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?

And when up against people with qualifications, without absences, disabilities, the need for reasonable adjustments and the history many mentally unwell people or ND have - what chance do they have?

Not accepting that modern life is hugely difficult for ND people and that ND varies massively and reasonable adjustments are needed and a right causes far more suffering.

I wanted to add I know three people where treating their mental health disorders has moved them from unable to work, to working again.

The main difference being all were in work, they were then signed off and their workplaces paid for treatment and therapies, alongside GP prescribing medicine. The therapies were much more tailored and intensive than the NHS and there was no wait list. There was also an expectation of rest and recuperating, and getting fresh air. They each had around 6 months.

Then work had a proper phased return and reduction of duties for a bit when fully returned and one person had a change of role.

I assume the longer you leave things the harder it is to resolve and it's much harder to have a phased introduction than a phased return. What employer would risk or facilitate that? Maybe one heavily incentivised by the state?

No idea why it quoted the other post. But it won't let me change it. Sorry

People and disability differs. What you can do doesn’t speak for all.

So they didn’t drop out of work completely?

Trust me I haven’t found the devastating impact it’s had on my children comical. They have never been pampered or placated.

It’s too bad that retail has been cutting 150k-200k jobs per year for the past 8 years. You must have seen the state of our high streets and shopping centres? Almost 2 million fewer retail jobs exist since 2016 in the U.K. you think anyone with no recent experience and a disability is going to get hired for the last few jobs left?

Oh, and call centres have either been offshored or replaced by AI, over 1 million of those jobs have been cut since the pandemic.

In fact I’d say us not recognising their ND and pushing normalcy without reasonably adjusting for ND is what has caused the huge difficulties 2 have.

So why was employment higher 10 years ago when neurodivergence was a novel concept that few had heard of?

It wasn’t a novel concept. My children were ND 10 years ago and struggling as they are now.

No. They were signed off sick for approx six months. So they didn't work at all for that time period. They had sick pay from thier employers who were supportive employers and gave treatment. Then they were fit to work.

The key bits being supportive employers and treatment..

You have to be physically fit to do either of those jobs.
If they exist. There aren’t enough jobs for everyone anyway.
What is the excuse for not enough jobs?

The fact that people laughed at my last post makes me feel sick. How can you be so cruel?

I was abused mynwhole childhood. By my own mother. I wasnt diagnosed Autistic or ADHD till adulthood. I have OCD. I spend my days thinking everyone around me is going to die. I cant go out alone because my brain tells me im going to get run over or kidnapped or be part of a terrorist attack. I have no friends. No social life. No life at all. I spend my days medicated and scared. I cant deal with any sort of pressure. I just ct handle it. Every criticism feels like a knife to the gut to me. Im in constant fear of being humiliatiled or hurt. The smallest percieved slight has me replaying the scenario over and over in my head.
I cant drive. I can't haave friends.

I cnat walk my own dog because my brain tells me we are goibg to be attacked by an XL bully and i will have to carry her bloody body home.

Evey single day. Every single task I do is presented to me s the most dangerous thing i could be doing.

I know how ridiculous it is. Its exhausting. It makes me feel like shit and I would give ANYTHING to be a normal functioning person with a social life and a job and friends.
Do you really thing getting £405 a month is worth living this way for if i didnt have to??

Employment wasn’t higher 10 years ago, it was lower.
We currently have a historically high employment rate/low unemployment rate.

https://www.macrotrends.net/global-metrics/countries/GBR/united-kingdom/unemployment-rate#google_vignette

I worked in administration at my local council, my line manager was awful. She knew I had a health condition (M.S) but made my life so difficult. I eventually left, it was affecting me mentally. I didn’t have the energy to report her, two previous staff had done this for bullying and nothing happened. So yes all the bull crap about equal opportunities and inclusion is just lip service 🤔

@Pompompuri
Thank you for sharing your life. I’m disgusted people are laughing at you. They are probably the same ones who think that mental illness doesn’t exist and is not debilitating. I agree completely that the rhetoric and propaganda implying that an extra £400/mo is an incentive is harmful and hateful. No one who spent an hour in your shoes would think it’s just something you are saying to get out of work.

I find this interesting and also upsetting that you seem to be implying that young people are applying for PIP because of social media. As you are aware, PIP has a very rigorous application process.
I have a young relative whose life has been completely changed by a disability. They haven’t yet found the cause but have been waiting over 8 months for a test for POTS. This is a young person who was previously working in a very good job with a masters degree, they have been devastated by their change in health.
There do seem to be a lot more young people developing POTS, fibromyalgia etc and I wonder how much it can be linked to covid. I agree with a previous poster that the recent increase in people needing to claim disability benefits should be looked into.
I do know people who rely on benefits and are claiming due to MH, who are probably capable of doing more work but it’s a very difficult situation as to how to make that happen.
I am also in a situation where I have started working full time in a min wage job and I am now worse off than when I was working p/t due to the benefits system. I think this should definitely be looked at, working more hours should make you considerably better off and should take into account loss of other related things such as free prescriptions, FSM, bursaries etc.

I do know people who rely on benefits and are claiming due to MH, who are probably capable of doing more work but it’s a very difficult situation as to how to make that happen.

Halve the benefits?

My friend was out of work for 15 years with severe depression. At its peak he was sleeping on the floor in a sleeping bag while his exotic pets roamed doing what they do.

with recovery he’s back in full time work, he still requires support but he copes, has been back in work for over 10 years.

ironically he works for the DWP! It sends him to distraction when he hears depression rubbished by people who have no idea of how serious it can be.

Autism isn't a mental health condition

What you believe is incorrect. Not all fibromyalgia sufferers have the same symptoms and to the same degree.

Some people can work but need a lot of help.

i know of someone who has worked since they were 18 but due to a very traumatic childbirth where they nearly died have been left with this awful condition.

3 years she tried to keep going with reasonable adjustments but she could not work. She was then medically retired from work and has PIP.

People like to make sweeping statements about the condition all because it is an invisible disability.

On the flip slide I have had some really brilliant managers who have been very supportive of my condition, even when it has limited me from going into the office or meant I have taken a fair amount of sick leave. The difference between a supportive employer or not when disabled can be the difference between being able to work or not.

And I have a rare and poorly understood condition (even within the medical profession) but they have accepted how it affects me without putting barriers in place or making me feel doubted.

Exactly this and it’s not “mild” anything either.