to think cutting benefits will increase crime

[everydaywonderful]

because people need money, you know, for food and rent and stuff. I'd be prepared to break the law before seeing my children without food, or homeless, wouldn't you?

That is the straw that's broke my back.

I just think what's the point. I can't fight anymore.

I've tried to kill myself 3 times and I'm on all kinds of tablets.

That comment was just too much. I can't believe what I have just read.

Also late night anxiety-

How do you suppose I get to the litter picking and graffiti.

I can't follow directions or plan journeys. I get panicky when I don't know where I'm going and have a mental health set back

I'm just giving a broad overview of my situation by the way. The actual reality is alot worse.

Oh by the way I do work part time for the NHS too. Just so you don't think I'm a scrounger.

I use my PIP money for private counselling as NHS is only 10 sessions.

I need years worth. Not 10 sessions.

Your quote is laughable. You should be ashamed of yourself.

Honestly did not mean to offend anyone and this is why it obviously takes a lot of balls to be a politician and not give a monkeys who you offend and having to make some tough decisions. I didn’t say everyone and I didn’t even think about the specifics, just a few examples of people I knew who it would help but everyone’s situations are different.
At least you guys are all compassionate people enough to realise people make mistakes or that everyone goes through their own things so that’s my learning for the day :)

I'm not compassionate.

I'm angry. Really angry.

Angry that I've been ignored with my mental health since I was a child.

Angry with DWP making me wait 18 months for PIP decision and go through such a humiliating process.

Now Rishi.

And I'm angry that people like you make ridiculous suggestions for us lot to go pick litter up when we are battling self harming, suicidal feelings, tablet side effects, anxiety, fractured family relationships, stigma, shoddy care, people thinking cognitive therapy will fix us.

Its not that bad a suggestion 😂I dont agree with it for other reasons, but the idea that people with mental health conditions shouldn't clean up graffiti is a bit weird. Have you heard of Good Gym? Lots of people, many with mental health conditions, doing things like cleaning up graffiti, voluntarily, because it DOES do them a lot of good, physically and mentally.

Nothing wrong with suggesting this at all - maybe you should look into it?

There are groups where I live who pick up litter because they want their environment to look nice.

Forcing people to pick litter and clean graffiti for benefits is daft. Just give them proper paid job with all the benefits that employment brings instead.

And anyway, being forced into litter picking and cleaning graffiti is considered a community payback thing for people who have committed a crime. Being on benefits is not a crime.

The huge difference is that Good Gym doesn't compel people to do this work by threatening to take their benefits away if they do not do it...

No, true, and I am not advocating workfare at all, I am just taking up the poster who is seemingly insulted at the suggestion that they might like to clean a bit of graffiti. They can say no, no problem. It isn't an insulting suggestion though

It's insulting when being forced to do it for benefits. In that capacity it is. And also I'm not in community service.

Just leave me in peace. Everyone can do what they want. But most people with mental health issues who are not yet recovered enough, barely want to eat or shower (my personal experience) let alone go pick up litter.

To make me feel better I hug my cat.

Im not surprised you are angry,

but you are not angry at me when you’ve completely missed my point and are acting like I am personally attacking you when several times now I’ve talked about those who are able but for whatever reason are struggling to find work.

People who need some extras on their tv. People who like to keep busy. People who need to socialise. People who need experience or want to learn new skills. I did not once say everyone. I was also suggesting from my own experience it would be a great place for people to get the things they need from those who assess claims, and again this is different for everyone.

I also apologised and said I take it back I can do no more right now.

Thing is, the poster who originally suggested it absolutely was suggesting that people should do it in exchange for their benefits, which is understandably hurtful and offensive.

Not necessarily I’d barely given it a second thought other than maybe some people are struggling to get work because no one will give them a chance to prove themselves and maybe that’s what some people need.
And as much as I used the example of manual labour jobs I was also thinking it could help people get whatever relevant skills they might need to get them something they are happy with.

1. Its illegal to not give a job to a disabled person because they need to "prove themselves."

1. You suggested manual work for disabled people....the proof is in the name. How is someone with arthritis for example going to be able to bend down to pick litter up (even to use a stick thing) or have the strength to scrub graffiti.

That's just 2 points so far.

Again you’re not talking to me because again I didn’t say everyone! Yours is the ridiculous suggestion that someone who physically can’t do something should have to do anyway I did not once say that.

also you are twisting the message again. Recruiters hire based on CVs and interviews. Given two candidates who both seem very similar yet one has experience in a particular role or one has a glowing reference of how they go above and beyond, are always on time, are friendly and approachable then that’s the only thing they have to go on.

You'd barely gave it a 2nd thought??

Maybe think before you speak nxt time.

Plus you have just shown how little disregard you have for the topic youre talking about, as if thought about logically, you would have realised how ridiculous you're suggestion was.

Disabled people to do manual work - how is someone who is in a wheelchair going to be able to go litter picking in fields in a park?

Or a mental health individual cope in a social situation meeting numerous new people without being totally overwhelmed and having a set back.

You're actually boring me now. I can't be bothered talking to you anymore. You haven't a clue or seem to have a clue how difficult our lives are/can be.

how difficult whose lives are as we still are talking about different people.
you are talking about disabled people. People who need extra help.

I am talking about able bodied people. The be just read a previous comment about someone who said their own sister refuses to work. I’m talking about (what I assume is) a minority.

I’m sorry you have taken it as a personal attack despite me saying multiple times I am not talking about you. Unfortunately your story and stories like yours do get lost behind people made out to be scroungers and this is why the government think tackling benefits will win them votes because they think the public is conditioned to think a certain way about people on benefits.

She gave the example of people with mental health problems, and disabilities, and as I pointed out, many people in that category do benefit hugely from volunteering in this sort of work, eg through Good Gym

Ok, I will say it again. Many people with mental health problems DO benefit from this type of voluntary work, through Good Gym. It is not a suggestion to take offense at. If you don't want to do voluntary work, fine, but lots of people do it and benefit from it, physically, mentally and socially, and Good Gym in particular organises opportunities like that, including for people with mental health problems.

For anyone else reading who is interested in this type of voluntry work, google Good Gym.

See this is what I meant, people getting things they needed. Like for some the money is sticking a plaster on it. It’s not addressing underlying needs or help that people might want.

I remember a program once about a guy who had a high paid job that he lost and he ended up working as a bin man because he was struggling to find a job in his sector and he just wanted to keep busy as that’s what helped him. If he hadn’t have been able to get a job (because there weren’t any ) he may have really struggled with his mental health.

I’ve never heard of Good Gym but again would someone share this information or similar with benefits claimants who may appreciate it 🤔

Anyone who thinks this regurgitated divide-and-conquer scam by a tory party now itself reduced to squelching around like the rest of us in the shoes it’s been defecating in for the last decade and a half (and the rest) has anything to do with people’s well being, mental or physical, really does need to stop drinking the Kool-Aid now… before they too end up with a nasty little Rishi-rashi they can no longer even scratch…

This is especially true of the walking memes of gaslit victimhood by exploitative propaganda who always resort to the same dash for the unicorn-grazed moral high ground so beloved of the establishment, it’s disgusting media, and their fellow twittering fakebook toxic toktik morons on antisocial media.