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

Could also be the worldwide pandemic that they lived through as children/young adults.

Therapy won't help autistic people cope in a system that isn't designed with them in mind. Things are declining generally and there's a lot of uncertainty: AI, climate change, politics. But you blame the person and not the environment. You think that therapy or a pill can fix a systemic problem. The trouble is that only harsher personalities can survive in this climate and they can never in a million years understand what it's like to be sensitive/autistic/anxious.

Anyway, my autistic DS has lost his PIP and I'm currently at the tribunal stage. It's incredibly difficult to get PIP and has been for a very long time. My friend who's had two heart attacks, has heart failure and out of control diabetes gets £29 a week. He's autistic as well and the whole process is making him more ill. When will people understand that this could happen to them? Are you not scared that you or your children could be in the same situation as my friend?

When I say 'you', I know you're a bot, mumsnet person or one of the many people employed in swaying public opinion.

And on the other side of the coin ,24.1 billion went unclaimed last year.

Sick to death of reading on here the whining about benefits.

Pensions make up the most of what's claimed. Maybe we need to knock those on the head sooner rather than later.

Nice image…
That doesn’t reflect the fact we are NOT spending more money on benefits - That’s according to the DWP…

Having corrected that, agd to avoid going back to what has been explaimed many times before, assessments are mainly face to face now, need evidence nit just the person’s word, yep spending money on aporopriate support woukd beca good idea.
You need to realise it would probably not be that much cheaper than benefits. Unless you assume MH is like getting tonsillitis (a round of treatment and you’re good to go) rather a chronic health issue.
It would allow some people for a better life and a better quality of life. But that was not the point if your post was it?

Already rebunked as unworkable.

If there had been a universal basic income, I'd have given up 8 years ago, and deprived the HM Treasury of £100,000

Instead they are trying to persuade us 50s and 60s to keep working to support GDP.

I think making the world less anxiety and depression producing would be a start. Tax billionaires and huge businesses properly and make people pay actual livable wages, build social housing so people have secure tenure and maybe even have a universal basic income scheme.

Cloud cuckoo land I know, but I bet we'd see a lot less depression and anxiety that way as well as generally better health and less strain on the NHS

But Autism for example is a huge spectrum
And impacts peoole in different ways.

Same reasons for everyone else then.

Young people don't seem to have been brought up to be very resilient and crumple at the slightest bump in the road. I also thinks social media and the lack of interaction with the real world doesn't help.

And yet was trialed relatively recently.for 2 years. Are the results in?

Yeah but surely the starting point is a medical professional diagnosing autism?

I’m a UC claimant as a single parent and joined a few UC help groups on Facebook and Reddit. I have to say from what I’ve seen the vast majority of people claiming for disabilities have depression, anxiety, ADHD or Autism which surprised me a little.

Do you know how much I get per week for having PTSD and associated symptoms after being sexually abused in childhood in my family of origin?
I've nearly committed suicide many times because of being made homeless or not having enough money and being forced back to live with them (since left) because I was in the process of applying for my claim.
Don't make ridiculous statements without having enough knowledge of the system, OP.

I can try, but this is AIBU so there's bound to be someone gaslighting me, telling me it's not that bad, etc.

I can't remember anything properly. I leave baths running and ovens going - I set timers for everything. I set reminders for everything.

I can't take in complex instructions easily, especially verbal. I also struggle with dense text and always 'skim read'.

I feel so overwhelmed that I often struggle with meal planning and household things. My husband is very good at that, he helps me cope.

I go through a cycle of 'boom and bust' where sometimes I can get more things done than the average person, sort of like a whirlwind, and then I hit a brick wall.

I'm very impulsive and have made bad decisions in the past - this is slightly improved by having an understanding now that I have ADHD.

Those are some of the ADHD issues. There are more.

I have to do things 'right' or bad things will happen. E.g. put my clothes on in the right order, or use the 'right' cup for my coffee or one of my kids might die.

That's OCD. It particularly manifests as health anxiety and every little imperfection, blemish, bump will lead me to spiral and think I am dying (or my husband, kids, etc).

Generalised anxiety = everyday dread and fear. I'm afraid of plane crashes and random people attacking me on the bus.

I wouldn't wish this on anyone. I would love to change this about myself.

And one of the largest parts of the burden is the masking - trying to appear 'normal' to stop my kids being affecting by my problems. Or feeling so much shame, like if people knew the truth about what's going on inside my head.

I've tried therapy, I've tried various meds.

It still affects me. Greatly.

Same on the facebook PIP sites. Pretty much everyone trying to claim for ADHD/ MH/ Anxiety.

I'm on your side btw.

Lack of jobs
Crap schools
Lack of skills training
Too much online even at Unis
Long NHS waiting lists
Virtually impossible to see a GP
Lack of social activities for young people causing social anxiety
Too much online (shopping, even schools, job hunting etc) - makes for lonely existence
Hopelessness knowing virtually impossible to buy their own flat/house
Everything costing so much
Even going to pubs/clubs is too expensive as are shows/concerts

We were heading in this direction (all of the above) even before Covid, but the stupidly long lockdowns and restrictions have ruined an entire generation and so much has closed down that will never open again.

Jesus, it's you again about the benefits and your ableist bs.

Do you know how expensive therapy is? And that for it to be effective, you need a LOT of it with people who really know what they are doing, and that it could/would cost well above £400 month? One therapy sessions would do nothing at all you need long term continuous support.
While there is no abundance of therapists (definitely not on the NHS).

You need to wind down your benefit obsession based on that one girl who you think gets PIP for beign a bit anxious.

Easy, make the UBI a pittance - the same level as current Job Seekers Allowance. No-one wants to live on that; it can hardly be called 'living' as it is just existing and scraping by.
Most people would want to earn more to have a better life.
Those that don't can enjoy their poverty.

It is a different question as to whether UBI should be topped up by a) housing benefit and b) disability benefits.

There is an argument for top-up disability benefits for specific things like wheelchairs, adapted cars, special diets, home adaptations, etc, but not getting more than JSA/UBI just because you can't work.

Thank you, that's kind of you.

Well obviously, but a diagnosis alone doesnt guarantee an award ,
If you can independently care for, yourself, feed yourself, undertake a journey from A to B then you are unlikely to awarded regardless of your diagnosis.

Also worth remembering that MAYBE the people struggling with stress and anxiety in much greater number is only the reflection of a society that is stress and anxiety inducing.
That there is nothing wrong with people who suffer from stress, deiression, anxiety. Theyre only reflecting how our society now is. Working full time, sometimes 2 jobs and still no money. Unable to but a house. Instability in housing due to renting. Unable to see a GP or get treatments in an appropriate way/timing, caring duties etc etc etc.
That it’s just a reflection on our lives, our society and Thars where we should put our attention rather than blaming individuals.

Some very good points there

Ive seen some who have just been diagnosed and their first question is what can I claim? Not how do I get support / advice on coping with xyz

And vast majority of people on PIP do have such a diagnosis, and dont need it underminded by Mumsnet armchair experts in MH.

UBI trials are done on very small sub-sets of the population.

UK Working population: 50M

UBI of £10,000/year = £500bn cost

Income tax in the UK collects less than £400bn.

Its effectively unworkable.

A much better option is a negative income tax allowance. So you pay income taxes but not on an initial amount (its a simplified form of the personal allowance). For this to work NI would also need to be rolled into income tax to simplify the tax code.