Don't like Farage but..

[TheBlueKoala]

I do agree with him that foreign nationals shouldn't be able to claim benefits and to scrap PIP for mild mental health issues. And that the money saved should go into mental health care so that everyone with mild mental health problems can access NHS care rapidly.

I am a foreign (UE) national by the way so this should apply to me as well.

Define mild. Explain resilience and how people's accommodation of mild mh issues may vary.

The foreign national part I agree with provided they are alliwed to.legally work.

I agree and would probably never vote for him, having said that, I do see the draw to reform, when I hear the things they say such as in the OP, there is often not much I disagree with policy wise. Why the mainstream parties can’t listen and take note - they would certainly win!

Who gets to decide what mild MH is? Doctors? Politicians?

Just because Farage is telling you what he thinks you want to hear it doesn't mean you have to believe him. He is, generally, inaccurate and deliberately misleading. It's olay though, all the difficulties that exist in education will apparently be solved by finding lots of money to waste on flags and pictures of the king. That'll help. I cant believe people even vaguely listen to anything such a horrible man has to say. I personally will not be swayed by his desperate attempts to make himself richer.

Read through the Descriptors for PIP - no one with mild mental health issues is scoring enough to claim.

Exactly, but some people believe whatever they are told without doing their own research or asking questions.

All he’s doing is reflecting back something he thinks people with either vote for or pay for. He has excellent instincts for whatever the nastier side of our political nature might be. I’m sometimes involved in helping people consider applying for benefits, and honestly every single person says ‘I would never normally apply for benefits but I do maybe need them now… I know lots of people who are getting them for nothing at all..,’ it’s like a mantra. I just think, you have no idea what’s going on in other people’s lives and, shocker, they’re just like you. ‘Mild mental health problems’ are nothing of the sort if they are stopping people working or progressing. What he is testing out is the political space to slash the benefits bill. He’s not alone there, but I don’t trust him an inch to execute it either humanely or effectively.

Occasionally you hear him say something he actually seems to believe, and that’s interesting, eg he seems to be genuinely libertarian on transgender issues. But no doubt his political instincts will lead him away from that.

You wouldn’t score enough points to claim PIP for mild mental health conditions, so he’s just saying that so he can ‘scrap’ something that doesn’t exist to pretend he has been successful at something.

Yes that's it, he's essentially a con man with good PR skills.

Foreign nationals shouldn’t be able to claim any benefits until they become citizens.
An exception would be unemployment payments, but definitely not housing benefits, PIP or any others.

You lost me at “but”

Most can't.

Oh Jesus! Another loon! He talks shit. Why believe this grifter who took us down the Brexit disaster? I just don’t understand why anyone thinks that man is worth their vote.

Apparently they only vote for him because loony lefties made them 🙄

I agree to a degree only UK citizens should have pip but you lost me at mild mental health. Pip doesnt work that way. Ironically voting for Farage will worsen the NHS, he’s already said that we need to move to more privatisation of the NHS. No thanks.

Because he preys on the uneducated to get his votes.

Most foreign nationals wouldn't be able to claim pip though as it is quite restricted.

If they’re working and paying their taxes here, why not?

@TheBlueKoala presuming you’re here working and contributing into the system, I’m very confused as to why you think you should be treated as some sort of second class citizen?

I thought Reform's policy was to privatise the NHS, not increase spending on mental health?

My friend is an NHS Audiologist. He spends every day helping children to hear better, as does his wife. They came here 25 years ago and have worked in NHS hospitals, paid their taxes and generally led decent lives.

Explain to me why they should not be entitled to benefits if they fall ill and are unable to work.

"Preparing food, eating and drinking, managing therapies, washing and bathing, managing toilet needs, dressing and undressing, communicating verbally, reading, engaging with others, and making budgeting decisions."

You need to be unable to do multiple of those things without a carer (or specialised aids, if possible) to be able to get PIP. You also need to have been this unwell for 9 months, or the condition is expected to last 9 months or longer by a specialist.

If someone can't do multiple of those things without a carer, and it's lasted months, their mental health condition isn't mild.

Media has done a right number on people getting them thinking that anyone with any sort of mild health condition is able to get PIP. Your condition needs to be severe enough that you need carers to live a normal life, it's not going to be mild.

Foreign nationals include many people with settled status- here for many years, additionally refugees (not asylum seekers who have not had their cases decided.)

it has always been expensive to get Citizenship. My parents both doctors came when the government were very much recruiting from overseas. Even with that wage it took years after they could apply. Under current system when non British they would be able to get benefits- would you include Child Benefit, Child Disability Living Allowance? What about Carers Allowance?

Many of the non citizens are people who do low paid work, definitely will if you exempt Jobseekers Allowance as you are required to take up work. If Universal Credit does not top that up in many places it is not viable.

Do you expect all these people to leave? They would leave including many who aren’t on benefits because they can’t risk sudden disability, being pregnant if they will only get SMP or an ill child. Or not come at all as other countries including Canada, Australia and EU are more welcoming.

Do you really agree foreign nationals shouldn’t be able to claim benefits? I know someone who has lived here nearly forty years. Came here after being traumatised and abused in her own country. She had and has a right of residence. She’s worked here for years and brought up her children. She is currently not well enough to work but volunteers in her local community and contributes a lot to it as far as her health will let her. Also cares for her disabled grown up children. Has no relatives or friends in any other country. She can’t afford the cost of British citizenship. Has thought about doing it for years but could never really find the money. She would be on the streets and starve without access to benefits. What should happen to her?