7.4 million people claim some form of disability or incapacity benefits

[MidnightPatrol]

Given the various back and forth of discussion on the reduction in disability and incapacity benefits, not much data on the debate has been shared - it’s a mainly emotional debate.

So for context, the figures:

• 7.4 million people claim sickness benefits of some kind
• The total number of claimants has increased by a third in five years (up 1.8 million)
• 1 in 10 working age adults claims, and 1 in 12 school aged children
• 1.2 million people aged under 25 claim sickness benefits, a rise of two thirds in 5 years - 1 in 15 claiming something
• 4 million adults claim sickness benefit of some kind, up from 2.8 million in 2019. Two thirds of that increase is people under 50.
• 2.5 million people claim UC health benefits, up 500k people this year alone - in 2019 less than 500k people claimed this
• 1.8 million have no requirement to look for work
• Sickness benefits for working age adults are expected to cost £70b by 2030 - a third of the cost of the NHS

Are You saying that people should be ashamed to have a disability?

Decades ago, all sorts of things were encouraged or acceptable and no longer are. That’s not an argument that stands up to scrutiny.

But that's irrelevant. What if the partner has to go away? What if they get sick? What if they just don't fancy cooking one night? If they can't do it, they get the points
You can't base financial benefits based on what ifs. Everyone has a 'what if' story. What do you base it on then? A 90% what if chance of happening? 50%, 20%.

It isn't rubbish! There are many people playing the system and it is the genuine people who don't that usually get zero points because they don't know how to answer the questions asked to get the points
Exactly. Disability funding is less and less allocated on real needs but on the ability to know how to tick the right boxes, and for that, have access to form filling experts. That needs to stop.

In a world where wealth is so unevenly distributed and life chances depend very much on your background, I'm pleased that people don't feel shame at being unable to support themselves any more. All we can really ask people to do is their best, and we all have a value that goes beyond the financial contribution we can make.

Thanks.

They really don't. He had a cancer with an excellent prognosis too but that doesn't account for the many complications it can cause as well as like you said, the treatment which is incredibly harsh and comes with it's own risks including secondary cancer. It's truly terrifying, especially as the treatment is largely created for adults.

He's in remission and I'm so thankful to still have him here because we very nearly didn't but his little body will never be the same again.

No, the point is that your living circumstances shouldn't affect whether you are entitled to benefits. In fact, the legislation specifically states that it is the care needs that are assessed, not whether the care is actually given. So if someone needs support to cook, the fact that they don't get it is irrelevant. If they need support to wear clean clothing, the fact that they actually slop around in dirty clothing is irrelevant.

Do you not think 1 in 10 adults needing to claim additional support for disability or sickness seems quite high?

Perhaps re read the thread.

Theres a SEN school teacher questioning the need for the pupils to be in receipt of dla .

Other posters saying there should be a lower care dla rate

Plus more

I haven't read through the posts because I'm sure they will be just a lot of arguing but just to add my perspective..

I know 5 people who have started claiming Disability in the last few years.
One got fired and actively went after the benefit because they couldn't be bothered with work anymore (their words).

2 lost their business after covid and couldn't contemplate being an employee after being self employed so long so applied for disability benefit as a way to support themselves until they retire.

One didn't want to go back to work after her baby was a bit older and one is currently on the sick trying to get fired so she can live on disability for a few years until she retires.
I know them all well and they openly discuss how they are trying to get on benefits or how much they have managed to get.
These are the people the system needs to weed out, I don't know how they can do it and many people absolutely need disability benefits but I think this is what it's trying to stop. X

I think that's an appalling attitude to be honest. Benefits should be based on actual need, not arbitrary "entitlement". If you don't spend the money on what it was awarded for, you don't need it.

No - you are wrong.

People who help you to fill the forms in will advise you to use legal definitions to describe how a condition affects you but they are not advising you to actually lie.

Two explanations can mean the same thing but if (for example) you use the words ‘watch over’ instead of ‘supervise’ the assessor could disregard your explanation.

And this is because of previous case law which was formulated from real claimant’s tribunals

You aren’t looking very hard if you haven’t seen it. Just as one example, the OP earlier quoted higher rate DLA for a child while implying it was generous (around half of minimum wage, she said).

A child on that is going to be severely disabled and a genuine case by anyone’s standards. They will have major costs associated with their care needs. But the resentment is there.

The fact is in the minds of most people who are hung up on the disability benefits issue, almost no-one is a genuine case, and if they are they don’t need as much money as they’re getting.

It's all very well chucking alarming numbers around but (a) are they accurate and (b) what research is there as to the reasons?

Is one reason the numbers on both PIP and the LCfWRA element in Universal Credit down, at least in part to (a) long covid and (b) failure to review assessments at appropriate intervals?

What will be next for people to say needs to be cut? Short break direct payments for all children with middle rate care dla? That’s about £1500 per year in some boroughs. EHCP funding ? What next ?

It’s such a worrying time to be disabled or care for someone that is.
My son is now 21 and has a chromosome abnormality that presents similarly to Down Syndrome. His learning disability is significant alongside his medical needs. He would love to be able to work and be part of something but sadly that is highly unlikely to happen. He does however volunteer and keeps busy with lots of support.

I know without any doubt that he absolutely should always be entitled to the state support but this is the first time I’ve felt genuinely fearful that it may be withdrawn. It’s a genuinely horrible place to be. My son is lucky too, in that I’m able to fight for him should the worst happen.

One person even said that no amount of money will make up for a disability so why should the person be entitled to it.

It is strange to me that some people think they themselves are above ever becoming disabled or ill.

whats the figures on those who are claiming but are working, does anyone know?

I don’t think some people understand how difficult having a disability is, not just the disability but the admin stuff too
for me
injection every week that gives me 24-48hrs of flu symptoms and a high temp plus bone pain, I do this on the weekend so not to affect work
another injection every 5 weeks plus multiple meds

severe gynae pain where I can’t work that comes out of the blue and needs morphine to take it down from wanting to rip my ovary out, often needs a&e
fatigue that’s beyond tired
Immunocompromised so constant infections

on top of the sickness for that I need appointments
bloods every 12 weeks
haematology every 12 weeks
dermatology every 6 months
gynae ongoing until surgery
GP appointments maybe 1 a month
multiple other hospital appointments for MRIs and ultrasounds and MDT meeting results

it’s hard to find an employer that will allow/help me to manage that and I’m not even unwell enough for PIP

Looking at the figures and seeing the projection of costs, it's obvious that disability benefits are unsustainable at their current level.
There needs to be a drive to get waiting lists down for those waiting NHS treatment.
I think we also need to address the numbers of NEETS (not in education, employment or training) who are having MH difficulties. We are failing our young people if they are destined for a life on benefits because they can't access the help they need to get into employment.
It's clear sickness benefits are unstainable but instead of just cutting them, we need to understand the root causes of the increase and work on address the causes.
I think life has become so much harder for people in general, lack of housing, poor public transport, increased utilities, increased COL, expensive childcare, lack of access to GPs and Dentristy. Everything just seems a battle, no wonder people are suffering.

Posters keep stressing out that people in receipt of some benefits do also pay taxes. True, but paying taxes with one hand to then receive money is not the same thing as paying taxes and receiving no money back!
They are justified in thinking that their taxes are paying for other people’s benefits.

Utterly shocking. 😔😔😔

NHS waiting lists have also increased over the last 5 years. The decline in NHS services has led to increased disability. It really surprises me that people are so ignorant to the link and think it's just that people have become more work shy and it's just a coincidence that the NHS has been falling apart during that time.

Many of these so-called conditions are the 'bad back' of the 21st century, one of the best things the NHS could do would be to investigate claims thoroughly to weed out the malingerers, eg being 'too anxious' to go to work. How many of us were thrilled to go to work to support the workshy?

Yes plenty of people on this thread will want both those things cut, I’m afraid.

They simply have no idea. No imaginations. And no heart.