The Truth About Disability Benefits is being shown at 7.30pm on Friday on Channel 4.

[JustAnotherPoster00]

Posting in AIBU for traffic

There’s a programme on Friday that the DWP really don’t want you, or anyone else, to watch.

The Truth About Disability Benefits is being shown at 7.30pm on Friday on Channel 4.

It’s a Dispatches documentary investigating the unexpected deaths of disabled benefits claimants, including those who have taken their own lives.

Because the DWP will be taking very careful note of viewing figures for this programme and desperately hoping that it attracts a smaller audience than usual, as proof that there really isn’t any great public interest in the lives and deaths of benefits claimants.

If that’s the case, they can carry on denying there’s a problem and keep on covering up the suffering inflicted on disabled claimants by a heartless system. But the more people who watch the documentary, the harder it will be for the department to brush aside its findings and the more likely that others will begin investigating the secrecy surrounding almost everything the DWP does.

John Pring, founder of the Disability News Service, has been fighting tirelessly for many years to highlight the blood on the hands of the DWP and he has been involved from the very start in the making of this documentary.

Thanks for this, I'll definitely watch it.

There have been two occasions in my life where I've been eligible for DLA/PIP (and desperately needed it) but I genuinely wasn't well enough to go through the process. The system is broken.

Have the DWP said they’ll be taking a great interest or is this you speculating?

@BigYellowHat

Have the DWP said they’ll be taking a great interest or is this you speculating?

They always seem interested in public opinion and while theres the ongoing court case about the legacy benefit discrimination when it came to the £20 UC uplift and the government are sitting on a report that came to the conclusion that disabled claimants still have unmet needs

www.disabilitynewsservice.com/coffey-is-damaging-disabled-peoples-trust-in-dwp-over-unmet-needs-report/

Should be interesting and predictable viewing. They have cut back in last few years on actively being seen to be hard on the disabled. After 10y of austerity which were horrendous. But still been going on in back round. Just not noticed.

I think it’s more focusing on the deaths that have happened rather than over all state of PIP ESA. Had email about it from a disabled group I follow.

Thanks for letting us know about this. We will be watching with interest.

I will watch the programme because it looks interesting not to artificially skew viewing figures
Because the DWP will be taking very careful note of viewing figures for this programme and desperately hoping that it attracts a smaller audience than usual, as proof that there really isn’t any great public interest in the lives and deaths of benefits claimants.
I don't know where you got this info from but as an accusation of callousness it takes the biscuit.

Thanks for the heads-up, OP. John Pring usually does quality work, so this should be really worth watching.

there really isn’t any great public interest in the lives and deaths of benefits claimants.

There really doesn't seem to be Billandben444 because it's been going on for years, where's the outcry?!

@Billandben444 it came straight out of a newsletter from a disability/pip support website I belong to.

Whilst I am in fact a paying customer of theirs - this type of wording is not uncommon with them and turns even me off.

Glad I got this on Threads I'm On: just reminded me to set it up to record tonight.

The government have gone to extraordinary lengths to cover up the truth of claimants dying when benefits are withdrawn.

Unfortunately the numerous fraud programmes and sensational headlines garner more interest than the truth.

There are too many people who don't understand the benefits system and accept the government spin without question.

Many people have no desire to acknowledge how many children are living in poverty despite their parents efforts to work and provide.

The definition of callous is behaviour that is unkind, cruel, and without sympathy or feeling for other people. Yep that just about sums up the government stance on benefit claimants.

as an accusation of callousness it takes the biscuit.

Blimey, you can't have had a great deal to do with the DWP re disability benefits, if that accusation strikes you as even slightly unusual or out of proportion.

Either that, or you've been extraordinarily lucky.

Institutionally, callousness is the starting point for the DWP.

There are doubtless good individuals (who often don't last long, if we're to believe those who then post on MN), but in my experience their departmental culture is to cut support to disabled people. Their focus is on how to get away with it.

Having dealt with them for years, nothing they can do shocks me any more.

Take this calmly reported, well-evidenced story from Pring's Disability News Service. Mr Scott very wisely recorded the meeting, otherwise those who haven't experienced the neverending torrent of arseholery the DWP somehow manages to dish out, would never have believed it...

www.disabilitynewsservice.com/dwp-apologises-to-autistic-man-after-work-coach-threatens-to-stick-pins-in-his-eyes/
But when he thanks her for her help, she tells him: “So I am here to support you whether you like it or you don’t, right?”

Scott replies that this would be his first experience of such support from DWP.

But the work coach says: “I’m not here to stick pins in your eyes, unless you want me to. And it will be a Biro, not pins, all right?”

Scott, who also has long-term health conditions, appears to laugh nervously, but he doesn’t otherwise respond to her comments.

The work coach then adds: “I taught autistic children for a long time, so yeah, it will be a sharp poke.”

How was it? Not in the mood tonight will catch up over weekend when I feel more resilient.

Ty I will watch this

This post was going round Facebook earlier.

I think Because the DWP will be taking very careful note of viewing figures for this programme and desperately hoping that it attracts a smaller audience than usual, as proof that there really isn’t any great public interest in the lives and deaths of benefits claimants. is probably about as true as many of these Facebook "truths".

@Akire

How was it? Not in the mood tonight will catch up over weekend when I feel more resilient.

It's about three deaths. Distressing material, as expected, but doesn't over-dramatise or wallow; factual and low-key.

Features a whistleblower talking about DWP's institutional culture of despising disability benefits claimants.

Also featured quote from the DWP that they wanted disabled people to "see them as an ally".

Which I just hear as, "All the better to eat you with..."

Very, very triggering for anyone who's been through the Brown Envelopes, though.

I had to take lots of breaks.

Ok yes that’s what expecting. I was thinking earlier in the week at least they seemed stop wasting money to write to you in dreaded envelope just to tell you about your amazing £10 Xmas bonus. It really wasn’t worth the heart attack or stress!

It was shocking, it was triggering and the DWP still not taking responsibility, even admitting that they haven’t checked whether any recommendations have been implemented. And they haven’t, people are still trapped in a Kafkaesque nightmare dealing with a bureaucracy of faceless people who never have to be accountable. 😡

Brown envelopes are being replaced by the ping of texts and emails.

I was hoping to watch this on All 4 but got this message.

'Truth About Disability Benefits: Dispatches

An investigation into a series of deaths, including suicide, by disabled benefits claimants. What impact did government failings have on those who died?

No episode available to watch on demand'

@PerkingFaintly

Very, very triggering for anyone who's been through the Brown Envelopes, though.

I had to take lots of breaks.

Yeah, not sure I can put myself through that. Glad they are doing it though, hopefully people who've never had to experience it will watch and be outraged

Brown envelopes are being replaced by white. Got my first DWP communication in a white envelope yesterday. I knew from the address though it was them. So the 'dreaded brown envelope' is now the 'dreaded white envelope'....

Oh god.

Thanks for the warning, BigbreastsBiggerbeard. It used to be at least you knew the ones to steel yourself for.

I remember my pip assessment it was done at home I felt so sick before luckily the lady noticed my arthritis and how I have to keep moving to get comfortable. But yes we live in fear of the dwp I call them the gestapo.