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.

@PerkingFaintly - yes, I read a while ago that they were trying to change their image or something along those lines and they came up with the great idea of changing to white envelopes because everyone dreads the brown envelope moment!

Yeah, white envelopes will make it all OK...

IIRC the whistleblower used the term "window-dressing" to describe the DWP's current behaviour.

I can't face applying for PIP because I know it'll cause too much confusion and stress (autism, adhd, depression, anxiety and PTSD).

@Forion

I can't face applying for PIP because I know it'll cause too much confusion and stress (autism, adhd, depression, anxiety and PTSD).

Same. My old CPN said I needed to weigh up the benefits of getting money and the effect the whole process would have on my mental health. Applying for UC was bad enough for me.

www.disabilitynewsservice.com/coroner-silent-on-why-dwp-was-not-questioned-at-inquest-despite-nightmare-messages/

It's really harsh.
If I remember correctly c4 helped demonise people on disability benefits and hardened hearts towards innocent victims caught up in the propaganda.

It wasn't just one media outlet that did this.

From what I remember, the DWP was putting out PR material to create this narrative. I did have evidence about this, but now can't remember the details. It was the era of churnalism, where media outlets cut costs by lazily and uncritically using whatever Press Releases are thrown at them.

There was also a tabloid journalist on MN who said she believed 90% (or some large figure) of crime dealt with by magistrates' courts was benefit fraud, based on her experience sitting in a courtroom one day.

When I asked for more detail, she said (IIRC) that her paper had been "given the choice of a couple of dates/courts to travel to attend." When I asked who had given her that choice, she clammed up.

So this wasn't an ordinary court reporter, sitting in her local court day in day out and getting a sense of the common cases. It was more like a showtrial set-up: save up a bunch of cases and invite the national media to be shocked at "lots of fraud".

Forion- join one of these organisations who help you present the best case. Eg benefits and work which is the group who highlighted this show. They have some amazing advice surrounding autism that I wouldn’t have considered noting - because for me, it’s my “normal”.

To manage stress levels write everything in 3rd person - they suggest you do anyway, but somehow it makes it less personal.

First time I applied I had no interview. At renewal I had face-to-face and took an independent advocate with me and I ugly-cried and was mute throughout.

I’ve just had to renew again and am waiting on the letter… amazingly my autism (and other issues) haven’t “cleared up” in the last 3 years.

That was hard to watch, how can a civilised country starve people, if reviews or adjustments are being managed they need to ensure the safety of claimants.

Maybe they need to focus more on finding people who are claiming disability benefits when they don’t actually need them, so the people who really need them get the amount of money they need.

The trouble is so many, many people claim disability benefits and PIP there isn’t enough to go around. Where does the money come from? Do we raise taxes again?

Especially for mental health conditions like EUPD, CPTSD, functional disorders, conditions that fluctuate, there needs to be more support to help people into work roles (employment that’s flexible and adaptable, maybe wfh options, that allows people to live an independent or semi-independent life, raises their self esteem, provides interest and a sense of productivity etc). Rather than just saying people are not fit for any kind of work, and repeatedly assessing them to see if that’s changed. It’s not a one size fits all.

Isn’t there a glaring case to put more £ into mental health services? Afaik the delays mean people are in a much worse condition by the time they are seen. Which is hugely counterproductive and a waste of resources. And devastating for the individual.

But we will never achieve fair treatment for people with disabilities whilst the Tories are in power (giving ££Billions in contracts to their favoured friends). Ditto education etc etc

It was a very hard programme to watch but eye opening for those who have no dealings with the DWP. I am my disabled daughter's advocate and court appointed deputy and ready at all times for battle!

The trouble is so many, many people claim disability benefits and PIP there isn’t enough to go around.

Citation needed

That's not how government expenditure works

@FateHasRedesignedMost

Maybe they need to focus more on finding people who are claiming disability benefits when they don’t actually need them, so the people who really need them get the amount of money they need.

The trouble is so many, many people claim disability benefits and PIP there isn’t enough to go around. Where does the money come from? Do we raise taxes again?

Especially for mental health conditions like EUPD, CPTSD, functional disorders, conditions that fluctuate, there needs to be more support to help people into work roles (employment that’s flexible and adaptable, maybe wfh options, that allows people to live an independent or semi-independent life, raises their self esteem, provides interest and a sense of productivity etc). Rather than just saying people are not fit for any kind of work, and repeatedly assessing them to see if that’s changed. It’s not a one size fits all.

Absolute bollocks there is enough money but the government like to blame society and spend it elsewhere.

They need to employ proper assessors rather than contracting out to private companies who repeatedly fail to perform without any consequences. The government are not going to plough money into resources to support people, it’s too expensive.

Also PIP is an in work benefit nothing to do with being fit for work.

All you are doing here is perpetuating the myths that exist to keep the masses in place.