To be horrified that the authorities don't realise it is just as (or more) expensive to care for a sick relative when they at hospital as when they are at home?

[ArcheryAnnie]

This story horrifies me: parents of a seriously ill child who died when he was five had their benefits cut after their child had been in hospital for 84 days, on the grounds that all the child's needs were being taken care of by the NHS.

Which ignores how expensive it is to juggle looking after one child at home and travelling to look after another in hospital, the cost of the travel itself, the cost of never being at home to cook and eat, the cost of losing your job versus leaving your sick kid alone at the hospital...

(I have not looked after a sick kid in hospital, but after years of looking after my mum, caring for her in her final months in hospital before she died left me with a huge overdraft. I know how expensive it can be.)

It's a pretty heartless policy, and one apparently brought in by Ann Widdicombe.

Story here: www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/family-fights-callous-rule-cut-4735072

I must admit, I read this and couldn't see how this was possible. The needs of the child are indeed looked after in hospital. Then I thought, okay, reasonable travel costs and accommodation (if the hospital some distance away) but then I thought of a massive issue. These parents probably gave up their jobs to care for their son. I have no doubt they did. If you cut off that benefit, what do they live on? Also, I imagine they need a bit of child care with their other child. Yes, it seems very heartless. Awful. After all, look at the money they have saved the state over time. Not why they did it, but if we're talking the financials.........

It's not exactly news though, it's always been the case. This is the flip side to newspaper stories about people "raking in £XXk on benefits" - callous penny pinching so you don't get mealy mouthed twats banging on along the lines of "they still get paid for that kid AND he gets all his meals while they get paid hundreds and nurses look after him." And like it or not a lot of people have that attitude and sadly they vote

YABU because it's not "their benefits", it was their son's disability living allowance. It is for his care and mobility needs only which are being met in hospital.

That said, I do think there should be financial assistance for parents of children who spend a lot of time receiving medical treatment due to the cost.