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

Getting PIP is incredibly difficult. You likely don't know as much as you think you do.

I was refused too, it's a hard process. Was very interesting to be deemed totally cured by a phone call!!

Gym, travel, heavy lifting in the garden every single day, redecorating,entertaining, DIY, the list goes on. She's no worse off health wise than I, and a lot more spry.

Her husband is also ex military onnthe dole due to "arthritis" in his ankles and sorry but there are professional footballers less fit. Yet neither of these two have worked in 15 years. It's tiresome.

A) Pip is not an unemployment benefit, most who receive it ARE in work

B) https://www.benefitsandwork.co.uk/news/zero-percent-fraud-rate-for-pip,-dwp-figures-show

She must be in a mountain of debt because it's not enough to pay for all that.

Whilst you can claim PIP and still work, with a disabling health condition it can be near impossible to maintain a proper career or even a part time job. Unlike the gym, you can’t just turn up to work on days you feel like it.

Maybe she has access to special discounts for some of her kids' activities. As the children of a chronically ill mother they should attract discounts and help from charities etc.
The football club might give them free membership.
Maybe her parents and siblings chip in for holidays.

All people post their best lives on social media.

Of course you do.

Hope this is a wind up @smileitlightsupyourface

I cannot imagine being jealous of a friend with MS, not for a second, let alone starting a thread about her.

PIP is nothing to do with work. Many people on PIP do work.. in fact, a lot would not be able to work if they were not on PIP.

Not necessarily MS but I know people on PIP who strangely have capacity for everything but work.

So OP, what would be an acceptable lifestyle for this woman? Does she have to look miserable? Not have any fun? Her kids miss out all the time? Will that feel 'fair'?

Yes, because people fake MS all the time.
I should maybe apply for PIP for the amount of eyerolling I am doing from reading posts like yours.

Comparison is the thief of joy.

You’re jealous of a single mum with MS? Good grief. Has it occurred to you that her coping strategy for her condition could be to try to have a positive outlook and concentrate on what she can do rather than what she can’t? You should be pleased for her that she’s managing to have some good times, if you were actually her friend, because I bet her bad times are pretty shit.

You sound really spiteful, not a good look

Get off Facebook OP. It's really not healthy when you are comparing your life to that of someone with MS.

Hi OP

I use a wheelchair full time following an accident.

I go to the gym - for specialist physio as it helps stop me dying,

I live an active a life as possible - because life is shit with chronic pain and when you can't walk far.

If you want her benefits maybe take her disease?

Can't believe you are envious of someone with MS.

For obvious name related reasons I don’t have the energy to go through all posts but I have read all made by the OP. I apologise if I’m repeating what’s been said.

I have MS and claim the appropriate benefits for my condition. I don’t have the lifestyle you describe for your ‘friend’ but I know others that were financially better off after their diagnosis due to life insurance policies etc, mine sadly didn’t pay out (an irrelevant side detail!).
My children were silently supported by Young Carers and also grants from their school and college to attend things like riding lessons, football matches, theatre productions and school trips overseas. Several local businesses and chain restaurants would provide vouchers for meals out as a ‘reward’ for them. Various charity groups and church organisations can offer similar too.
I had a free gym membership provided under a neurological exercise referral scheme which helped ease the load on the NHS rehab/neuro physio.
I was often the subject of playground gossip for either being a lazy parent, for getting special attention or having perfect children who were seemingly picked for everything.

Even if she’s only been diagnosed a short time, it can be a lengthy diagnosis process, for some people it takes decades, and the drugs required to (hopefully) delay progression can be brutal, causing further fatigue, illness or disability.

Please think before you judge a disabled parent.

MS is a complete nightmare and headfuck (literally) of a disease - watching my brilliant friend lose cognitive ability (and mobility) has been heartbreaking.

Your friend is getting some joy out of life while she can. I am sure you wouldn't want to trade places with her.

Lavish long haul holidays, golfing, horses, premiership football and other expensive hobbies on benefits?

Jeez, I remember the times where it used to be false nails, fuck off tellys, ciggs and lotto tickets for the 'feckless spongers'. The world clearly moved on.

In other words, like hell I believe she affords all these things on benefits alone, it's not possible. Maybe she has maxed credit cards, a side hustle, OnlyFans, family help, inheritance - could be anything. Not sure it's your business.

I have a friend with MS. No children, but she does receive PIP. It's utter hell, I'm healthy and I wouldn't trade my health to my poor friend's condition even if I'd get paid a million a month in benefits. I saw how she suffers. Plus, she certainly doesn't golf, ride or holiday in Maldives 4 x year.

I had bitchy neighbours before. Heard through the grapevine that I must have a sugar daddy and/or receive lots of benefits, because I don't work, but travel abroad a lot (DD and some of their children were classmates).

I do WFH full-time, don't receive any benefits, no sugardaddy. I'm savvy with money, frugal, don't eat out, don't buy countless shit on Shein and elsewhere, no false nails, extensions, lashes, expensive car, newest tech updates every year, countless Christmas presents, North Face for DD, etc. We love to travel, so prioritize that and travel on a budget.

Fuck me! Just when I thought benefit bashing threads couldn't get any lower! This is really scraping the bottom of the barrel. It beggars belief that anyone would be envious of someone with MS....never mind admitting to it!

Those of us living with MS have the joy of not knowing whether tomorrow we might wake up blind in one eye or having lost the use of a limb.
Those of us who are parents with MS are desperately trying to make the most of the good times we can have with our DC.
Those of us with MS who get PIP and other benefits have usually had to fight tooth and nail to get them, often via the courts

Do fuck off OP and keep your judgy nonsense to yourself.

I might have taken years for her illness to have been diagnosed. Doctors appointments and referrals take a long long time. It doesn't happen overnight. So yes she could have been struggling for a lot longer than you realise.