There's too much animosity towards benefit recipients.

[Threadkillacilla]

Any and every flavour of benefit recipient, disabled, pensioner, out of work, low paid, single parent etc etc.
There's a mean and nasty cohort on mumsnet who are vitriolic in their hatred for them all.
What do people want instead of giving people a basic level of existence?
What do they think will happen without benefits?

You can't get pip without a lot of evidence. My nephew has just turned 17 so changed over from dla to pip. He has quadriplegic cerebral palsy, is a part time 75% wheelchair user, doubly incontinent, has no fine motor skills so finds it difficult to use his hands etc. He was refused pip. My sister is going through the appeal process at the moment

You’re not the paramedic who did my PIP assessment are you? The one that wrote I drove myself, walked into the office, and climbed onto a bed for a physical exam? When I was driven by my carer, rolled by him in my wheelchair into the office and the assessment was done in a room with no bed and there was no physical exam involving me waving my arms about and lifting my legs?
The same paramedic who reported I could answer every question from memory, when actually I read from the PIP form? The one who said there was no evidence I had PTSD or any mobility issues as I’d while seated leaned over and tied my shoelace (I was wearing slip on shoes). And had apparently carried a heavy purse that I hung on the back of the chair?

In my mandatory reconsideration I asked for a new assessment because I honestly believed I had been mixed up with another claimant. But DWP just denied my claim again.

DWP was mortified at my tribunal because they believed the bogus report so much that they send a DWP official to contest my PIP claim to the judge. I had a charity represent me and they tore the report to shreds.

I had to appeal too but only as far as mandatory reconsideration.

I'm sorry for those who had to go to tribunal.

I HATE the way some people lump all benefit claimants together as work shy people who would rather live off the state than work.
My husband worked in construction for over 30 years. 6 years ago he had to give up work due to several health conditions- he absolutely loved his job and would have stayed there forever, but he just couldn't do it any longer. He tried to keep going as long as possible but just couldn't and was devastated when he eventually had to give up.He absolutely hates being on benefits- it actually shames him.

His benefits are a third of what he used to earn- they just about cover our food and petrol. He gets a motobility car, which is a relief because our old car was 24 years old and unreliable- at least we don't have to worry about it breaking down, and, to be honest,there's got to be something positive about not being able to walk properly anymore!
We don't get the cost of living payment because he's on the wrong benefit. We only get a small amount of council tax benefit and that's it. No tax credits- they overpaid us 2 years ago- no UC, nothing else. I have to work 50+ hours a week to pay the mortgage and all the other bills when, at the age of 54 and not in 100% health myself, I thought I would be reducing my hours a bit. Everything is going up except his benefits, and I'm self employed so my money fluctuates every month. By the time I take off my expenses every month, I don't even make minimum wage.
I'd love for some of the benefit bashers to come and live my life for a month and then dare to complain about it.

Do you think you've got confirmation bias @bloodyplanes ?

I simply don't believe you, nobody is handing out an ADHD diagnosis based on what the parents say and a complaint about not getting it from the first person. Nobody is buying ADHD diagnoses either. What utter bullshit.

You may work in the NHS (may?) but most of what you have posted here is shite.

Oh ffs. Fibromyalgia is becoming better understood and can also be used as a diagnosis when people have symptoms a doctor can’t identify a cause for but are still impacting a patient negatively.

In my mud 30s I was told I had it - turns out it was peri-menopause and menopause happens early in my family. This was 20 years ago.

Since then research has shown there is a condition and if I recall correctly it’s to do with brain signals and nerve issues causing pain, fatigue and depression. Hoping sufferers on here can expand if necessary or if I’m unintentionally butchering the theory.

Years of people claiming it’s not real has probably put back research and progress and stigmatised sufferers hugely.

I don’t want to de-rail, but wtf does it say about our health system if it acknowledges a condition but no-one within the system believes it’s real? Kafkaesque doesn’t begin to cover it…..

@actualnamechange all they need to provide is GP and consultants details! They can include evidence such as letters etc but they don't HAVE to provide them! These medical staff have never been contacted to provide evidence by the DWP who have effectively taken the claimants word as proof! It is about what you write on the forms as much as anything, there are websites that tell you exactly what you need to write and how to word it to make sure it gets you benefit! The citizens advice also run sessions telling people exactly how to fill these forms in!

The doctors send the evidence direct to DWP. DWP doesn’t trust what you send them anymore. At least that’s how it was when I did my renewal two years ago. DWP often forgets to ask the doctors for the evidence, so I always ask my doctors to write a report or letter and send it to DWP on my behalf and remind them to put my NI # in bold on top as that is how DWP tracks your claim.

There is also no definitive test that can prove the existence or not of this condition! Hence it being a popular one for the workshy to say they have!

I honestly don't know why people are bothering engage with the bullshitter. It's a waste of time.

Even if that was all true, which it isn't, you have forgotten about the assessment. Everything observed in assessment is evidence.

Correct. I'm out.

@actualnamechange you are very very naïve!

Nope. I probably know more about it than you do as it happens, but I'm not willing to waste any further time on you.

Awrite Marie Stopes.

You’re right. They know how to touch a nerve though.

It was like this after the last recession. They see it as laziness, A SAHP isn't lazy though. God old Protestant work ethic. I work full time and pick up overtime because I love my job. If I hated it no I wouldn't feel the need to make myself unhappy to benefit a business owner. As soon as there's a recession people blame the poorest in society. I could quit my job and claim benefits. I don't because life would be a lot less comfortable for me. I don't get why people are jealous of benefit claimants my mum is disabled she's petrified of putting the heating on or turning lights on.

I buy her stuff like a heated blanket etc and send money. I can't fathom why anyone would be jealous.

@actualnamechange The assessment? Did you mean the phone call ( not face to face since covid) in which the claimant can say whatever they please and the assessor not being able to see them face to face has to take their word for it?

Please ignore the derailer

It's because we're in tough times . Survival of the fittest and all that , and a lot of people think benefits are handed out too frequently and for too long . Benefits claimants have doubled since covid says the headlines today all fuelling this . It'll only get worse when working people have less money in their pockets and feel they are coughing up for people to stay at home without the stress of can the mortgage be paid etc . Benefits are small but they are usually guaranteed whereas the workplace has become very precarious.

Yes, sorry - just grinds my gears when people who obviously have no medical expertise or experience of the system broadly attack those in need of support…..

A bullshitter because you don't like what im saying? I would say that your attitude is towards this is part of where the problem lies with the benefits system and peoples issues with benefits claimants in this country!

YANBU. The anger against pensioners is horrible. There was a MNetter on here last week whining that she and her spouse, earning more than £100,000 were struggling (🙄) while it was unfair her parents had been given a 10% raise. ie £18 a week

That poster further clarified that her parents had collective pensions (including SP) of around £ 30k, on which tax would be payable, but she was grateful that she 'wouldn't have to ask them for help.'

Thank for telling me what the threshold is - l was already aware of that.

I would call Lapland a lovely holiday, yes. That is a family at Dd's school.

No comment about the smokers part of my post?🤣