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

So who decides that. A government quango that has do physical or mental health training of knowledge of how peoples disabilities effect their lives.

Yes I’m sure OP is either a secret billionaire or friends with many of them. Easier to accuse her of that than face the figures.

big business?

It’s such a sad cop out going ‘but what about billionaires!!’

I have ME/CFS, which is similar to long Covid, and I have often wondered if it would be better if I wasn’t here anymore. This is because of my inability to work, to participate in life as I want to and because I feel like my life is never going to get better. I do seem to have a strong sense of knowing I would never do anything to hurt myself, even though I feel that way - and that’s because I couldn’t do that to my kids.

It’s hard. And these threads make it worse because I’m exactly the kind of person people might see on my very rare venture out of the house and think there’s nothing wrong with me.

not really, @Itsalljustinmyhead

just despair that "the figures" are more important than "the people"

🤣🤣🤣 touché

A lot of people use their PIP to enable them to keep working. The alternative would be they couldn't work and needed to claim UC.

I’m glad someone made this point. I wonder mow much sleep those complaining about these prospective changes lost over changes made to farmers’ inheritance tax and these other changes. I expect it’s absolutely none and they were all of the view that savings must be made for the greater good. Now Labour’s attention has turned to them they’re looking around for support and finding little of it.

So in short we must not question the huge rise on numbers of people claiming anything - and no even if everyone with long Covid was claiming that doesn’t account for the rise - because they are clearly all genuine and must never be questioned or they will kill themselves. And anyone who does it evil and values money over people.

i wondered how long it would be before the ‘poor parenting’ comments came along, it’s like a bingo card. ‘Screen time’ and ‘firm
boundaries’ will be along soon 🙄

Same reason that German fella did. One with the moustache. You’ve got to blame someone so 2025 and it’s those pesky disabled people.
And I am one of them and I am terrified. Haven’t slept for worrying about it.
Having previously been a healthy functioning young adult, the life I lead now you wouldn’t wish on anyone.
I actually have dreams where I’m walking on the beach with my friends, or swimming in a pool and when I wake up I try and remember whether it was like because I wake up so happy.
I have had 24 years of this, 2/3 of my adult life and I have worked at home, in bed, for periods of that. I’ve contributed and paid my way.
Sadly AI has replaced the only skill I had left.
I would never have chosen this life and it happened overnight due to something which wasn’t my fault.
I don’t drink or smoke or take drugs. I do the best I can every day.
I feel absolutely like a lesser human being. And having written to every Health Secretary and head of DWP since I’ve become disabled, I had two replies and further meaningful contact from two Tory ministers who actually listened and stayed in touch. Which surprised me.
I worked hard at school, good Uni, great career, bought my first house at 27. My background is in economics so I have some understanding of some of the issues involved. I’m not an idiot.

I’m so sorry. There is such a lack of understanding and sympathy around these conditions. Especially as they are invisible. I hope as long Covid is presenting in a similar fashion to ME/CFS that there will be more awareness. It’s devastating and there’s no cure. I don’t think people realise this at all.

You must be very strong mentally to cope with this.

They tried to focus on the very rich - the very rich farmers ( ie only a fraction of farmers ) but that wasn’t liked either

There’s nearly 2 million people with Long Covid and this will keep rising every month, every year. So I would argue it does have a huge impact on the figures.

There were 177 billionaires in 2022 and now there are 165
We lose a lot of money when they decide to go somewhere else.
We can’t afford to lose money

This money will b taken from disabled people so 2TK can give away Chagos Islands to Mauritius, which is 1600 miles away from CI and they have never owned it, then rent it back for billions every year. Same as our farmers will lose out on being able to pass on a working farm so 2TK can subsidise overseas farmers. He needs to look after the people in our own country with the money he collects from people in this country from their taxes.

Op I think you’ve been brave in starting this thread and calling you ‘cowardly’ ‘stupid’ and ‘a billionaire’s gimp’ is the typical emotional abuse I would expect from people who seem unable, or unwilling, to address the figures. Ironically they would say they’re ’standing up for the vulnerable’ but can display some of the most obtuse and bullying behaviour on here. That doesn’t surprise me.

You and 100% correct in everything you’ve said. Whataboutery around billionaires, emotional blackmail and accusing anyone who disagrees as being a Nazi will not work for much longer. This issue is wearing thin now and finally the tide is turning.

Regardless of the opinions of anyone on this thread, the current level of benefit spending cannot and will not continue. Because it physically can’t.

As I said before: most people are good people. They are happy to contribute to those in need. But not so those people can have more money than they do. And that is not selfish. It feels like every area of spending is dominated by people with ‘needs’ and very little functions for people without them any more. Here’s hoping the changes are rigorous.

are you actually saying farmers’ inheritance tax is equivalent to denying disabled/vulnerable people, their absolute right to claim and be supported?

Is it blaming ?
Are people pointing the finger ?
Isnt it more a case of Labour looking to make the Welfare bill affordable looking forward.

I get why parents of disabled kids are on here, explaining their experience and attempting to educate people about the reality of it. But, I worry that this is feeding into a narrative that they are the problem, the thing that needs to be addressed.

Over on another platform I'm hearing talk of the rise of the "fuck you" left - the idea that we should step off the treadmill of continually trying to educate the idiots and simply tell them to STFU.

I find it quite attractive, although with the amount of misinformation about, I think that everyone deserves one pass.

In that spirit, I'm sharing an infographic on the relative importance of tax avoidance/evasion Vs benefit fraud, and an article on the rich and climate change. If anyone sees these and still wants to focus on disabled children then the gloves are off.

https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/inequalities/2024/11/19/billionaire-pollutocrats-are-driving-the-climate-crisis/

I agree!

Lying in bed is going increase depression-loads of stats on this. But the dysfunctional NH ‘S’ and ‘benefits’ system still enables this.

That’s a good summation
seems like the outcome of most of these threads

And there you have the crux of the matter!!

All ADHD pip payments should be stopped for a start. VASTLY overdiagnosed and often by doctors that potential claimants pay privatelyfor the diagnosis in order to claiming benefits, mobility cars etc etc..
One benefit leads to another and so on.