Green Paper Discussion (from 24th March, 2025)

Dear Scope Community,

It saddens me deeply to see tension and disagreement emerging among us, especially around who deserves disability benefits. I completely understand how passionate and personal these topics are-we are all navigating difficult circumstances, especially with the uncertainty surrounding the upcoming Green Paper and Spring Statement proposals .

But now, more than ever, is the time for unity. We need to stand together against the proposed welfare changes that affect us, our families, and our futures,not against each other. Every person’s disability experience is unique, whether visible or hidden, and deserves to be met with empathy and understanding.

I also feel that some discussions,particularly those drifting toward political systems abroad,may not help us constructively at this moment, and can be emotionally draining to many. Speaking personally, I’ve found some recent comments affecting my wellbeing.

Please know that I say this with kindness and respect to everyone here. This community has always been a place of safety and support for me and everyone on this forum , and I share this out of care, not criticism.

Let’s try to refocus our energy on supporting each other with compassion and shared strength, and steer the conversation back to the core purpose of this thread.

With warmth and solidarity

I think the last thing any of us want is to be assessed by work coaches, unless you're thinking of ones that are fully qualified doctors and psychiatrists.

A lot of work coaches have no understanding of mental issues, and there's a lot of work coaches who are unsympathetic and unempathetic.

I have had experiences with most work coaches that I've seen where after I have tried to explain my issues to them it is as though it has just gone in one ear and out the other, they will still continue to treat me as though there is nothing wrong with me and expect me to do things I cannot do.

For example, after explaining to one how I suffer from depression, social anxiety, and how I find it very hard to cope with a lot of regular situations that most other people can cope with, he suggested that I become a security guard! A mentally fragile person being expected to stand around somewhere in public and to tackle criminals?