How is the current benefits system sustainable?

[OneLemonOrca]

This is kind of a sub thread from the public enquiry thread about child development.
More and more people are being diagnosed with autism and severe anxiety, and being deemed unfit to work full time or at all.
I am wondering what is going to happen or how this will actually be sustained. Is there going to be changes in eligibility to benefits? Is there anyone that actually knows?

Best thing is probably do away with the benefits system entirely. It's plainly obvious nobody wants to pay for them, so save the bunfights. Then MN can go back to slow cooker chicken and penis beakers.

The Tories have already said they're planning on making the already cruel benefits system even more cruel and punitive so that should give you flutters eh OP, got to punish the poors how else can people feel like their stagnant wages are worth something

I am on benefits and have severe anxiety and other conditions but you just assume

It is worrying. So many changes being proposed.
Last year, it was the scrapping of the WCA, and only people on PIP can get the extra "sickness" element of UC.... and now PIP is being looked at, with mental health being the target.
So, in the near future, anyone that has MH issues or some sort of ND will be left to fend for themselves on the streets because they wont be eligible for benefits anymore.

The real change that needs to happen is that workplaces/employers are more ND friendly, and sympathetic to those with MH issues.... but that will never happen.

If we invested in mental health services, we would be able to treat MH conditions and then people would be able to work.

The huge rise in NHS waiting lists and the rise in people too ill to work are closely connected.

Nobody can predict the future.

However the past can sometimes be a guide.

In the past there have been many events that cause there to be large numbers of people with anxiety in the population.

The First World War gave us shell shock, and many of the men who had shell shock (which can be thought of as an anxiety based problem) couldn't work. As the benefits system then wasn't great they relied on their families or managed what work they could or starved. It was a big political issue.

After Vietnam again you have the development of PTSD as a diagnosis which is also an anxiety based diagnosis. The veterans campaigned for benefits and for treatment which succeeded to some extent.

Covid is giving us another large group of people with anxiety problems. PTSD from working on the wards, much more agoraphobia from the lockdowns etc. I expect the reaction will be much as to the other situations - people who are not anxious don't want to know. Everyone wants to forget about Covid.

The people who can afford to retire will retire. The people who can afford to rely on family will. The people who have no other option but to rely on the state will fare better if they have contributions. The people who don't will struggle.

It's not only MH services. Waiting times for most forced onto the sick list and benefits for quite easily fixable physical issues is through the roof.
People are deteriorating going onto half pay, forced to claim PIP, then loosing their employment through waiting extraordinary lengths of time, leaving them less likely to be employable further down the line.
For those with relatively simple to fix heart issues, it's leading to stroke, heart attack and death.

We have a Labour Government coming which means there will be additional flexi jobs in the civil service and the NHS with great benefits etc (long term sickness benefits, in particular). Having some work is good for most people. I assume there will be more schemes like in Pret for people who are ND. They will be able to incentivise businesses to take on people back into the work force.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c4nnlj2889eo

It will be harder in the future to avoid work

https://www.civilserviceworld.com/professions/article/hunt-confirms-timeline-for-66000-job-cuts-in-autumn-statement#:~:text=Hunt%20confirms%20timeline%20for%2066%2C000%20civil%20service%20job%20cuts%20in%20Autumn%20Statement,-Autumn%20Statement%20productivity&text=The%20chancellor%20has%20set%20out,levels%20in%20his%20Autumn%20Statement.

@Araminta,
The Civil Service is to see significant drop in numbers. I don't think Labour will be opposed to this.

Yes, get trained in a role that is notorious for being zero hour contract, and getting topped up with UC anyway....

The fact posters think your question is one of morals and cruelty rather than an unavoidable economic problem speaks volumes

I don’t think anyone knows the full extent of what might change, but yes it’s not sustainable in its current form and yes, there will be changes. Both conservatives and labour are looking into it and conservatives have already made some proposals. Some change is needed, but I hope those who genuinely can’t work at all get protected and given a decent amount to live on.

Exactly @MaryMaryVeryContrary
There just is not the money to make it possible to sustain the numbers on benefits. The BBC article points out in 2022 there was 725,000 net migration to the UK. Those kind of numbers are impossible to sustain. Both Conservative and Labour have made it clear that they intend more people on benefits to return to work.

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/labour-promises-to-cut-sickness-payments-in-back-to-work-plan-bsd52m0n9

Agree OP, and as it's such an important issue that affects all of society, but I'm tired today and unable to articulate as clearly as I'd like, I'm going to copy paste two posts I wrote on another thread (I'm relatively new posting on MN so hope that's ok regarding posting etiquette). First below, next in a follow-up post.

The false economy approach is a proven failure.
It's very clear now that an increasingly punitive benefits system achieves the opposite of reducing need (for benefits, or any other help).

Poverty and stress (often interlinked) both affect health. So people get sicker, or fall into deeper financial trouble, or need more help from other public services, and so are less able to move away from needing benefits.

So what's needed is a supportive benefits system, and also timely and effective access to good well-funded public services. NHS, social care, more social housing, improved child support system, good work education and training opportunities.

There's a need to invest to save. Costs money to invest but pays off by improving everyone's quality of life and saves money.

Just give everyone a basic living wage is the solution. But not one that seems to be getting discussed. It would change sooooooo many things for the better.

The OP asks
'I am wondering what is going to happen or how this will actually be sustained.'
All political parties have made it clear that it cannot be sustained. No political party has pledged a basic living wage for all. There will be significant changes. It is foolish to pretend differently.

Quite.

The biggest benefit is the State Pension, and no people havent paid into to it all their lives it doesn't work like that

I agree, both parties have made it quite clear. I don’t understand the posters on some threads saying that labour will get in so it will all be ok, labour have also said they will be making changes and getting people in long term sickness back to work. It’s needs to be changed and the government know this.

There's a massive difference between these two policy approaches:
-We will work to remove the barriers to work
and
-We will cut benefits paid to people with disabilities

How are any party going to get anyone that has been on long term sickness back into work?
They can't force employers to take on anyone who has not worked for years, or who has MH/physical health issues.

Indeed. If workplaces were forced to actually be disability compliant then more disabled people would be able to access work. However, DLA / PIP is not income related & most people in receipt of benefits are in work / retired.