like these people and I would love to meet them face to face.

I ranted and raved about this, I'm sorry but it's getting to me.

mangomungo

https://forum.scope.org.uk/discussion/comment/925485#Comment_925485

I’m sorry you’ve gone through such tough times - it really is the last resort as I desperately wanted to work but after suffering repeated trauma as a teenager I developed EUPD, the autism/adhd was missed and I was deeply traumatised.
They need to turn the blame from people like us onto the system that failed us, as if there was adequate support in the first place, it wouldn’t get to the point of having to be signed off but they don’t seem to get that.

On another note I did write to my MP and his team responded and said my thoughts have been noted, so if this plan does go ahead, they can’t say they haven’t been warned what the consequences could be.
I haven’t lost hope as the likes of Rayner are opposing this, and Starmer and Reeves both voted at one point to not make any changes to the WCA without a full risk assessment, and after the backlash from the winter fuel allowance, I’m not even sure whether this is going to become a thing. Unfortunately the media as always is making it worse by speculating when they don’t really know.

There’s so many comments here so at least it’s a small comfort to know we’re not alone, I really hope everyone here will be ok❤️

Grissom123

I remember a mod on here saying that someone from DWP (was it Kendall?) had paid visits to Scope, but sadly the way things are shaping up I'm beginning to think they haven't listened at all. In fact, I'm starting to suspect they just did that to give the appearance they were willing to listen, but they had already made their minds up and had no intention of taking anything they were told onboard.

Maybe I'm just being cynical, but depression does that to me.

luvpink

I haven't been able to post on the forum much because I have been too unwell but I just popped in tonight for a quick catch up.

Its so heartbreaking reading your comments and I am feeling pretty much the same myself.

Sending you all love. 💕

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