To think we need to prioritise defence/Ukraine spending?

[Wildflowers99]

I’ll admit I had no idea how depleted our military has become until a few weeks ago. I was absolutely staggered to read we now spend more on PIP and DLA than our entire military.

I feel like slowly all of our public spending has been funnelled into health, benefits and social care, leaving everything else in a very poor state. Any time anyone has suggested spending money on anything apart from ‘freezing pensioners, the homeless or disabled’ they get shouted down (I am disabled btw, so I do understand the need).

AIBU to think we need to urgently address our spending priorities and as a nation wake up to the fact we’ve been overspending on the above for too long?

I wasn't asked by anyone. Nor did I make claims like you that "7 billion won't scratch the surface" or suggested we should spend more money on anything. Don't try to shift this onto me. You started this discussion, the burden of proof is on you.

He needs willing & able boots on the ground to use the new arms/equipment. I'm ex Army but I wouldn't do it again nowadays. Who in their right mind would sign themselves up, or encourage their children to sign up, to be political pawns in foreign wars? I doubt they'll be able to attract enough manpower to need this huge hike in spending.

How convenient.

We also need to sort out rent. I'm a member of a benefits group on FB. Many people post their statements for advice. The amount of rent some pay is ridiculous

It's amazing how many ways can be found to criticise those receiving benefits. Always sickness and disability benefits. Now it's about the fact we should be spending that money building bombs to drop on other countries. You couldn't fucking make it up. I'm not going to lose too much sleep over it because, believe me, the British government always finds money for the things it truly wants to spend it on.

Watch out benefit scroungers. Your luxury lifestyle is next for the chop. You'll be on skid row. Oh, hang on a minute ...

This is exactly what I mean. Wildly naive and completely disingenuous.

Well yes, benefits ARE a pressing issue for people on benefits. I'm not disputing Ukraine needs support, and I'm not an econmist so can't explain how to make it work, I just don't think the "attack the weakest" narrative is something I can get on board with. Also the UN only this week wrote an interesting piece begging the UK NOT to end benefits. Abelism , it seems, runs rife on Mumsnet.

Ableism? I’m disabled. I’m allowed to be disabled and also think spending more on PIP than our military is madness, especially now.

Doesn't stop you being ableist

Quite.

What are we going to do with all of the people who are thrown into poverty, unable to work either due to their health or due to the lack of employment opportunities for people who require adjustments in the workplace therefore are simply unattractive to employers?

Homelessness and food bank use has already increased.

The OP is so short sighted and biased it's shocking. The OP seems to think that the 'feckless' will somehow be 'poored' into having all of their problems removed and will magically be able to be usefully employed or not require top ups to meet private rents. She doesn't seem to understand that the 'feckless' when it comes to PIP are a myth. I'm assuming she hasn't gone through the process of applying, perhaps despite identifying as disabled she won't meet the stringent criteria!

Out of interest OP are you a Labour voter?

You have thrown in the fact that you are disabled @Wildflowers99 as if it were some sort of gotcha that your opinion on this is thereby worth more. I am guessing you are someone who doesn't 'need' to claim disability benefits (oh the horror) because you're earning bucket loads of money and all those other disabled people would be able to do the same if they would just get off their lazy arses. Disabled people are human beings too and come in all personality types, including being superior and completely lacking in compassion and empathy, so chucking in the information that you're disabled yourself is something of a red herring. You wanted to make this about the amount of money being spent on benefits, rather than a discussion about whether more money should be spent on defence, so your assertion that all the 'naive' people would arrive to tell you that you're talking crap was a self fulfilling prophecy.

And to be clear on this you can be deemed disabled for employment law purposes and still not meet the PIP criteria.

Agree with this. There should be a rent cap.

So is anyone who disagrees with you about any aspect of disability ‘ableist’? How convenient.

Earning a buckletload of money! I wish. I earn 28,000. I have 2 small children, 1 in nursery.

All this ‘attack the person’ is the sort of fluff I was referring to in my OP. It won’t work; and it doesn’t change facts.

It’s doubtful, the success rates with PIP are pretty good. Go on any thread on here, or just check the stats. Half of applications are accepted. Most are MH related.

No, I voted Lib Dem as I’m a Europhile and hope we will rejoin the EU at some point. That’s my top priority alongside defence and a party who is willing to get a bit tougher with the public.

And to be fair what’s ’short sighted’ is what’s happening at present - letting our military, towns, environment and public services degrade to fund an ever increasing social bill. If that’s not short sighted what is?

So you've never applied for PIP? Thought as much!

There is no doubt that letting public services fail has perpetuated the issue, education and social care being prime examples. Better education and social care will increase engagement for people with mental health problems and other disabilities and can ease the pathway to work.

But taking the benefits of those who have already been failed by the lack of services in the first place away is not something a decent society does.

Build the infrastructure to support people first.

If that involves higher taxes for some, more incentives for private employers and so on well and even aiming at large corporate tax avoiders so be it.

What you are doing is attacking the most vulnerable to fund foreign conflict, which is despicable in my opinion

I think most people agree benefits need cut -it is unsustainable (which means eventually more will go out on benefits than comes in in tax).

The issue is that the concept of social security benefits has exceeded its original scope. Benefits were not designed for a lifetime. Similarly, pensions were not intended for lifelong support.
However, proposing that the UK population rely on intergenerational support through the family instead of the state is often met with derision.

Compared to Russia, which is successfully running a wartime economy, the UK is in a poor military state.

I think any child support should be taken away and their future education stop being funded OP. It'll save loads.

I DON'T BUT IT CAN WORK BOTH WAYS CAN'T IT.

Attacking people who can't work is capitalism, pure and simple. It benefits businesses to have people in work ergo they fund schools and provide child credit. I'm not saying they shouldn't, but let's not pretend taking away help from people who literally can't work is anything more than a pragmatic, business-focussed plan.

We see you.

pensions were not intended for lifelong support.

Of course they were. Did you actually think about that before you typed it?

No they weren't..
Typical boomer response.
Greedy generation...

What were they intended for then, oh rude one?

I'm being just as rude as you are. The IFS has provided a comprehensive report on the history of the UK social security system, which has ballooned to uncontrollable levels. Your contributions ran out twenty years ago.