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

@IAmNotASheep

"They've played it well" they have not!

Could we all just recognise that government needs to raise funds to run the country. That's sensible of course.

Whomever is in power WILL NOT do it, to the detriment of other power players, it's easier to thrash the populace.

The "small" man will always pay, and setting us against each other, only benefits their lack of creativity for securing money. It's that obvious, surely?

Pretty much the whole rhetoric around the subject is about the lazy, scroungy bastards who are taking benefits that tax-payers have to work so hard to provide.

The whole conversation is about how the country can get these lazy bastards back to work.

How many threads have we seen on MN in the past week criticising benefit claimants and pointing out that it's not sustainable and people just have to get back to work? Countless.

And although I haven't seen it the other way around - if it is, it's because people are scared. They're facing having benefits removed, benefits that they rely on. They are scared that they won't be able to put food on the table, pay their bills. And because they're disabled, they're pretty short of options - it's not as if they can just go out and get a second job. Of course name-calling is never OK, but given the whole wall of criticism that disabled people are facing, and the moral judgements, I'm not bloody surprised.

As I said in my post, there's very little conversation about how we can help people find work. Also very little conversation about the fact that PIP isn't a benefit for those who are out of work!!

Most people just want to point the finger at the dreadful disabled people who are clearly just lazy, scooping up armfuls of cash while laughing all the way to the bank.

It's spiteful, nasty, and what I'd expect from a Tory government, not Labour.

Put forward some actual suggestions about how people can be helped, I'd be interested. But people can really just fuck off with their ignorant, judgemental attitudes.

Menstruation is up to a week for most women. If people think reusable nappies for babies are bad in respect of babies for a few years, think of an adult.

Also lots of these groups could manage to change their own pad, but struggle with the washing & drying that is involved with a reusable products, let alone the long term cost involved with washing & drying.

I do appreciate what you say about the environmental impact, but I'd rather people have dignity until options improve.

It's very different. I have dropped off a child at mainstream it is very different. And they normally have breakfast clubs and after school clubs. They can walk at a certain age etc.
The taxis queue up at the school as they have to walk the children to the door if this was done individually by parents itcwould take even longer, although takes a long time with the taxis. Same on the way home. I'd have to start work at 10 and finish at 2 to do this. My other child goes to another school and also needs picking up and dropping off.

If a career is changing someone’s nappy a pair or specialist pants is not different apart from them being then washed and hung to dry by the career who is also presumably doing their washing.

Work would be a lot easier for more disabled people if we hadn’t of actually had this huge push of back to the office.

How many jobs could be done at home by those who cannot leave the house but are fine at a computer or on the phone but bums on seats are more important.

my point is simply that people tend to care about what affects them directly these days, whether you like it or not. I’m not debating the specifics - the IHT stuff is just an example to make my point - but there were reports of farmers having taken their own lives over that issue - how much sleep did you lose over that? Is it none?

Why would these proposed changes be any different? Labour have decided it’s disabled peoples’ turn to feel the heat now and I don’t think anyone who isn’t directly affected is going to care.

What a surprise, no engagement at all with the problems caused by the rich, and the fact that they greatly exceed those caused by the poor. Tax avoidance, evasion, housing costs, inflation, climate destruction - who gives a shit? It's no fun when the social comparisons are upwards is it? Let's just obsess over disabled kids instead. And whatever you do, don't be rude - even when we're promoting misinformation and policies that could literally kill people's children.

Pathetic.

@CentralLimit this topic is being discussed because the government is due to make an announcement about it tomorrow.

All of the other topics you mention are also, and have also, been discussed at some length over the years.

I think saying these are policies which will kill people’s children is a bit OTT.

PIP, DLA and LCWRA should never have been available for people with depression, anxiety, neurodiversity without learning disability, substance misuse issues or mild physical issues. I bet we all have at least one of those things but plenty of us just get on with it. I have autism, depression and anorexia and could get enough points to qualify for PIP but what extra costs do I have to justify it?? None! It needs to be for people with serious physical disabilities, learning disabilities, psychiatric illness such as schizophrenia or serious illness.

The rich are never the ones who truly pay because they vote with their feet. There is only so much you can take from those in the middle before they then end up claiming more than they pay as well and then you just add to the money needed.

I agree people take advantage of the system, I've heard it myself. It was never designed to support the masses with every type of disability, but those with the highest costs.

Right now someone able to walk, talk, & care for themself in every way, living independently can get the same rate as someone who is paralysied, unable to do the above or even communicate. How is that right?

I have a 24/7 care package, my benefits contribute towards the cost.

A powerchair, part funded by the NHS, part by benefits.

A car, funded by benefits. I don't fit on public transport, even if I did, I'd have to pay for my support worker, from benefits.

Numerous bits of equipment & supplies, some from the NHS, the rest paid for by benefits.

It goes on & on.

There is a pattern here. The system has not, will not, in fact, cannot supply everything that is required for every type of disability. What works for one doesn't work for another.

Give me a degree of dignity in choosing for myself what I use the money for, or you might as well just supply me a bag of basic food & take that right away from me too.

We are people.

Ps, all the equipment in the world won't stop me needing a large care package. For some of us the money we get is a case of necessity, not just to make life comfortable.

If that isn't acceptable, shoot me.

I'm sorry bit I didn't find it horrendous. I filled out the form, sent it off, got a phone call and was then awarded PIP. I had to wait a few months but got backpack.
I've had to do much worse than this. I'm bedbound waiting for major surgery, work from home from my bed and PIP pays for my care needs. I live on my own.
The NHS has put me through far worse, months of agony and delays in treatment.

Most parents send their child to the local school or at least a nearby school.

Some special schools are incredibly far away and it really wouldn't be the same as the usual morning drop off/pick up.

@indigovapour

😧"disabled peoples’ turn to feel the heat"

If government had the talent and creativity to fairly allocate the budget to our population, who, on earth, would need to "feel heat" fgs?

"how shall we fix our country's problems?"

"Let's make the parents of severely disabled children buy reusable nappies 🤪"

The answer again there is more state ran Sen schools.

Though for inclusion those where all
Pretty much shut down…. Short sighted.

are you on Rachel's team perchance?

Labour, under Starmer, is a goddamn tragedy

And responses like that are why people
stop responding at all and you get to live in your own little echo chamber.

Just pick bits that you don’t like to try and make a point and not bother with the rest. Helps build your case hugely or support…

The cost is different.

As I said, I spent £40 for just 1 reusable swim nappy that fits my son.

Specialist pants are more expensive than disposable pads/nappies.

No, it's easier for children going to a SEN school, as they get transport funding in their EHCP. Most of our children are collected between 7.30am -8am.

If parents bring them to school, they get petrol money for 4 journeys.

it's not an echo chamber Joe,

I have absolutely no skin in the game here.

What I would like people to recognise though, is that our politicians DO NOT care about the 99.9% of this country, it's all about them.

And not just that a parent has to be home to put their child on and off the school transport everyday I'm still doing this with my now 14 nearly 15 year old everyday, most typical 14/15 year olds are taking themselves to and from school

Yep.

My son is potentially too disabled for mainstream but not disabled enough for special school. Waiting for his ECHP to see what actually will happen, hopefully his mainstream school will be able to take him if they get the support needed.

Good point. My son is 9 so I hadn't thought about that.