Welfarisation has made people utterly entitled and unable to take responsibility for themselves and their families.

[hagchic]

I grew up in a working class family. The values I was taught were that you stood on your own two feet and it was no one else's job to do what you could do for yourself.

If you were hurt, you were expected to get up and go and clean yourself up - and stop whining about it unless it was actually serious. If you were ill, you went to bed and if you were lucky some magic lucozade appeared.

If you were sad, then you were sad. If life was unfair then that was just how life was and you needed to deal with it.

You never ever sought charity or took benefits when you were able to work or put up with less. You lived to your own means, not to what you saw on TV or at school - and if you wanted that lifestyle it was up to you to get it.

Today everyone has the expectation that someone must help them, that they are obliged to help them - even before they have made any attempt to actually do the work of helping themselves. They expect luxuries like holidays, pets, new clothes and treats when they do nothing to earn this.

I think self sufficiency is a value that needs to return to our society.

P.S. My DH works full time and even some Saturdays...and again, has never claimed benefits, so I do believe I'm saying all this from an objective stand point

I disagree. I didn't take it that s/he was gloating. That's merely your perception. The poster doesn't need to review anything.

Same. She said she is a high rate tax payer, and gets PIP. She later went on to describe her disabilities, and how PIP does not cover her costs anyway.

If anything, she should be be proud. A high earner despite her difficulties... that she gets help with via PIP. Otherwise she would not be able to work.
It seems many posters are not seeing that. PIP enables her to be a high rate tax payer to begin with.

They just see someone claims benefits, and gets the pitchforks out.

My poor DH has been complaining of having sore heels and sore joints in his hands for a few weeks now....and has started taking ibuprofen this last week which seems to have helped. However he's woken up this morning in more pain than ever - in all his joints😭
You can literally see the swelling in his hands - they've blown up. He's been so fit and well all his life and now this. We rely on his wage to make ends meet. I don't know what we're going to do. He's a builder! He needs his body and especially hands. I'm literally having a panic attack as I write this - trembling, heart racing and shivery feeling running through my body. We have two school age children that we'd like to put through University. Even without that we need to live, pay bills and make ends meet. What the F are we going to do? We own our own home outright but the COL is so high, especially with two grieving children. I'm literally scared. He's much rather work and earn and BE WELL than rely on pitiful benefits. The thought of him being vilified for (God forbid) having to claim benefits on top of being unwell and living with pain and living with the frustration of not being able to earn makes me feel, frankly, suicidal. People, just be glad you're well and CAN work because you can get ill at any point and your current life can be taken away from you at the drop of a hat!
Obviously he's going to make an appointment with his GP and hope and pray they can help him....so that he can not be in pain and can still work and earn. What can they do for him? Steroid injections? Medication? Does anybody have experience of this? Please can anybody offer any advice?
I'm posting here to show that there are genuine cases where people need help. What would you have us do? Kill ourselves so that we don't claim? I'm praying that it won't come to that (claiming benefits) - I wouldn't even know how to claim in any case - and pray that the doctors can help him🙏🏻🙏🏻
We're not saying anything to our DCs yet - don't want to worry them

*growing children (not grieving)

Yes she was …
I get PIP and I’m in the higher tax bracket, what do you say about that??
Certainly sounds like gloating and rather antagonistic to me … expect to be challenged.

That's interesting how we can understand things differently. I saw that post and really didn't perceive it in that way. I took it to mean that s/he was challenging the perception that everyone who claims benefits are the stereotypical chavvy, lazy, underclass. I perceived it as "look at me - I work and even work in a well paid job but claim pip to help me with costs towards my disability (,which do mount up I imagine). To mind the poster was challenging the stereotypical perception of people who claim benefits.

To my mind

I agree. This needy, over entitled attitude is wearing.

Self reliance can get you through a multitude of situations. 👍

I think the poster was challenging the stereotypical view of PIP claimants. Many disabled people work, and traditionally tend to be low earners if they are restricted by their condition. A few, like this poster, are able to be high earners, but they still have additional costs brought about by disability. PIP is universal and seeks to mitigate that extra cost for everyone regardless of income. Posters may not agree with that, but it’s a fact.

And disability benefits are the gateway to other services for disabled people - should she really be expected not to have access to those simply because she’s a higher earner ? Would you expect a higher earning parent not to claim child benefit if they could afford to bring up their children without it ? If not, why would you expect a higher earning disabled person not to claim something to help with their disability related costs ?

And those who are unable to be self reliant ?

This! The idea that anyone would gloat about being disabled and needing PIP (which helps her to work!) Is an odd one...

This as well ☝️.

People who need support should get support. The question is how that support is delivered and whether it helps people become more independent over time.

Growth + reasonable tax collection + targeted support + low fraud, waste and dependency = a fairer system.

I was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis after months of being treated for simple osteoarthritis by my GP. Things weren’t getting any better with various meds and l was only referred to a rheumatologist after insisting. My diagnosis came after a few weeks of testing and it took a while to get the meds and dosage right. I’m now in a lot less pain and the damage to my joints has been slowed by the right meds.

I’m telling you this because pain and swelling in the hands and feet is often the first sign of rheumatoid arthritis, and it’s often missed by GP’s. The treatment options are also very different from that of osteo arthritis and it’s important to start the right treatment ASAP to avoid unnecessary joint damage. Make an appt with your GP as soon as you can, explain and show the symptoms and ask for a referral to a rheumatologist to rule out rheumatoid arthritis. The progression of joint damage continued all the time my own GP was messing about with anti inflammatories and various gel rubs. Your DH needs a proper diagnosis as soon as possible to avoid that.

And you can claim PIP for RA. If your DH needs extra help because he can’t work the same hours, his mobility is affected or he needs help with daily living activities then he’s perfectly entitled to claim. That’s what it’s for.

The NHS in my area will not refer to rheumatology without an anti CCP of over 10. They need to insist on the blood tests for CRP, ESR and anti CCP from the GP. Some can be unexpectedly reluctant to do them.

Only people under retirement age can claim PIP for RA. I've been on crutches with it in the past at 67, no chance of a PIP claim.

I second the encouragement to get a diagnosis, systemic inflammation damages more than joints.

If he can't get a swift referral to rheumatology (the wait is 6 months in my area after getting the right blood tests) then a private consultation is about £250. Choose someone who is in the NHS and does private work part time and they will refer you on to their own list. If your GP refuses the blood tests they can be got for about £100 from private providers all over the place these days.

From experience, the rheumatologist is likely to prescribe hydroyxchloroquine privately immediately unless he has sight issues, (chemists fulfil at the NHS price). and your GP will pick up that for the next month. It should knock the edge of the symptoms while you wait for, probably, methotrexate to be added in. The NHS requires hydroyxchloroquine, methotrexate and sulfasalazine to fail before they will prescribe the much more expensive biologics that many people use.

Please PM me if you want to chat about the non prescription but properly tested drugs I've got my RA in remission with. He should get the diagnosis before he tries those though, because if they work as well as they do with me he'll never get a diagnosis!

If that was the case she would have added a bit more context to her original post … she was clearly waiting for someone to respond to her.

If that was the case she would have added more detail to her original post … by saying what she said, she was waiting for someone to respond. It was a clear drip feed to invite an argument.

Absolutely this.

thank you for understanding.

I don’t understand why that poster won’t stop referring to me and why she’s persisting in her lies when I’ve been clear about my motivations.

Also. Because it’s too late to edit my post.

im autistic. That causes a social communication deficit. I do get nuance wrong at times, and what I post online has been categorised as blunt. That’s a function of my autism. It’s part of my condition.

and yes. Properly diagnosed. Almost 15 years, with adhd first and then asd a couple of years later, as a result of my daughter being diagnosed nd realising that she’s me. We are the same. Before im accused of making that up.

nd no, my pip isnt paid for my Audhd.

I understand this, I'm not livid but I can't really do anything with the money my Dad left me. My income has dropped but my expenses have gone up eg dentist fees, extra council tax. The things that you don't pay if you are on certain benefits.

It's not that I think I deserve to still receive Universal Credit, but it is the uncertainty that bothers me.

Maybe there should be a scheme to hand an inheritance over to the government and continue to recieve benefits.

Why can't you just spend the money on the things you need until you are under the limit for getting benefits again?

That’s really depressing. That the retention of benefits is the absolute priority even over an inheritance.

Maybe there should be a scheme to hand an inheritance over to the government and continue to recieve benefits.

Huh?

Surely that 'scheme' is known as independently spending your own money, and claiming benefits when it runs out/gets below a certain amount?