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

Hate is a strong word what's wrong with empowering people to do more if they can?

It’s wrong because taxing somebody who is full time on the minimum wage to pay for somebody on 37k is inherently wrong regardless of the circumstances.

Most people are good people. They don’t mind paying toward benefits for the most disabled people. But they don’t want to pay for somebody to have more in benefits than they earn as a wage, and this is not selfish.

It’s clear emotion simply can’t drive how the country is run financially
There needs to be a sensible forward thinking policy that reduces significantly the welfare bill.
The country can’t afford it

Agree. But successive governments have only themselves to blame since they used disability benefits to disguise greater unemployment - in much the same way they have used rising numbers of university students.

Well I disagree.

That’s fine. I assume people on benefits will disagree. Because they’re protecting their own interests. But it isn’t wrong for us to do the same.

Exactly - I know lots of people claiming loads of benefits and boasting about it. But you can't argue with people who stick their head in the sand...

On another note: why on earth does anyone need a new car every 3 years under the Motorbility Scheme? Surely the real people who benefit are car manufacturers?

No I don’t. But even a child with half, a quarter of the needs of my son is going to generate extra costs. Having a child with a disability, learning difficulties, chronic illness etc is simply more expensive and has the potential to tip families into poverty. My son also has Crohn’s Disease which fluctuates both in terms of manifestation and cost. If he had the Crohn’s Disease without the OCD, he would still be one of those ‘two pupils’ in a class, albeit with fewer needs and a lower level of care required.

This is really sad.

And this is why the system needs to be changed - so that you/your child can have a lot more money and support.

DLA is about care needs. You don't need a diagnosis to claim it.

To claim DLA, you need medical evidence that your child has more care needs compared to a child their own age.

I live in the real world of actually claiming DLA for my son and knowing for a fact that it isn't to go through or easy to get and not just making some assumptions on 'people I know'.

Hate is an accurate word in some cases.

Perhaps parents need to deal with transport themselves
Or move closer to the schools
Many do

although appreciate people may have kids at different schools.
In which case move closer to the school that accommodates the child that cannot travel unaccompanied.

There needs to be significant savings made country wide.
Everyone is currently making sacrifices ….. no one is immune to personal responsibility

Do you consider yourself to be immune to disability or illness, then? Do you think that it won’t ever happen to you or to anyone in your family?

And do you think that cutting disability benefits from people who need them will make you better off? If so, how?

And medical evidence can be provided in the form of a private diagnosis for ADHD. And then you, as carer, fill in a form. You can put whatever you like. And often, and I know it is hard for you to hear this, but some people lie. To get the money.

@Careertimenow this is supposed to be a nonemotional thread based on facts and finances
There are plenty of threads on here dealing with personal emotional experiences .

So agree the term hate is irrelevant …..

Back to facts

Given my pronounced tremor, I don’t think anyone will want me doing their nails or waxing their fanny 😂 I have a well paying career, but it doesn’t change the fact that my disability creates additional costs.

I’m disabled. I have a seizure disorder.

Yes, I think we would be better off from a properly funded military, as we face a possible WW3.

Harsh as it is, we cannot exist as a country who spends 80% of its money propping up the vulnerable, while taxpayers see little return for their hard work. We deserve a quality of life - libraries, public swimming pools, clean and safe streets. All things going to rack and ruin by defunding as the benefit bill soars.

These children getting £400 a month because they’ve been diagnosed with ADHD. Sorry, but there is no way the DWP would have awarded them this without contacting the school because they always do! There is a section on the form where you have to provide your child’s school information and give permission for contact.

Do you think schools lie to the DWP, teachers risk their careers so that parents can get an extra £400? And if so, why?

How many ignorant judgemental threads on this subject
Educate yourself on the descriptorsfor PIP and then acquire some empathy
count yourself lucky that you don’t understand the eligibility criteria for PIP
you will know, due to your extensive research that the fraud rates for PIP are 0.1% and are mostly reinstated( at a stressful tribunal) due to inaccurate reporting by an assessor
im on that spreadsheet somewhere as I claim enhanced rates of both components( again educate yourself on the points system)
I receive £737.20 pcm
i have Cerebral Palsy, and my function has deteriorated with age
wanna swap?

Not difficult to see why the Government is trying to get people back to some kind of employment is it?

You think that the only evidence that needs to be provided is a diagnosis? No. As I said, you don't even need a diagnosis.

It's about care needs, not diagnosis and those care needs need to be backed up by medical professionals. You can't just write whatever you like on the form and it is taken at face value. You need evidence.

It isn't an easy process to go through, it's incredibly difficult.

you don't empower anyone by taking money from them that helps them manage whatever condition it is that entitles them to that money

Indeed. It’s disgusting how MN colludes with ableist attitudes and blatant disability discrimination, it’s the same with racist threads too.

So many troglodytes on this site.

Yes sometimes people on disability benefits should have more than those on minimum wage jobs because sometimes the absolute necessary additional expenses are eye watering

BUT there are clearly a lot of people who in past decades would have been self supporting who now are claiming and as a society we can’t afford for this to continue or there will be no one left to pay

where once people would have pride that they supported themselves and their families no matter how tough we do see a lot of entitlement and high expectations.

someone on another thread posted about gen x- they should have a motto of “suck it up and crack on”

I do believe I know one person who died as a result of that attitude- their mental health problems led to self abuse and addition that killed them - but I also know people who did manage to suck it up and crack on and lift themselves out of their problems. The balance is wrong today

@AlexP24 unfortunately this is exactly the situation of the example I posted earlier- I’m afraid the very genuine people are getting drowned out by the piss takers who know how to play the system. - and for those commenting about the middle class - these practices go across all classes but actually it’s more middle class people I know who are busy defending taking the piss - whereas more working class who are actually working are aware of people in their circles who are indeed taking the piss