Benefits explosion- where will it end?

[TheBlueKoala]

"PIP benefits explosion: Anxiety and depression handouts have nearly TRIPLED to £4.3bn since Covid - with autism and ADHD bill hitting £2.2bn and 'back pain' £1.6bn"

Something is not right here. When I have written before on here telling about people I know who claim for anxiety although they have rich social lives (funded by 440£ extra per month from PIP) I've had many people telling me that it's not possible etc. It sure is. How many 16 year olds are claiming PIP for anxiety?

Instead of benefits why not pay for therapy- invest massively in the NHS mental health support so that people with anxiety, adhd and autism can see a therapist regularly to help them. This would make a difference for tje individual and the society. Throwing out money won't.

AINBU- I agree with about
AIBU- No, extra money is always useful

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-15510221/PIP-benefits-anxiety-depression-austism-ADHD-pain-Covid-Labour.html

I dont get housing support and housing support is a large part of what working people on UC get anyway.
Energy was a one off £150. Wow.
Lots of people get free prescriptions due to the health conditions they have and it is not means tested. And it costs about £10 a month to get free scripts if you need more than 2 anyway.
No NHS dentists in lots of areas. I have to pay to go private.
I dont get free travel.
YOu can get all of the above and still work too.

There are jobs available, but the jobs available cannot be done from the comfort of your spare bedroom. They require a physical presence and some manual labour as well. We told our DS years ago, study or you will be digging ditches. He did study but he called home a few weeks ago to remind us of the story. He spent that week digging a ditch.

I'm in Scotland. So I get free prescriptions anyway. Free eye tests. I don't get free dental and I have only had energy support in the last three years before I went on disability benefits because I got the warm home discount because I got it through the broader group

As said in other posts I still live below the line even though I get disability benefits

I worked for thirty years before I was on UC. And if you are in England you don't automatically qualify for free prescriptions even if you are on UC. Same with eye tests

Jobs available but the employers dont want to take on disabled people.
A lot of those jobs will be bullshit zero hour stuff that people will still stay on benefits for anyway.

I actually do get free bus travel. But only for a limited time period - in Scotland we had no bus ticket cap and it costs a fortune as first had the monopoly. Everything you get when you are on benefits is used against you - even if you are still poor. I honestly can't be arsed.

Are people with disabilities supposed to apologise for anything they get? I would much have preferred not to shatter my leg or have ptsd.

A lot goes on servicing debt. Over £100bn which could otherwise go to services.

Really? Do you know how tough the job market is right now?

I just recruited and there were hundreds of applicants, most educated to degree and masters degree level. That means young people with huge student debt. They’ve done everything they’re supposed to do: worked hard at school, worked hard at university and now struggling to get work that allows them to pay extortionate private rents: £800pcm for a room in a shared house.

@x2boys You might not like this opinion, but I am entitled to hold it - Your child is your responsibility.

You are receiving help from the state for him, but the state should not be entirely responsible for him - that is a parent's job.

But how are we supposed to have less debt when spending exceeds our income and continues to do so. We are acquiring more and more debt

Ok. But how do you do that in the midst of an asylum system that bans you from working for the YEARS it takes for your application to be processed?

Plus any other immigrant (who is not under international protection or who has not applied for it/ has been refused it) is not entitled to a single penny as they have no recourse to public funds.

Until what age? If it’s a lifelong severe disability is the parent still responsible when the child is an adult? Literally until their own death??

Lol you have to or will get attacked! Xx

People should have a choice not just a tick box! I've tried therapy in the past and believe me some therapists are just AO! One never looked at me the entire time I was there and then handed me a piece of paper to fill out tick boxes! RIDICULOUS! Being given the choice to choose the therapist is a big yes but for someone just to say 'you go see this person at such a time at such a place' NO! and therapist/councillor there is a difference. Many NHS councillors are 'sit and listen' while you talk. There is no 'two way conversation' They listen and stare at you. They don't try to talk about the situation with you. I believe that is called PHSYCHOTHERAPY which is not NHS but private. And then if you agree to counselling you get told 'oh there is an 18 month wait to see a counsellor'. So no thank you. I'd sooner have the money and pay for a phsychotherapist. One size doesn't fit all!

Where does pp say the state should be entirely responsible for her son?

Hi folks please tag @scottishgirl69 and not me ☺️

"Until what age? If it’s a lifelong severe disability is the parent still responsible when the child is an adult? Literally until their own death??"

Yes. You will always be their parent. You have the primary responsibility for them.

Why should someone else care for them when their parents' wont?

Carers save the nation a fortune.
If a parent had a severely disabled child do you know how much they get in benefits as a payment due to not being able to get a job? It is less than £85 per week.

You may not also like the reality but once he turns 18 hes entitled to benefits in his own right regardless of what you think is right and he will get than at the highest rates due to his complex need s

I don't disagree with any of that @Lavender14 , but while we might agree that the problem exists, your solution and mine are miles apart. You think that I should pay to help solve a problem I had no part in causing. I don't think I have any responsibility.

I would rather they didn't tag me tbh after some of their comments

Are you for real?
Did you know that about 40% of parents with disabled children have considered killing themselves?

Do we not think that's because of the link between mental health and alcohol use/ substance use?

People can function in the pub because they're drunk and have lowered inhibitions and a suppressed system that's normally hypervigilant. It makes perfect sense they are able to be social in the pub but not in other areas where they can't rely on alcohol. 🙈

I can confidently state that I am aware of several people (not disabled) who live on benefits and are very comfortable.

Carers don't save the state a fortune.

Carers care for the people who they have a responsibility to - family members, - spouses, children.

When we marry, have children we commit to caring for these people.

This is a very good reason why the asylum and immigration mess needs sorting. It does beggar belief that it would take 2 years to process a claim. I assume it actually takes about 2 months but they are in a queue with nothing happening most of that time. They need to put in some kind of rapid response team. Hell just give everyone on the backlog list the status already right now given they are all completely embedded at this point and then start afresh with some stricter criteria and a proper system.