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?

This^
people have severe anxiety because life is so difficult. Problems are everywhere: higher demands of exams, difficulties to find work, cost of living, lack of housing, impossible to get GP appointment, impossible to find a dentist, medicines out of stock etc etc etc It’s not surprising that people are struggling.

I am autistic as well. More and more people are being diagnosed with it. I expect people will disagree with me but I think everyone is on the spectrum somewhere. For example I know someone who understands jokes but toe walks. Autism affects different parts of the brain. I’m worried that one day no one will be able to claim disability benefits for autism anymore if everyone has it as it’s unsustainable

But people going into retirement on PIP get both components ( often) for so many years with little chance of re-assessment which must cost heaps more than if those people only got Attendance Allowance which has no mobility component. There still seems to be an awful lot of very old people who are still on DLA and were never switched to PIP who were given DLA back in the day very easily.

Exactly. How on earth is it affordable to pay so many people ? They will make the criteria so that only the most severe of cases will qualify.

Well, everyone calling for the government to financially compensate anyone who is in anything less than completely optimum health can feel responsible for that.

You missed out the miners strike...

yes I thought something sounded off about their post but autism is a spectrum and it’s possible they’re effected by their autism in ways that don’t effect their ability to care for their child - although autism fundamentally causes issues with executive dysfunction causing issues with memory and paying attention, emotional regulation issues, and other things that would make it hard to care for a child especially if that child has needs and no concept of danger. That poster seems to be functioning quite well if they can have multiple children with complex enough needs they require DLA and also care for them. And I don’t understand how they’ve had a diagnosis if they’re functioning in life. But as I said before maybe there’s an explanation

But net migration is demonstrably good for the economy, so we need more of this.

Disability or not, benefits are not increasing in line with inflation. It is impossible in my LA to find a property that is anywhere near covered by housing benefit. This in turn is leading to so many unnecessary statutory homeless applications, which is costing an absolute fortune per day in housing families in hotels. The system is a total mess and I feel terribly sorry for anyone with a disability or who is vulnerable trying to navigate it.

im much more worried about the high number of people currently unable to work following covid than I am about autism.
That’s because I’d assume that the number of diagnosis has gone up but not the number of autistic people iyswim.

But is it sustainable is a good question.

Im going to say it because it is also sustainable to give everyone a living wage, no question asked. All the trials they have around that shows it’s actually good for the economy and that once you remove the fear of wondering where your next meal will come, people start businesses, study, go back to work etc….

One of the issues is that many people are fundamentally against it (even though they’d be entitled to it’ because ‘lazy’…..

i absolutely do not believe that the money isn’t there.
Not in country where the richest have become richer and richer in the last few years (and the population didn’t).
Not in a country where we dint tax some big companies (Amazon, total etc….) just because (fwiw the petrochemical companies initially said they would pay…. Then the government decided it was best if they didn’t)
Not when many of our BRITISH MPs are registered as non dom. How it’s possible I have no idea.
etc…

Its a choice.

Im going to say it because it is also sustainable to give everyone a living wage, no question asked. All the trials they have around that shows it’s actually good for the economy

The economies of Iran and Kenya. The U.K. isn’t remotely comparable and there’s a reason no Western country has introduced it. It’s not even possible, there was a thread on this not too long ago that explained why.

I have a 17 year age gap between my autistic dc and my younger dcs, so my autistic child is an adult and needs less support (and no longer attends special school or regular appointments). I am still his carer though as he needs support at home, but his meltdowns are rarer now as they mostly occurred in social situations. I have time to focus on my dcs and caring duties because I don't work, as I'm unable to due to my autism.

Oh this old chestnut. "I was told I'd get it" when you started working. Take some responsibility and have some cop on. Things can obviously change over the course of 40-50 years in an economy. We can't be kept to things you were told 40 years ago...

I realise this sounds like an interrogation but I am autistic as well and can’t work either due to it but would love to have a child how do you manage caring for a child especially as your autism is severe enough not to work.

There are a surprising number of posters on here who absolutely cannot work but can go through oregnancy, give birth, care for a newborn and baby/toddler with all the hard graft, mental presence and sleep deprivation that requires.

I see.

I honestly feel like I couldnt care for a child sadly. And as autism is genetic especially not an autistic child who needs supervision. My disability affects my life so much and I can’t pay attention. My executive dysfunction levels fluctuate a lot. I have issues sleeping. have issues reading other people or keeping myself safe. I don’t understand how someone can have a diagnosis of autism, have it be severe enough to claim benefits and not work because of it but also manage to care for a child especially if that child is disabled themselves?

I don’t understand how someone can have a diagnosis of autism, have it be severe enough to claim benefits and not work because of it but also manage to care for a child especially if that child is disabled themselves?

Maybe they have a good partner. Maybe they have a support network around them that helps them manage. Maybe raising your own child in your own environment is different from being around other people in uncomfortable environments.

Quite. How somebody would have a panic attack if they had to send an email yet is fine to keep up with the pretty hefty load of child based admin is beyond me 🤷🏼‍♀️

Then that partner and support network should help them hold down a job.

How? You can't take your partner to work with you, can you?

I assume you mean instead of having children?

What cannot be sustained is letting the super wealthy off paying the tax they owe, along with massive corporations using loopholes to get away with paying practically nothing (looking at you Bezos). That is what we cannot afford. I think all the lining of politicians wealthy mates pockets needs to end too. Bye Cons, your day is finally over. Lets just hope the misogynists on the left don't consecrate into law that the definition of a female is lipstick and a frilly skirt.

Historically many women with ASD were originally diagnosed with BPD or GAD and were able to receive benefits with those diagnoses if unable to work. As you will know, it doesn't go on the diagnosis but how the condition affects you.

@DoorPath 'cop on'? Society should be judged on how it treats its elderly. By all means raise state pension age, I'd be ok with that and wait longer if necessary.

It's academic in that I will get my state pension. But I'm not going to argue with someone who's answer to someone who has planned for retirement so as not to be dependent on the state for anything other than the state pension is to 'cop on'.