To be frightened about the Government’s plans for benefits reform?

[PilgorTheGoat]

I am one of the millions of people currently on long term sickness benefits. I receive the LCWRA element of UC and PIP due to poor mental health and autism. I have severe anxiety and depression and I am awaiting an appointment to see if I also have PTSD due to sexual abuse in my childhood.

I have tried every element of support offered to me. I’m maxed out on 2 different types of antidepressants. I have had back-to-back (excluding the 6 month wait in between) 12 week sessions of counselling offered via the NHS. I am on a waiting list for intensive CBT due to my possible PTSD. I am currently having twice weekly private, video counselling appointments.

I can’t leave my house alone due to panic attacks. I struggle to meet my own care needs and my husband has to do a lot of the work for us both (although he works full time). I have a very understanding friend whom I force myself to go for a short walk with twice a week in order to stop myself becoming completely imprisoned at home but I find this very distressing and we have to take the same route each time.

I am so, so scared about the government’s plans to end sickness benefits for people like me. We don’t have a load of spare cash, we’re just about getting by. There is no support available. I’ve taken everything offered and my husband has been very proactive in seeking out other services for me to be involved with. I’d love to be better, I’d love not to live in fear but there is no help.

Yes the level of ignorance is shocking.

Ableism is perfectly acceptable it appears.

And this is why threads like these are important, I think. So many people are ignorant of certain things that people living with these conditions are going through. I myself have learnt a lot from reading people's experiences of living with ADHD, etc.. I would not want to cause distress to posters by asking about things that I have no knowledge of. Hopefully other people who believe that the benefit system is so easy to get access to, will have a more open mind, about the difficulties that a lot of people, who live with disabilities are actually facing.

Not having the executive function to do something more constructive even if you really desire too is a very very real and disabling symptom of many conditions such as autism and ADHD.

The idea that because someone can use social media on their phone means they can sustainably work is complete bullshit.

So what now? Everyone who says they have problems with ‘executive function’ just get to sack off work forever? Honestly who will pay the benefits if a quarter of adults are off with non-pathological self reported ‘issues’?

So @Universalsnail you very much are looking for the perfect job, something that doesn't exist. You are unwilling to compromise and so you are set to spend the rest of your life claiming benefits?

''@Differentfromtherest

Too ill to work but not too ill to spend day in, and day out arguing with random strangers on a forum.

I think that would give anyone mental health issues. If only that energy were diverted to doing something more constructive.''

What?

Do you want to silence people with mental health issues as well? they are not allowed a voice and opinions now?

Is social media/the internet a space for people who have no medical issues only?

Batshit...

I reported many posts on this thread last night for ableism and just plain nastiness and they were deleted. I asked Mn to look at the whole thread because I don’t think it’s helping anyone.

Not having executive function isn't a "non pathological self reported issue" it's literally a direct symptom of autism and often ADHD - a condition that many people are officially diagnosed. It's basically where your brain doesn't initiate the steps and tasks needed to get you doing something even when you really want to, and that absolutely can cause massive problems in the work place. It's a very disabling aspect of these conditions that then creates add on problems like depression, anxiety, overwhelm leading to meltdown and shut down.

It’s not that disabled people refuse to entertain trying to work - it’s that the support from the benefit system disappears as soon as they get a job, so if it turns out they can’t cope, they have to start all over again with claiming - same if they relapse. At the same time as Sunak was making his speech on Friday regarding cutting disability benefits yet again, the government was burying the fact that support in the actual help disabled people to find and retain suitable employment has also been cut.

So it’s a double whammy. No support to find work, no benefits if you don’t. We’ve had fourteen years of Tory government in which they’ve starved the NHS of cash, cut public services and slashed sickness and disability benefits numerous times. They’ve wasted billions of tax payers money, made a dogs’ dinner of the pandemic - both in the handling of health and finances, feathering the nests of their mates in the process. They presided over a crisis that saw energy companies making billions in profits while ordinary people were afraid to turn their heating on, and don’t even get me started on the Liz Truss debacle. After all of this it beats me as to why people are so eager to believe anything they say.

Well done!!
As I said, try not to worry as it may not happen and if the rules are changed they will take over a year from now. Importantly, just tell them how it is and IMO you will be good

Take care

Just read the papers etc

I would disagree that it is not helping anyone. If anything, it is highlighting the fact that finding gainful employment is not so straightforward if you happen to have (insert name of condition). It also highlights the fact that there is a real ignorance, and intolerance surrounding disability. It is not a comfortable thing to witness, but like a lot of isms, this is what people have to endure from others.

If you’re talking about conditions like Autism and ADHD, they are not self reported, and can cause quite severe impairment of cognitive function, which affects things like learning skills and causes behavioural issues. Just because Sunak implied that PIP was too easy to claim, doesn’t make it so. You need to apply some critical thinking.

ADHD is absolutely pathological. It can be incredibly disabling.

You don't get PIP for self reported issues with ADHD. You would have a significant medical history including assessment by a multidisciplinary team likely consultant psychiatrist led. Not to mention compulsory attendance at reviews due to the treatment being via controlled drugs which require a higher level of supervision.

People who are severely impacted by ADHD are as equally deserving of PIP as someone in a wheelchair for example.

Ahahahahaha !!!! Best comment on here !!! It’d be funny if it wasn’t so frightening that you actually believe the newspapers tell the truth about anything !!!

Lol yes of course. The tabloids are known for their accuracy.

Then yes I will spend the rest of my life claiming benefits because what other choice do I have? Curl up and die? I can't compromise on this. I have compromised many times and the result has been severe mental health relapse, hospitalisation, suicide attempts, and significantly harmful behaviour towards my loved ones and children every single time. Then I take months to recover and do the whole thing all over again causing more and more long term damage to myself and my family and my children. That's not acceptable to me. Why do you think that's acceptable that I should have to do that over and over again because you are unhappy someone with a life long disability gets financial support so they can keep a roof over their heads ?

I hold out hope that through the charity I am working with (that I searched for myself) maybe we'll be able to work something out and find something that is a good fit and allows me to get back into the work place. It's rediculous I am being berated in this thread considering how much effort I put in off my own back to try and find suitable sustainable solutions for this problem, including having made decisions to try and go back to work that have impacted my benefits, risked my future benefits and which the job centre themselves questioned why I was bothering to try.

Like I am sorry that I was born with a disabling neurological condition, that through no fault of my own I haven't responded to the 20 years worth of mental health treatment despite going and engaging with every bit of therapy I have ever been offered, and that I developed a physical health condition during a world wide pandemic. We can swap if you like. 100 percent sure you would rather be you then me

I'm sorry to @Universalsnail and others, I read the thread as I'm scared too, as someone with poor MH who can't hold down a job for long periods and have previously had stints on benefits (I'm working at the moment). I just hope this government get voted out, anyone has got to be better than them. I haven't slept properly since reading about all this.

They can't do anything. They'll be gone by the end of the year. Fuck the Tories.

The bottom line is, like anything and everything, some people do play the systems. The majority are entitled to what they are claiming

Often, the genuine can lose out as the cheats are good at ranting and raving but the genuine are too worried, frail etc to put up a case when questions are asked and their honesty can at times work against them. Having said that, I've met a few people myself when I was ill for a few weeks, ie occupational health nures/doctor etc and I was worried they wont believe me. Thankfully they were nice/polite and it was not an act as what I requested was met, EG phased return to work, it did the trick

I've also heard about stories first hand from clients I assessed for the councils and sone were claiming PIP and others dLA - they were worried re reviews but most were ok. If I noted that a client may need help with their case I gave them tips and contact details of those that could help them with their review

IMO, the genuine do suffer with stuff like but try not to worry and seek help with the review if you feel you need it

Thank you but I don't claim anything - I just look after some who do.

You can only get DLA now as a new claim if you are a child. The level of fraudulent claims for PIP is absolutely tiny because its simply too hard to get these days. It's evidence based and its virtually impossible to accrue the amount of medical reports needed unless you have a genuine need.

Even then most people are refused because the system is designed to deter people.Thats why so many refusals are overturned at the appeals tribunal -70%.

Attacking the most vulnerable is simply a distraction tactic of a desperate inept tory government in its death throes. Its shameful.

So the government takes funds from us (in taxes) and now is saying they'll be giving even less of it back in the form of investment in infrastructure/ supporting citizens. Anyone who can't see that is thick as pig shit.

I think this applies (or should do) to a lot of people with severe depression too.

So - and I expect this will go unanswered - what happens when we have a quarter of adults out of work due to mental health, anxiety and neurodiversity? What happens when the tax revenue shrivels to such an extent we can’t afford to pay benefits any more? Do we just pay each claimant much less, or force some of them back to work kicking and screaming?

That's a pretty provocative question given what this government has wasted money on during its term of office.

Given your comments that I remember about supporting those who aren't able to be economically active, perhaps you'd like to provide your solution?