Upcoming changes to benefits
Comments
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We could do with more people like yourself on ourside(which you undoubtedly are anyway) as you probably have more knowledge of how to get the governments attention, as in protests etc to make them, or give them little choice to hear our concerns. They seem to hate negative press, for obvious reasons, and the backlash these proposals are having on Keir Starmer and his looney party are not going down well at all with him, or his lackies, Reeves, Kendall, Timms etc.
It just seems the louder we are shouting about these cuts, the more they are shutting us down, and making out we're the problem and not them. I agree with you, Iv'e gone from blind panic, to now being enraged at Starmers constant disregard for us, and his nonchalant attitude.
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one MP Alison Gardner has apparently removed her name from the letter of support, according to bbc I believe
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I too read the interesting article in Disability News Service, it put my mind at rest a bit knowing we have great people, activists, and some Labour mp's like John Mcdonnel on our side. Its a worthwhile read, if anyone wants to look at it iv'e put the link below(hopefully this link works okay this time!!)
https://www.disabilitynewsservice.com/we-can-force-government-to-back-down-over-benefit-cuts-if-we-turn-anger-into-action-say-activists/
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Just posting a reminder that there is an organisation call Purpl who give discounts on shopping. Currently there is a 10% off a food shop at Morrisons over £25 up to a maximum £12 off. They have various discounts available for disabled people.
It is simple to sign up, you just have to provide proof you are in receipt of PIP.
It is helping me with my food shopping and I hope it can help others too.
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I've emailed my MP Jim Shannon.
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What I can't understand is the governments logic of getting disabled people back into work but seemingly offering nothing to help this. I've been out of work for 4 years now, partly due to physical disabilities but mainly due to severe mental health issues. In that four years I've been bounced from dr's to mental health teams to charities. The end result? 12 sessions of counselling which weren't appropriate for me as an autistic person. This month in my area alone, we are losing due to cuts;
A trauma charity (a year on the waiting list and just found out they are closing)
A mental health phone line
Part of the alcohol and drugs team
Our autism service (six months on the waiting list)
So now I'm booked in to see my Dr (3 week waiting list) to see where to turn to next for support. The answer will probably be the mental health services that has already told me that courses they offer aren't suitable for me due to being autistic. With alcohol and drug dependant people and autistic people all now flooding to the mental health service for support the likelihood is there already stretched resources will now be non existent and this will have a knock on effect for the rest of the community trying to access the service also.
On top of this a social worker has informed me that due to loss of service that can support me I should push for extra hours of care, if that is the advice for every disabled adult in our area, the money saved by not funding these services will probably double on our care. It's so short sighted.
I want to go back to work. Who is going to hire someone that is burnt out, often breaks down and has meltdowns, has untreated PTSD, and is often too exhausted and in too much pain to get out of bed?
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Heard on the news last night that Starmer & Co have been eating luxury biscuits while discussing all of this. I thought 'God, I wish they'd choke on them!'.
Luxury biscuits while we all suffer.
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I have emailed my MP Ed Milliband. It helps my mental health to do something. I hope they are all getting a barrage of complaints.
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I really think it'll be new claimants aged 16-24 that are hit hardest by this. I might be very wrong but i just cannot see how they can **** current claimants of their benefits.
The issue seems to be that, pre-pandemic there were 2000 new claimants per month awarded for mental health and now there are 6000/month.
And it seems also to be the case that many of these new claimants are very young and, rather than viewing pip as an in-work benefit and mental health as something that can improve, some of these young folks are signing themselves off of life's responsibilities once they're awarded and thinking that is their lot in life.
I personally know of 3 people in my small town that this has happened to. One of the three has been unable to leave his house (parents house) in 6 years now due to anxiety. Obvs now that is a severe mental health issue but he is only 25yrs old. His Mum says, once school finished and he did a get ready for work course, he went for one interview, was not successful and there was nothing for him after that. Anxiety set in and he is on full disability benefits.
The government is bound to be worried about education just now - mental health issues have soared in teens especially since covid and school refusal is high.
The generation behind that - there are reports of those kids having huge language delays, going to school in nappies and unable to self feed. These are normal kids.
So the pandemic seems to have had a massive impact.
My feeling is that these young claimants are going to find it almost impossible to be awarded on mental health alone. I think they will be guided into work and training.
As for everyone else, i really cannot see anything changing at all fast.
Just my prediction but time will tell!
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Yes I seen her remarks on X
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Hi Snuggles, She Suddenly realised it’s not a good career move after all ?
Apparently Starmer has promised to protect a small group of very disabled claimants. So does that mean they were intending to take pip off everyone ? I can’t see that so what a ridiculous thing to say . Who decides who’s really disabled compared to a bit disabled. Surely we are all vulnerable if we passed the assessment. I don’t think they were expecting the backlash tbh. And the guy who dies a different bias on YouTube had to eat his words today too. Must of been embarrassing for him after defending labour
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The comments about mental health conditions and 'behavioural' conditions taking up most disability benefits (that latter offended me so much, autism is NOT A BEHAVIOURAL CONDITION!) seems to be paving the way to try and cut down these eligibilities. But that was already attempted by Cameron, and it was ruled as being unlawful to rule out mental health distress as factors impacting quality of life.
I said it before but as a working disabled person, I've been made redundant by one government and had my job threatened by this one as well. People who want to work will only be able to if the govt puts pressure on/funding into making workplaces accessible (and most importantly, stamping out the current disabled people are lazy and fakers mentality that both this and the previous govt have been encouraging.
If the govt actually spoke to disabled people either in work or trying to get work, maybe they'd be able to build a system that supports those who can work and want to and thus reduce the benefit bill in a healthy, productive way. But they're not.
Another thought. Every MP has expenses which are paid for by the tax payer. I'm pretty sure they amount to more than the max provided by PIP. In effect, this means that the govt receive "benefits" funded by the "tax payer" for which their eligibility is negligible. I've also always thought that they should have a hall of residence for parliament, like students do, not have their own rented flats across London paid for by the taxpayer. Maybe let's begin with cuts to government freebies.7 -
a human rights lawyer that believes we are all equal but some more than others . I’m praying this back fires and his party turns against him and reeves
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I read an article in the daily mail yesterday but some ignorant journalist stating dyslexia and adhd don’t exist. Just wow , what next . Nit saying some ppl fake it but it doesn’t exist at all . It’s just ppl who never learnt to read .
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Do you think it’s a positive sign for us ?
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they may lack morals but they will surely realise if they back these cuts they’ll likely lose their seat next election.
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Respectfully as someone that had no choice but to sign onto benefits at 17 due to being mentally ill and has never been able to work because of it now at 26, its not always something you can work through or does get better and having battled the system for help there is none and has got worse with age.
People go onto benefits for mental health because it’s disabling, and it has to be disabling to get PIP. Its not signing themselves off of life’s responsibilities it is being unable to cope with life. It’s not a better option to punish people for being mentally ill and take the support they need away in favour of others. Do a very small minority see it as a life choice? Maybe but that’s not fair to punish people with mental illnesses by excluding them from help they need.
If eligibility is changed to exclude mental illness then that’s me absolutely screwed aswell as I’ve never been able to work because of it, and if they cut my support from LCWRA and force me into jobs or training then thats the end of it I won’t cope. It didn’t work the first time under Osborne when he cut LCW payments and shafted me, and it won’t work again now to force mentally unwell people into jobs or training by removing their support, despite their age. They need to sort out the root of the problem.
I know you’re only expressing your opinion on what might happen and I don’t mean any harm or disrespect with my reply, but young people are really suffering at the moment, they need to fix the system that’s causing the problems and not helping people when they first show symptoms as young teens, not punish people by switching criteria when they’re too unwell to work whether that’s from mental illness, physical illness or any other form of disability.8 -
I really hope anything to do with engaging with work is voluntary as everyone is different. I knew someone whose depression was worse when they didn’t work but most I think wouldn’t stand the added pressure. One minute is MH , then it’s fibromyalgia and invisible disability. One disability isn’t more important than the other . If they do concentrate on the young to give them a chance in life fantastic but it must be voluntary.
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Yes I 100% agree there are people out there that it definitely does help them to be in work and when I was younger I would have jumped at the opportunity to get some qualifications and have been able to have kept my benefits whilst I studied in case I couldn’t cope but that’s not possible under the current system, but after years of getting no help etc unfortunately things for me have got worse and I know I wouldn’t be able to cope now and there’s others that just never will be able to study or work as they won’t cope.
Would be good if they can incentivise young people and anyone that wants to into jobs training etc as it can set them up for a better life but it has to be incentives and voluntary, and support for those who do want to try working, what worries me is them stripping support away from people under the guise of ‘helping’ when it’s actually just going to make things way worse.1 -
The previous Government introduced an extra criteria to receive Warm Home Discount, based on property size and age.
Labour are currently consulting about removal of that criteria and going back to means tested benefits only to qualify.
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