To be confused by benefits cuts to the disabled and ill?

[AllyHayHay]

As luck would have it, I have not been in this position, but I do know of one disabled lady who has struggled. She was incredibly fortunate to already own her own home prior to her accident.

I am not what you'd call politically astute, but I have been reading about the proposed spring benefits cuts and wonder why people always discuss this ONLY affecting the sick and disabled.
I am also aware that there are many, many rough areas with families who have never worked, people who are struggling with addiction, prison sentences (their kids, spouse, etc) and these people never seem to be included in the Guardian articles and opinion pieces online.

Why would a system wish to make the life of a disabled person worse, yet ignore the growing issues of illiteracy, generational poverty and other issues which are going on in most urban areas just out of sight of the comfortably off?
Why not address the reasons that great swathes of people are living on benefits across the UK who are NOT disabled? I imagine this would drag up questions of why those issues persist - and no one in government wants to address that.

Since benefits claimants who are not in work of on the pension are a minority, are these cuts more of a populist tendency?

So people on benefits should be even worse off again? Someone who is unable to work can't pick up overtime, or try and get a promotion for better pay.

Have you heard about the zero hours contract crisis? And do you think it hasn’t occurred to them to just ‘get a promotion’? How long have you spent in the world of work? Because that sounds like fairyland!

I know about the zero hours thing.
But poor working conditions, contracts and pay is not the fault of people who are unable to work.... and the government and press are doing a great job at pitting one group against the other.

I don’t think there’s any pitting to be done. When you have fewer taxpayers, the tax burden is higher. I don’t blame people for resenting that. Not in the least because those rising taxes go to those not working.

Imagine resenting people with disabilities.

I'll swap with any one of them. Don't care how shit their job is or how low their wages are, I'd swap tomorrow.

I wonder about the true character of someone who resents paying tax so people who are unable to work can eat, pay their bills, and have a bit of a semblance of a normal life.

Im disabled too.

‘Resenting people with disabilities’ is a straw man. Nobody is resenting people with disabilities, they’re questioning the clearly unsustainable benefit system

You’ll have to wonder about half the country then. There’s so much more to it than what you’ve said, and you know it.

It's not a straw man.

"When you have fewer taxpayers, the tax burden is higher. I don’t blame people for resenting that. Not in the least because those rising taxes go to those not working."

The implication there is quite clearly that those who work resent those who don't work. Many of those who don't work are in that position due to disability.

Which was the plan. People were all too happy to see vat on school fees and private companies taxed to oblivion. Tax the rich. Big business deserve it etc. The net contributors have changed behaviour with cliff edges, working less if they are not paying fees, so on and so forth.

Whilst this was all kicking off and turkeys were voting for Christmas via the politics of envy. Labour were actually open on their views on welfare etc.

The private sector are making huge cuts due to the budget. You can’t reduce tax take and demand more of the same group and expect a functioning public services. Only now will it impact public sector jobs and welfare is it an issue.

The Tories were terrible. Labour and their shortsighted policies are worse. Anyone who voted for them brought it on themselves. Happy to dish it out to the people funding the state and are now shocked there is a kick back.

Well, it is surely heart-warming to know how many people resent paying taxes so the vulnerable can eat.
I mean, it is ok... when our benefits are cut even more, we can get the free food from Tesco. That is if we can even get there. Will Tesco pay our bills too?

https://www.standard.co.uk/comment/adhd-london-diagnosis-pip-social-media-b1216208.html
See this a lot, people claiming PIP for neuro diversity or mental illness. Yes I agree with some, but others genuinely just take the mick and will state why should I work when I can get benefits and actively give up work to do so!

If people apply for a job there I’m sure they will! As Keir said - time to get a lot of people back to work.

The 1980s is when the country moved to keeping people with severe mental illnesses and learning disabilities in institutions to 'care in the community', I am sure that is one reason why disability benefits have increased. Of course, institutional care probably cost more than benefits, but wasn't counted on the same basis,

Big gap between the 1980s and recent rise

Supermarket jobs are not easy to get. It is not like someone with no retail experience who has been out of the workforce for years can just walk into one.
Have you seen the thread about working in supermarkets? It is an eye opener for sure. People working in them will be on UC anyway, sometimes topped up more than someone who is unable to work. How does that make sense?

Also, there are already considerably more people on job seekers benefits than there are jobs.

PIP is not an out of work benefit.

Back when I was able bodied I worked for Tesco briefly, I had to go on the checkouts instead of picking online orders for two days because I'd damaged a tendon in my leg and they terminated my contract early 🤣 no chance are they going to be rushing to hire anyone disabled.

Lots of working people are in that situation.
It's the "cancel Netflix" or "cut your cloth" argument that you see on here every day.

100%

And my point was that no one in this day and age, in the UK, should be in that situation.
But we are were we are. I am not going to deny that a hell of a lot of money goes into welfare.. the figures do make for grim reading. What we need to find the reasons why so many people are out of work. Many disabled would love to work, but no one will give them the chance.

Why would they love to work?

People who work don’t love to work.

Well, some people do love their jobs, and some people don't but like the money, structure and purpose.

Maybe I worded it wrong... they would love to be able to work.

Loving to work and loving being able to work are different things entirely.

Which is why I said I probably worded it wrong.