To be terrified about PIP?

[BobbyBiscuits]

I've tried to blank all this out for ages, but today it hit me when the government basically are saying I'm going to (they want me to) have my PIP cut off?
My main illnesses are severe depressive disorder, general anxiety disorder and severe anorexia. I've severe PTSD symptoms and also think I may have ADHD but have not been able to get diagnosed due to phobia of MH services since I got sectioned.
I now have physical symptoms also and severe osteperosis which I put on my last forms. But had no assessment for several years.
I'm praying this is BS from the Tories and they can't do it anyway as they'll be kicked out.
Or could labour still continue this assault against disabled people?
It would halve my already tiny income, other half is from ESA, and they could kick me off that too even though I can't do anything!?

What do people think?

I am going to use the logic of vouchers and items that are considered unnecessary for the state to fund.

If we scrapped child benefit and gave all parents vouchers, including food vouchers , they could use them to purchase ready meals to save them being time limited on food prep. As it stands, we already pay child benefit to children where the family could have a dual income of £99k or a single parent night earn £48k but receive large amounts of child maintenance which is discounted. Plenty of people use their child benefit for swimming lessons, the zoo and soft play sessions. If we say disabled people cannot choose, neither can parents.

I would suggest food vouchers, school uniform vouchers, clothing and shoes vouchers, a voucher for a stationery shop to buy pencils etc, vouchers to pay gas, electricity and water. These are not limited examples. There are plenty of ways we can ensure children don’t live in poverty and we don’t have to hand out cash to parents.

We should also limited the funded childcare hours to 2 children. Nobody needs for be having lots of children and having the state pay for childcare.

I begrudge nothing to anyone, but sadly the idea of being able to use my PIP for takeaways, cleaners or gardeners is just not realistic.

I'm frugal and good at stretching money, but the big hitters that eat up most of it here are mainly things I have little choice over. Contributing towards the costs of a carer, (a necessity not a luxury) basic equipment they need (no longer supplied) Rooms they use heated to an acceptable work environment for them, (compulsory) running power heavy medical equipment, pay for medical needs disposables, (used to be NHS) insurance for everything from my NHS wheelchair, bed and machines, and PLI (all compulsory) and a (adapted) vehicle to access working. (unable to access public transport.)

I used to be able to earn a decent amount, but as the countries got poorer, and especially post Covid, my sector's been hit hard, until it's reached a stage where I will take on whatever I can get to stay afloat, hoping for better times or figuring some way of adapting that doesn't involve UC.

I know the argument can be made that it is a luxury for me to be out and about in society working, and it would be cheaper financially for me to not use my skills (some of which are beneficial to many) and keep me at home in bed all day WFH in a non skilled role to pay my way, or on 'benefits,' and I'm braced for that to be the next wizard wheeze probably be coming down the line at some point.

I put a lot into other peoples lives, but nothing I can contribute is counted by those who only worship money, and know the cost of everything and the value of little.
The simple reality is I've seen this country go full circle over disability. My continued survival at any level worth having, costs too much in many peoples eyes, once again.
I do get it, I always did. It's coming as a brutal shock to people who've grown up in better times. Nolite te bastardes carborundorum.

Random fact - my colleague gets the highest level of PIP for physical problems but works a full time retail job. I can't really see why she would qualify if she's able to work full time 🤷🏻‍♀️🤷🏻‍♀️🤷🏻‍♀️

Because it is a non means tested benefit available to people in work and out to help mitigate the additional costs incurred by disability.Without it she may not be able to work at all.

HTH

Because some disabled people do work full time?

I was a lone parent for many years. I'm well aware of the difficulties.

It's simply not comparable to being disabled and being unable to prepare a meal. Thinking that it is simply flags up a lack of understanding of disability.

Neoliberalism has made ordinary people POORER
Neoliberalism doesn't pay for the welfare state. Neoliberalism takes money AWAY from ordinary people

I do KNOW its harder having a disabled person to care for for DECADES over being a single mum. Your made up scenario is ridiculous nonsense.

I gave up my career to become a carer. If I put my child in residential it'll cost 'the taxpayer' a damn sight more. My child will never be able to care for themselves or hold a job. I don't get a penny. Nor does my child. But we should.

Without disability benefits we'd have to reopen the vile abusive 'long term hospitals' for people with special needs. I spent the early part of my career working with people who'd been locked away a thier lives for the 'crime' of being disabled. Many had spent decades staring at the same grey wall, never going outside the grounds, bullied and abused by staff. Heartbreaking.

Have you ever been disabled or a full time carer?

On the same thread we've had people complaining that:
Disabled people work full time and get PIP.
Disabled people use PIP to reduce their working hours.
Disabled people don't pay their way tax-wise.

Seems like disabled people can't do right for doing wrong.

Nope, and the thought of anyone disabled paying for a gardener or cleaner seems to completely overwhelm some.🙄

I have and like you had to give up a lucrative career to become a carer.

It's like banging your head off a brick wall. Some people are literally incapable of seeing past the end of their nose. They don't have the capacity to understand how much money we save the Government. They can't comprehend disability because it doesn't affect them. The irony being some might argue this of complete lack of empathy and emotional intelligence could almost be seen as a disability in itself!

To be honest, I long ago learnt to smile at the naivety around disability on forums.😉

Those who are horrified at a cleaner, would you rather people live in filth? I’ve been to many many homes where I strip off as many outer layers before getting in my car. People will live in decay and dirt if they’re not able to manage. Be it a carer or PA or cleaning agency, someone needs to clean on their behalf.

I think cleaners are actually a necessity if the disabled person can’t clean, otherwise the house will just be uninhabitable. I have no problem with necessities being paid for, it’s the luxuries I think people have an issue with because of the whole state of the col at the moment, people being stretched with no money to pay for luxuries themselves or pay more taxes to fund those, all services needing more funding and the amount of disability money predicted to go up over the next few years.

1:1 so parents can drink wine - my son is 20 and his care is the duty of the state I agree to care for him but not on weekend evenings and one evening mid week etc. I have no duty of care.

Sorry what planet are you on? Do you babysit your adult children!

he’s not my responsibility - he belongs to the state now as their duty of care to meet his are needs. What I do is saving the tax payer

Get this - in sheltered accommodation I Dan charge the state £15 per hour for PA work for him eg forms cleaning - plus I get pensions and holiday. Because he is better off at home I do it for carers allowance and then get taxed on that. So pretty much do it for free.

ipad and laptop - school insisted on iPad and then OT and tech wanted laptop when they did an appraisal. The educational establishment should provide at their cost but we provided - my son is 0.5 percentile for motor coordination and has hypotonia - he can’t write you idiot despite extensive OT - how is is a luxury.

1:1 swimming lessons - he has reduced hearing and receptive language impairment - he also has high angst and challenging mental health issues combined with ASD - swimming is an exercise to keep him calm - to be frank his benefits don’t cover the cost of this. When he was little his hearing was on 70 decibels - he could not hear helicopters - he was considered for hearing aids but he had extensive infections and they could not set the level

Seriously are people so ignorant - how is a laptop a luxury for someone who can’t hold a pen and write letters easily. Don’t blame us for the iPad - school insisted on it- I was as much irked as anyone. The tech report was then delayed for 3 years and we had to mix and match.

Some people clearly have no idea about SEN education.

I really can’t engage with this thread any more.

20 years I wanted to walk in front of a bus when I realised that my life would never be the same.

People who think that a lap top is a luxury for someone with severe dyspraxia who could not even touch his own nose when aged 10 as he did not know where it was - ( lack of spacial awareness) and did OT exercises to first to run his nose and then he had to do it on his own - a laptop is a luxury! I can’t speak with stupid - I can’t. The laptop is a tool like a wheelchair - he can’t write without it! As it is they rather he used Dragon talk but then there is the language impairment.

Either some people are just plain stupid or are winding us up.

I believe in karma - one day it might happen to your grandchildren or great grandchildren and only then will you realise the intense pain we experience - it’s a bereavement every single day.

please have the Pip and take the pain as well!

There are people out there as we speak simply laughing as they set up another sham company I the Cayman Islands etc The Tory’s have deliberately set the cat amongst the pigeons to make people squabble amongst themselves.

@Noras

I know there's nothing I can say except I hear you, and send solidarity.

I can't imagine your situation and feelings fully, neither can you imagine mine, but our commonality lies in the fact that our lives are challenging and there is no shame in that, despite what some would like to make us believe. I'm as angry and frustrated as you.

So many comments here are obviously designed to be goady and divisive which as you rightly observe is the goal of the Tories. We fight each other so we don't fight them.

I wish you well x

Actually due to misguided pride I did not claim DLA for years. I only did it when encouraged by OT as my son has a ‘lifetime of needs’ and also because i was told not to trust the State.

As it is pip is for adults and not kids and I keep saying adult son. His finances are nothing to do with me other than we have to administer them as he is not capable - another job to be done… another issue … his working memory is non existent.

Have you any idea how upsetting your posts are to people who are dealing with real visceral pain - akin to a bereavement about this disabled children. It’s actually verging on gaslighting.

My son has complex needs yet you called a laptop a luxury - it was a requirement from tech in any event! You make assumptions with little evidence and no eyes on the huge folder of reports. You suggested that me having a drink in the evening is a luxury not acknowledging that by law I am no longer required to care for my son as he is an adult. Every evening I care for him saves the state money.

You even read that I would have thrown myself under a bus when he was a baby ( as a baby his head was on the 9th centile and then he had prolonged fit and a terrible vep score) yet you carry on?

What sort of human are you? Are you ChatGPT!

Just don't engage with posters that are not listening, or showing one ounce of empathy. It is not worth the mental strain.

Because PIP is not an out of work benefit. Whether she works or not she still has disability related costs and if she gets the higher rates they’re likely substantial. PIP is assessed on how much extra cost is related to disability in your daily life. The work capability assessment assesses disabled people’s ability to work and awards sickness benefits - they’re two entirely different things.

From what she says, she gets £1k per month. The only thing I see her paying for is a cleaner. She uses her payments to go on holiday 2 or 3 times a year.

Imo it's not the best advert for a benefit going to someone who needs it. Maybe if it was means tested, those really struggling would get more funding.

You said she works, so she will be funding holidays from that.

Vouchers make sense.

Cash payments is barmy when you think about it.

Same with child benefit really.

I think it’s ridiculous a 2 income household of £199k can get funded childcare hours too. The mind boggles!

Why?

I don't share your view. Would you care to expand on why you think that?