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

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cvgev3dvz3jo

I am proud of my vote I stand by Labour and what they are doing. There is too many people taking the piss and you would rather defend the piss takers. Not all depression and anxiety is genuine. Maybe I should start claiming pip if it's this easy just say I have depression or anxiety and make sure my doctor has written it down on my notes. Then wait for my claim easy.

I blame work/life/housing being so shit for this. I don't blame people for going off sick.
There are loads of jobs, that are just jobs. They're not a career, they're not fancy, high powered, high paying, theyre just boring, hard jobs, going nowhere that need doing and pay badly.

Now you could work 40 hours a week job like this, live in terrible poverty unable to meet basic needs never mind have a bit of fun money. No chance of getting secure housing for yourself because buying would be a lottery winning dream and council housing barely exists anymore. Or, you could go off on the sick, still poor, but probibly more money with all the extras added in that you'd get working that sort of job full time, plus you'd probibly increase your chances of a home through the council with extra points for being sick. You also wouldn't have to fill your day doing a rubbish job that bought you zero benefit and being looked down on by MN for not having a career and being blamed for your own poverty.

Good luck with that. Please report back in a week when you get full PIP and a new car.

I know exactly what I'm talking about. I've worked in a call centre where I was abused daily on the phone. My mental health was in tatters.

I'm referring to the US obviously.

The focus will be on people with MH conditions. They’re going to reduce the eligibility for PIP/LCWRA for MH, and cut both. I think the cut will be by around a third from what I’ve seen.

The problem is we are already losing the wealthy to other countries.
We need their taxes because there simply aren’t enough net contributors in this country

Labour are not putting in place a wealth tax because who will be left to pay for everything ? That’s simple financial planning.

My partner works in social housing and he sees the same thing. They get a new car because of their disabilities or children's disability. Not for anxiety or depression.

https://www.benefitsandwork.co.uk/news/zero-percent-fraud-rate-for-pip,-dwp-figures-show

https://www.lse.ac.uk/News/Latest-news-from-LSE/2024/a-January-2024/super-rich-unlikely-to-leave-uk-for-boring-and-culturally-barren-tax-havens#:~:text=The%20vast%20majority%20of%20Britain's,International%20Inequalities%20Institute%20at%20LSE.

Really good post.

I've always been of the opinion that you should be a high earner or not bother at all.

If they are entitled to a car, they are entitled to a car. It is only people on the highest rate of mobility that can have one anyway, and they swap their money for it (and sometimes more out of other money). The cars are leased so never owned. Can you even lease anything other than a new car?

However they are

Just looking at billionaires alone as an example
177 in 2022 and now 165.

Apparently 22% of PIP claimants with anxiety , get the enhanced rate of both the daily living and the mobility component.

So - yes possible to access the motability scheme.

The scheme has seen an increase of 170,000 users in 2024 - to a total of 815,000.

Again, a huge increase in a short space of time. I wonder what is driving that increase - has it changed at all?

That gets posted a lot, but there will always be people saying it is the DWP "marking their own homework" etc.
If the DWP reported a fraud rate of say 20%, they would be quoting it all over the place. The 0% does not fit their agenda.

And there’s more…..

That's the point, the society we have has been created for the few, excluding 7 million. Create a society where everyone can participate and then everyone can pay in.

The problem.is those that the system benefits don't want that. They want to keep it all for themselves, survival of the fittest and then they want to complain about paying welfare to those they've excluded. They want it both ways. Nice. Oh and those excluded people - otherwise known as shirkers - better not start feeling hopeless or depressed about the situation because that's the problem - over diagnosis of 'mental health problems'

Totally agree about the nurses

they are still earning and not claiming benefits so what is the issue

they probably pay council tax that has just gone up nearly 5%

What do you suggest? And can you add some figures to it?

When you apply for PIP, you list all of your health conditions. It does not mean you are getting PIP for them.
So, those people with anxiety could be getting the higher rate of mobility for a totally different reason.

No one accepts these reports unless they are looked at by third parties.
For obvious reasons
Plus a pp commented earlier that’s it’s impossible to really know if a claim is fraudulent. We don’t have that many people or surveillance cameras to check.

@IAmNotASheep could you possibly conceive of deserting your country just because more of your profit could support the majority?

There is no other country in this world, I would rather live. Kill me now 😆

Lots of people have and are though, it’s an ongoing problem along with the brain drain.

But I think tomorrows announcement will include improved and extra services to deal with what’s needed. Ie, increase the budget for training and providing extra MH counsellors. If barriers are removed to enable getting people back into the workplace, then it stands a better chance of working out.