I probably am being unreasonable but i need to vent.....

Sounds like you're jealous of someone with epilepsy - where you have seizures, pass out, often can't drive, have a massively restricted life and literally can't control your body and could die - who has two SEN children.

WELL DONE.

Indeed. 40% of working people are claiming UC to top up their low wages.

The arrogance of those on here (besides OP, I mean) who are proclaiming OP's friend should have worked when she was 'healthy'.

Unless you are familiar with every detail of a person's medical record YOU DO NOT KNOW IF THEY ARE HEALTHY ENOUGH TO WORK. She could have been struggling in any number of ways before she was awarded PIP and motability. And frankly I doubt anyone with a longterm health condition is going to share every detail of their health with clueless judgemental people like OP or those agreeing with her.

At least, as others have pointed out, the tone of this thread is mostly supportive of OP's friend and others with longterm conditions, and that's heartening. But I'm beginning to suspect some of the 'where's your wheelchair, then?' brigade have found their way on to this thread. Who cares about facts, or the suffering of others, if there's a chance to benefit bash, eh?

MS is a progressive condition that will get worse. She's probably trying to make the most of the 'good days' she has before she ends up in a wheelchair. You don't see her in her private life offline, and nobody knows what goes on behind closed doors. She may bear more of a cross than you think.

How you ‘see it’ as and what it actually is are two different things. Benefit scroungers are always ‘others’ eh? Always undeserving and not Like you.

Pensions are benefits. And you better be praying that genZ are going to be happy to pay your’s.

Yes. You don't fund your own pension. You fund the pensions of those who went before you. By the age of 70 the average pensioner will be be taking out more than they've ever paid in and most pensioners are net recipients.

They're legally defined as benefits now, but I did say "pensions and associated benefits". Either way, they cost the country vastly more than benefits such as the ones I listed.

This says all.

No, but as someone who will probably work for 45 years paying full tax and NI to the state, I don't see a state pension as a benefit. I see it as a thank you for your contribution to society, and I don't begrudge those who can't work from getting it either. It isn't a benefit, it's what we contribute so we don't have to work when we are 75.

Just to show how mental this post is, my £100 month UC (the only benefit I am entitled to other than £400 PIP) has just been taken away because DP had a small pay rise that has taken him about £200 a year above minimum wage.

Fuck the system, and fuck everyone who makes false claims on forums like this, about how us disabled people are raking it in. I now have to figure out what I can do to survive on £400 a month, when most of my days are spent either in agony or unconscious after multiple syncope episodes a day.

Anyone got one of those apparently really easy to get, work from home, flexible jobs with a nice income that will pay my bills and put up with me fainting and shouting in pain a bit? No? Didn't think so!

Of course they’re benefits. You don’t think there’s a big bank account labelled Pension Money that’s made up of all the money your retired gran and her generation paid in NI contributions, do you?

I totally disagree with the OP, but pensions aren't really benefits are they?

If we're going to talk about the country being flat broke, DWP expenditure on benefits (out of work benefit, UC, PIP etc) is dwarfed by the expenditure on pensions and related benefits.

And what conclusion do you draw about the almost 11m "not actively looking for work"?
Have a read of this to see if it helps: BBC News - Who are the millions of Britons not working, and why? - BBC News
www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-52660591

Which is an utterly meaningless little anecdote when you don't tell us what level of DLA she gets herself for the Daily Living and Mobility elements and what levels each of her children get for the Care and Mobility elements, nor what time period she's supposed to have "stashed" this £30k. But hey, why let the facts spoil a good story, eh? 🙄

If you do not have disabilities/illness that means you can't work, then you can't simply opt to not work and claim benefits. That is not how it works.
Maybe years back, a mother could claim whilst her child was still young, and not be expected to look for work for many years. Nowadays, I believe mothers are expected to work when their child is 3. And OP's friend is 39 and already a gran. She may have had her first child young.
OP says she had no disabilities before her MS diagnosis. Well, she would have had symptoms well before then. She may had had other issues going on that OP did not know about. Not everyone on disability benefits is open about them, because as you can see by this thread - people are judgemental as fuck.
Also, OP's friend is on PIP, which is not an out of work benefit. Even if she got a job, she would still be on it, and have her Motability car.

I have MS. I think you need to educate yourself on what someone's life is like trying to get by each day with this disease. Each day is different but progressively worse, not knowing whether tomorrow will be the day your legs stop working or you wake up unable to talk or you can't see. It is a daily struggle. Now I enjoy walking and travelling as much as I can, ON A GOOD DAY IN REMISSION because I'm not sure how long I will be able to. I had to stop driving so that has now been taken from me, and I am now in the process of facing having to stop work. Its an awful disease. But I don't tell people about the bad things in an attempt to be positive. This lady is probably doing the same and trying her best to give her children a good fun life before she gets worse.You are not this person's friend and you should really stop judging on something of which you have zero understanding. I hope this lady continues to get all the financial help she needs and is entitled to. And I hope you, and the other gossipy school mums, never have to face progressive illness. Hopefully you'll also get a little basic empathy for those less fortunate l.

But the op has said this person did not work even when healthy. She isn't talking about a person who worked and was topped up with benefits. Don't swear at me, it's disrespectful, and a terrible attempt at trying to make your point more powerful.
Unemployment benefits cost this country billions a year, official stats from 2023-2024 put the bill at 1.2Bn. The 4% /1.5M people unemployed doesn't represent the total who arent working. That number is more like 11M, which includes people 'not actively looking for work': source, bbc.)
See, I put down my copy of DM for a bit and did my homework.
I stand by my point. This country is flat broke and we need to get more people into work.

I think OP thinks it means 'Milking the System'

She might not live to see her fiftieth birthday. Let her enjoy life and get on living yours

Yep. Not only that, they don't work, so this £30k is what they are saving.
The maths don't add up.

Is a typical example of someone trying to incite others to benefit bash.

Uh-huh. Especially as it’s so easy to check. I guess people just assume that everyone’s as thick as they are.

Not only a £30k fund but also funding 4 holidays a year! Honestly I swear people make up utter crap and don't even consider the actual maths of the crap they are spouting.

She's got MS.

you make a lot of incredibly strange assumptions about someone you admit yourself you don’t know very well and you should mind your own business and stop getting wound up about other people and how they manage their lives.