Disability hate on MN

[IClaudine]

Hi MNHQ

Since Sunak’s announcement on disability benefits, there has been a big increase on MN in hostility towards people who receive then.

The abuse, hate and outright lies (my neighbour’s son’s cousin’s wife climbs Mount Everest but gets PIP etc) being spewed on MN towards disabled people, a group with protected characteristics, has been dreadful and very distressing for disabled people and their loved ones to read,

Please can you do something?

Here is a small selection of the threads where the disability benefit bashers have paid a visit and had a field day. There may be more, but I can’t face searching for them!

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/5064828-to-be-terrified-about-pip?utm_campaign=thread&utm_medium=share  

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/5065470-people-who-work-have-anxiety-too?utm_campaign=thread&utm_medium=share

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/5066670-aibu-to-hope-that-able-bodied-people-will-support-disabled-people-against-the-tory-attack-on-pip?utm_campaign=thread&utm_medium=share

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/money-matters/5064856-pip-vouchers-to-replace-money?reply=134966246&utm_campaign=thread&utm_medium=share

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/money-matters/5066331-do-you-feel-bad-for-receiving-a-high-amount-of-uc?utm_campaign=thread&utm_medium=share

I agree with you. It's hard enough coming to terms with the change to your lifestyle and identity without constantly having people sticking the boot in.

Well said.

It is difficult, but calm explanation usually takes the wind out of their sails.

It’s always been the same on forums. I don’t get all this punching down, but whatever.

I do understand, though, that some feel they are working a lot, but getting no rewards.

The government responds by setting up one group against another.

There are usually anti-pensioner comments liberally sprinkled as well 🙄

It is difficult, but calm explanation usually takes the wind out of their sails.

Not sure I agree!

There have definitely been more recently, some more goady than others. Almost as if there's an election brewing... I've reported some particularly abhorrent posts but MNHQ seems ok to let the ableist posts stand :(

I think it probably is about an election being due. Other forums are also having issues with “scapegoats” being targeted.

Well said, I have enjoyed reading this forum for years but feel the need to step away after all the benefit bashing threads.

I also don't agree.

On the last thread (the one that has just filled up) one person pretty much single handedly argued black was white with everyone else. Dozens of posts daily. None of it even made sense in the end. It was just arguing for the sake of arguing. On a thread about PIP. Started by a a disabled person. Its the same people on the threads about Autism too. Questioning all the time.

It's all about agenda.

I reported that thread and was told to report individual posts. I reported an individual post and was told to challenge them myself. Apparently it didnt break talk guidlines. This was someone who was calling respite care 'babysitting so you can go and drink wine'

Hundreds of posts by the same people. All chipping away. Not quite enough to be seriously offensive, but constant, low level nasty digs, disbelief and abelism.

It's sickening.

Oh, and the Autism ones are usually at weekends when there's less mods about.

I actually have been so upset I did not chase the PA ‘a time sheet, forgot to sort out the cover for Saturday, could barely sort out my sons timetable for May with taxi driver and also could not near to write to a SENDCO to volunteer in a school. I have rung up my MP in buckets of tears. I’m fearful as it is for my son. But I have things to do and need to focus on those things. Trouble is that we all have duties and can’t campaign like others. The worst thing is that someone wound me up so much I did not even practice my son’s dish for his residential night with him. This is far more important than all this hubris I know but it just has depressed me so badly.

It has actually stopped me functioning a bit to be frank - I have things to do eg sort out the mess that is his A Level notes - make sure his place at university is definitely postponed , chase up next years transport and also try to see if I can get him moved from unfit to work to the other thing where he could try a couple of hours a week volunteering - but we have tried that before and it failed. I have a disabled group activity / excursion t sort out for a group of young adults as well and also my sons holiday activities

But instead I have been crying - just can’t help it it has really really hurt me

I am so so sorry. Please bear in mind that Sunak's proposals are just that, proposals. They are not going to happen as the Tories are simply not going to win the election.

MNHQ this is why I posted this thread. Disabled people and their loved ones are feeling very fearful right now. Then to come on MN and read the spite and lies about disabled people is just awful.

As one of those threads is mine and I have posted against the prejudice, misinformation and hatred on others I whole heartedly agree.
How is any of this ok?

Well said op…

Some of the posters are so ridiculous I don't think they can actually be real, especially the ones who claim to be educated and earn well but still think they should just pack it all in because they will be better off on benefits 🙄

I am starting to wonder if some of these posters are paid to come on here and whip up anger for political purposes. It’s started right as an election is looming.

It happens everywhere in real life. I’ve had countless problems with ignorant people and my disability including medical professionals.

I saw your thread and knew it would get invaded, which it has done.

Yes. It is upsetting, and it is utterly depressing.

I'm on a chat thread on here, and we all encourage each other not to look at the abelist threads and posts.

The problem with that, though is that's the metaphorical equivalent of us hiding away isn't it?

What's worse? Reading about how much you're hated as a disabled member of society? Disbelieved as an Autistic person?

Or literally hiding away and never engaging?

We often have to physically hide away. Being online is sometimes the only element of socialisation some disabled people get. It is for me, anyway.

Is it really too much to ask for a little respect? And to recognise the rampant levels of abelism that we are being subjected to on here?

Since and including the Brexit vote, use of online tactics to sway elections has become rampant. Disability is the latest Tory buzzword and pitting groups against each other is a classic Tory tactic. They want people to think that the disabled are lounging around at home having a jolly good old time while everyone else goes out being stressed and working hard when there are disabled people who are taxpayers and would give their right arm to be healthy for work again.

Every forum seems to have the odd poster who posts insane amounts on one topic. Labelling them as paid shills or bots probably comes under troll hunting.

FWIW I don’t think that these “loud” posters are indicative of normal people who probably hold less extreme views or they’d be out of a job.

It would be helpful to the discussion if you quoted the disability hate comments to which you are referring.

RainbowZebraWarrior I try to ignore them, but I can't help myself. The injustice of what people say and the lies. I am not disabled, but I am carer for my disabled DH. What I have read on MN this week has upset me so much.

Yeah, I knew it would too.

People post in good faith and its gets taken over all the time.

I could sort of understand if the threads were started by someone questioning the benefits in the first place. But it's always some person's well meaning thread that gets absolutely sabotaged.

Folk are on here deliberately seeking them out.

That's surely some form of online harassment.

The posting histories are all there.

Otherwise, no one with no dog in the fight knows what you’re talking about and I assume you want this issue to reach a wider audience.

I am housebound so online is most of my social contact.
Somedays I struggle more than others to take on the nasty mean minded individuals who pile on any threads about disability benefits but today I had to speak up. I think if at all possible we disabled people need to challenge every misinformed prejudiced post as it appears and report to mnhq or the strength of feeling will never be acknowledged and the hateful sort carry on their merry way.

I referenced the threads, there is plenty of evidence in those threads. I am really not going to subject myself to going through them and pasting the hateful comments, I am afraid.

If you would like a discussion about what does and doesn't constitute hate towards disabled people, please start a separate thread. This thread is to alert MN to what is happening right now.