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See all MNHQ comments on this thread

Disability hate on MN

559 replies

IClaudine · 02/05/2024 13:31

Hi MNHQ

Since Sunak’s announcement on disability benefits, there has been a big increase on MN in hostility towards people who receive then.

The abuse, hate and outright lies (my neighbour’s son’s cousin’s wife climbs Mount Everest but gets PIP etc) being spewed on MN towards disabled people, a group with protected characteristics, has been dreadful and very distressing for disabled people and their loved ones to read,

Please can you do something?

Here is a small selection of the threads where the disability benefit bashers have paid a visit and had a field day. There may be more, but I can’t face searching for them!

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/5064828-to-be-terrified-about-pip?utm_campaign=thread&utm_medium=share  

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/5065470-people-who-work-have-anxiety-too?utm_campaign=thread&utm_medium=share

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/5066670-aibu-to-hope-that-able-bodied-people-will-support-disabled-people-against-the-tory-attack-on-pip?utm_campaign=thread&utm_medium=share

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/money-matters/5064856-pip-vouchers-to-replace-money?reply=134966246&utm_campaign=thread&utm_medium=share

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/money-matters/5066331-do-you-feel-bad-for-receiving-a-high-amount-of-uc?utm_campaign=thread&utm_medium=share

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6
Piggywaspushed · 28/05/2026 10:39

So the NEETs thread which I genuinely believe was started completely earnestly is going as expected...

Deludamol · 27/05/2026 18:48

BeckyAMumsnet · 27/05/2026 16:15

Thanks for your comments.

We’ve looked at the thread, and posts that were reported have been reviewed and deleted where appropriate.

We do understand why threads about disability and the benefits system can feel particularly upsetting and personal to many MNers. Posters are allowed to discuss these subjects, including robustly, but they do still need to stay within our Talk guidelines. We’ll remove posts that cross the line into personal attacks, or language that makes the thread unnecessarily unpleasant for others.

A few posters have asked why we’re asking for individual reports when the thread itself has been mentioned here. The short answer is that Site stuff is useful for alerting us to a general concern, but it isn’t a substitute for reporting specific posts. A report puts the post, poster and context directly in front of the moderation team at the point it’s happening, which means we can look at it much more quickly.

We’re not asking anyone to go back through 30 pages of upsetting posts. But if you’re reading a thread and see something you think breaks guidelines, please do report that post rather than assuming we’ve already seen it, or that someone else will report it. That’s especially important on fast-moving or emotive threads, where individual posts can otherwise be missed.

Reports also help us see patterns. A single post may be borderline, but repeated derailing, goading or bad-faith posting can become much clearer when reports come through.

Mumsnet is post-moderated, which means we don’t see every post before it appears on the site. So while we can’t prevent every guideline-breaking post from appearing, we can and do act when those posts are brought to our attention.

Thanks,
MNHQ

I just got a notification that this thread is still going. I left two years ago because of this affecting my mental health and you still can't find a solution for the rampant ableism.

Now I come on here and skim through a linked thread where I see eugenics against the disabled is being discussed.

It's not good enough. Ban them. First time, no exceptions.

ValleyClouds · 27/05/2026 18:38

I mean the MN response is the usual blah blah bullshit. I’ve said it before you need disability discrimination training but no one cares

Piggywaspushed · 27/05/2026 18:03

I mean, yeah...there were posts the Nazis would have agreed with. They may as well have written the words 'useless eaters'.

PickAChew · 27/05/2026 17:58

BeckyAMumsnet · 27/05/2026 16:15

Thanks for your comments.

We’ve looked at the thread, and posts that were reported have been reviewed and deleted where appropriate.

We do understand why threads about disability and the benefits system can feel particularly upsetting and personal to many MNers. Posters are allowed to discuss these subjects, including robustly, but they do still need to stay within our Talk guidelines. We’ll remove posts that cross the line into personal attacks, or language that makes the thread unnecessarily unpleasant for others.

A few posters have asked why we’re asking for individual reports when the thread itself has been mentioned here. The short answer is that Site stuff is useful for alerting us to a general concern, but it isn’t a substitute for reporting specific posts. A report puts the post, poster and context directly in front of the moderation team at the point it’s happening, which means we can look at it much more quickly.

We’re not asking anyone to go back through 30 pages of upsetting posts. But if you’re reading a thread and see something you think breaks guidelines, please do report that post rather than assuming we’ve already seen it, or that someone else will report it. That’s especially important on fast-moving or emotive threads, where individual posts can otherwise be missed.

Reports also help us see patterns. A single post may be borderline, but repeated derailing, goading or bad-faith posting can become much clearer when reports come through.

Mumsnet is post-moderated, which means we don’t see every post before it appears on the site. So while we can’t prevent every guideline-breaking post from appearing, we can and do act when those posts are brought to our attention.

Thanks,
MNHQ

The OP asked for suggestions to help improve her family's income in difficult circumstances and got pages of people unhelpfully telling her that it's all her fault, without actually answering her question, and that people like her are the whole problem with this country, which descended into a total bun fight long after she'd gone from what had been a brutal pile on.

Is that the direction that Mumsnet is happy to be taking, these days @BeckyAMumsnet ?

BeckyAMumsnet · 27/05/2026 16:15

Thanks for your comments.

We’ve looked at the thread, and posts that were reported have been reviewed and deleted where appropriate.

We do understand why threads about disability and the benefits system can feel particularly upsetting and personal to many MNers. Posters are allowed to discuss these subjects, including robustly, but they do still need to stay within our Talk guidelines. We’ll remove posts that cross the line into personal attacks, or language that makes the thread unnecessarily unpleasant for others.

A few posters have asked why we’re asking for individual reports when the thread itself has been mentioned here. The short answer is that Site stuff is useful for alerting us to a general concern, but it isn’t a substitute for reporting specific posts. A report puts the post, poster and context directly in front of the moderation team at the point it’s happening, which means we can look at it much more quickly.

We’re not asking anyone to go back through 30 pages of upsetting posts. But if you’re reading a thread and see something you think breaks guidelines, please do report that post rather than assuming we’ve already seen it, or that someone else will report it. That’s especially important on fast-moving or emotive threads, where individual posts can otherwise be missed.

Reports also help us see patterns. A single post may be borderline, but repeated derailing, goading or bad-faith posting can become much clearer when reports come through.

Mumsnet is post-moderated, which means we don’t see every post before it appears on the site. So while we can’t prevent every guideline-breaking post from appearing, we can and do act when those posts are brought to our attention.

Thanks,
MNHQ

ConcernedForWales · 27/05/2026 12:08

KellyMumsnet · 27/05/2026 10:25

Morning, everyone. Thanks for flagging this. We'll take a look at the thread as a whole this morning. If there are any specific posts anyone wold like us to look into though, please do hit the report button and we can then prioritise those.

I have reported a few, Kelly, which have been removed. But personally I don't have the stomach to read too many of the posts, let alone the time.

Piggywaspushed · 27/05/2026 10:54

That thread has reached 32 pages. Individual Mumsnetters do not have time or energy to go through 800 posts individually checking them and reporting them. I feels strongly that this is not our job.

Can I ask- once a thread has had several reports and deletions doesn't HQ take a proper look at it??

KellyMumsnet · 27/05/2026 10:25

Morning, everyone. Thanks for flagging this. We'll take a look at the thread as a whole this morning. If there are any specific posts anyone wold like us to look into though, please do hit the report button and we can then prioritise those.

ConcernedForWales · 27/05/2026 09:27

Oh, God. The poor OP. I hope she is OK. I was almost hoping it wasn't real, if you see what I mean. To have all that abuse piled on her is just terrible.

PickAChew · 27/05/2026 08:13

Piggywaspushed · 27/05/2026 08:10

They posted twice and have previous posting history.

They used to be very active on the SN boards.

Piggywaspushed · 27/05/2026 08:10

ConcernedForWales · 27/05/2026 07:47

The OP never came back to the thread. Either because of the abuse or because perhaps they had the result they were looking for?

They posted twice and have previous posting history.

Piggywaspushed · 27/05/2026 08:10

Just checked out that thread. Jeez, some people just enjoy being nasty.

ConcernedForWales · 27/05/2026 07:47

The OP never came back to the thread. Either because of the abuse or because perhaps they had the result they were looking for?

PickAChew · 27/05/2026 07:32

And it's still rumbling on, full of people's "unpopular opinions" about what a scourge on society people like the OP are. Vile.

ThingsAreNotWhatTheyWere · 26/05/2026 20:11

Kirbert2 · 26/05/2026 20:05

It's the worst thread I've ever seen on here and that's saying a lot.

Of course it will be allowed to stay up though.

I agree, worse than the one suggesting that people who were non-contributors or not contributing enough should have their vote taken away. It's full of posts from several posters stoking up hatred against the op and disabled people more widely.

It really does make me fearful for the future of this country.

Kirbert2 · 26/05/2026 20:05

It's the worst thread I've ever seen on here and that's saying a lot.

Of course it will be allowed to stay up though.

ConcernedForWales · 26/05/2026 19:28

XenoBitch · 26/05/2026 19:11

The whole thread needs pulling, but that will be up to the OP to report (I think?)
It is an awful pile on, and some of the attitudes and comments towards disabled people are disturbing to read. OP just wanted some advice about finances.

The one about how can you be disabled if you are "smart" enough to go to university was pretty sickening, but there are plenty of others to choose from.

XenoBitch · 26/05/2026 19:11

The whole thread needs pulling, but that will be up to the OP to report (I think?)
It is an awful pile on, and some of the attitudes and comments towards disabled people are disturbing to read. OP just wanted some advice about finances.

ValleyClouds · 26/05/2026 18:47

I’ve reported someone on that thread. Disgusting

ConcernedForWales · 26/05/2026 18:37

It is disgusting. @BeckyAMumsnet @DawnMumsnet @KellyMumsnet @LilyMumsnet someone really needs to have a good look at that thread.

XenoBitch · 26/05/2026 18:18

Absolutely awful thread running right now full of ableist comments.

www.mumsnet.com/talk/money-matters/5534561-how-can-we-manage-financially-as-universal-credit-support-reduces?page=1

baroqueandblue · 01/05/2026 07:42

ValleyClouds · 30/04/2026 20:37

often posts that might be perceived as ableist or benefits bashing don’t actually break our talk guidelines @KellyMumsnet what qualifies the moderation team as recognisers of What Ableism Actually Is? Have you had any disability discrimination training or are you just winging it?

I'd say not winging it as much as protecting MN's bottom line. The so-called talk guidelines inherently allow benefits claimants and disabled people bashing, which is why our pleas will fall on deaf ears. How could it be any other way, on a forum driven by advertising revenue? That's why the response up-thread reads like a well-meaning but fundamentally dissembling speech by a politician.

We understand that discussions around benefits can be emotive ones, especially for those who are in the position of needing to use that system and cope with all the frustrations that go along with it, on top of having disabilities that already make life more difficult than it should be.
As moderators, however, our role is not to delete based on whether we agree with the sentiment or not but on whether posts are within our Talk guidelines. We will always delete posts that are clearly disablist in tone or content but often posts that might be perceived to be ableist or benefits bashing don't actually break our guidelines.

They don't understand, they don't really care, and they will hide behind their role and the 'guidelines' that prop up the role.

Let's not kid ourselves that that will change. The lowest common denominator drives their business model.

ValleyClouds · 30/04/2026 20:37

often posts that might be perceived as ableist or benefits bashing don’t actually break our talk guidelines @KellyMumsnet what qualifies the moderation team as recognisers of What Ableism Actually Is? Have you had any disability discrimination training or are you just winging it?

ConcernedForWales · 29/04/2026 13:34

ConcernedForWales · 29/04/2026 11:51

Hi @KellyMumsnet thanks for that.

Could I ask a follow up question, please? In MNHQ's opinion, is it acceptable for a poster to disclose the personal details of a third party, including financial and medical details, to the extent that the third party would easily recognise themselves or be recognised by someone who knows them? This is the thread in question:

www.mumsnet.com/talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/5523170-aibu-to-feel-bitter-about-an-acquaintances-state-funded-early-retirement

Any chance of a reply, please @KellyMumsnet ?