Don't be poor, disabled, sick or elderly . .

[MistressoftheDarkSide]

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/live/2024/apr/19/rishi-sunak-sicknote-culture-welfare-reform-post-office-horizon-conservatives-labour-uk-politics-lastest-updates

So this is a big part of the next Tory strategy to get elected.

I hope the buggers don't get in

Good.

And, so what? What has what I do with my time got to do with you? I await your reply.

I do feel for people like my colleague who has a chronic illness. Does sometimes feel like the sick and disabled take the brunt. There are people who play the system and it gives all those who are genuinely struggling a label of which they are all tarred with the same brush.
Working is hard in itself let alone with chronic illness.
Not sure why everyone up in arms though as Rishi won't last as PM for much longer.

So you don’t think the shortages in housing, hospital beds, drs surgeries, reduced quality of life are not related in any way to uncontrolled immigration?? Millions and millions of extra users have made no impact -

Oh bloody hell. More scapegoating.

Some people are sounding just like Tory bots.

10.53am you first posted relentlessly trying to convince the working public paying fir these huge bills that every single one of the many millions are genuine? And we should blame the ‘government’ !! Who on earth are you going to blame if Labour do get in and things are even worse! 🤷🏼‍♀️

Are you ever going to come out with something original?

How many times do we see on here "Go to the GP and get signed off". Not go to the GP and let him/her see whether you are ill, if they can help you - but "get signed off". Usually because people are having trouble at home, getting "bullied" at work, struggling with too much to do.

How often do we see "I've been signed off for three weeks" from people who are not ill but using the "I've been signed off" as some sort of badge to show they are right about the bullying/ work culture/ horrid boss.

You can sign yourself off on line. I have a colleague who has not seen the GP for seven months but has continuously signed himself off with "back problems". The GP has refused any more certificates without an appointment but in short if the guy says he has a bad back and is in too much pain to work it is very difficult to prove otherwise.

GPs will probably be delighted by this as they know they are being used simply so that people can claim benefits or sick pay or insurance. People no longer say "I'm ill Dr" but "Can you sign me off?" And if the GP declines or asks questions the "patient" makes a "formal complaint" or simply sees a different GP. In some cases GPs are threatened if they don't do what's asked. And if it's depression or anxiety there is nothing the GP can do - they can't say "You are not anxious" and everyone knows that.

And if you think that all those people are genuinely too ill to work you are very naïve.

Polishedshoesalways actually lol at your response. Jobs save lives? I'd doubt the healthcare professionals going to work without adequate ppe during the pandemic would agree with that. What jobs do, particularly for the majority of working people, it exploit your labour in exchange for money to fund their capitalist objectives. Let's have a think what else jobs / employers do..place you on zero hour contracts? Deny you time off for doctors appointments etc or alternatively, require proof? Sites of sexual harassment and misogyny? Pay less than minimum wage? Monitor your toilet breaks? Use increase surveillance tactics to keep tabs on you? Dicate what you can / can't post on social media? Provide you with crap pension? Not to mention the record numbers of people in mental health crises. Most employers want you bled dry. Foucault has done some excellent writing on how power operates in society which would adequately cover both employers and the government.

Are you actually saying it’s makes no difference?!

www.theguardian.com/business/2023/mar/11/if-the-british-economy-cant-pay-better-wages-then-it-must-shrink

Low pay is a huge problem. In effect, taxpayers are subsidizing business and manufacturing.

Does government get a reasonable return for growing the bottom line of business and industry through various welfare and benefit allocations to individuals who are employed?
Apprenticeships, training, pathways to advancement - how are these incentives to work supported by industry and business? Investment that improves productivity? Investment in management education amd professional development?

Criticizing individuals who are basically responding to market forces by claiming benefits instead of relying on precarious employment/ zero hours/ seasonal work while trying to pay for childcare and rent, and at the same time failing to notice the benefits reaped by business in a low wage economy is evidence of a peculiar blind spot.

Another crazy commie - I can’t be bothered to reply

You didn’t say what profession you are in?

I'm flattered that my post are leaving such an impression on you. But you have not answered my question. So excuse me if I just ignore you going forward. I am not here to waste my time with certain posters, you see.

What are doing for 8 hours then??

There's this amazing thing called 'annual leave'.
There's also this amazing thing called 'being part time'.

You probably don't think these things should exist.

But they didn’t get proper PPE, that’s why many died? I’m still not sure how much a very thin plastic apron and a paper mask offers in terms of “personal protection”, but it certainly prevents those infected spreading.

What OP meant is that having a job fosters social inclusion which is better for physical and mental health.

There are many genuine people who are unable to work due to ill health, and plenty of them get shafted by the disability assessors, and forced back into a job market that they’re just not able for.

But I’ve been a GP for nearly 30 years and I’ve seen many patients for whom the default is going “on the sick”. I’ve seen whole generations not working. Kids grow up seeing neither parent work, and as soon as they leave school they come for their sick note, for anxiety, fatigue, headaches etc. Of course they go through the investigations and treatments but nothing cures their ailments in the long term, because their expectation is to never work. They then go on to have kids who do the same.

I’m not saying these people have lovely lives - they certainly don’t - they live on benefits, often in poor quality housing, with very little to enjoy. In fact, they would almost certainly feel happier if they did work, had a purpose in life, got remunerated for doing something beyond simply picking up their sick note every few weeks. But benefits and unemployment is all they know and all they’ve seen, so they stay in their comfort zone.

Nope. No one wastes their precious annual leave trying to convince others that we should be happy spending billions on welfare.

Fucking ITV News just reported PIP as an out of work benefit.

If hes that fucking bothered he can start trying to get the NHS waiting lists down Some of which was caused by the lockdowns implemented by them.

Is it really any wonder so many people.in this country are ill? There's no sun, it's fucking freezing, life is ridiculously expensive and affording a decent diet and adequate living conditions is unaffordable for many, drug and alcohol problems are rife because everyone is miserable due to aforementioned reasons. On top of that, if you're one of many people in low paid work, you're subject to horrendous exploitation and pushed to your physical/mental/ emotional limits in the name of profit.

The problem is that they are not interested. They are actively running the NHS into the ground. They will never have to sit in A&E for 10+ hours.

So what was the outcome? I'm guessing as you'd taken the time to raise it with the doctor and managed to get an appointment it was causing you distress, how did the doctor help? I guess ideally it would be referral to mental health services to help you better cope and teach you strategies to improve resilience but theres no funding for that, the best band aid they can prescribe is giving you a break sometimes.