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

Ok, take whatever you will from it, I was trying to offer a supportive suggestion 🤷

This is exactly the position I find myself in. Also a lone parent to go with it. The hateful contempt towards people like me is mindblowing. I don't engage with the threads in the same way I hid the "you're to blame" cancer threads having had it myself. This site is full of arseholes unfortunately. On a positive note, I have never encountered anybody like this IRL. All those brave keyboard warriors who wouldn't dare spew their hate to your face.

I do agree and I also fine such threads/comments upsetting. However if it's an opinion albeit an ignorant insulting one I don't like free speech silenced. Hate absolutely should be stopped obviously.

It's the double standards. Look at the woman's rights board and stating an opinion that a man saying he is a woman is still a man is deleted but calling a parent to disabled child lazy and money grabbing over a pittance in benefits is fine.

I feel you're referring to me. Free speech is difficult to tolerate when people don't agree but it's important that this forum allows a range of opinions.
I find lots of posts nonsensical and even offensive but I understand that if they follow talk guidelines then they should be allowed to stand, otherwise where does this leave us. The thread was objectively moderated and has been found to be acceptable and therefore not ableist. You are of course welcome to your own opinion but stifling debate shouldn't be allowed on the grounds that you don't understand the points someone is making or you find it offensive.

I had a post on this and some of the comments targeted towards me and other disabled posters was really nasty and quite emotionally damaging for me. I asked MNHQ to remove the post but they wouldn’t.

I do hope MNHQ comment on this thread at some point.

Would be a good starting point.
very sorry for those of you having to endure the appalling attitudes/comments & sheer spitefulness on those threads, it feels at times as though this government have achieved the aim of division stirring up hatred for our fellow citizens & openly cruel, we are an easy target to beat us with a stick.

I'm a massive supporter of free speech but can't see any reason for all the threads over the last few days that have been bashing anybody with a disability or anybody muslim and actually wish Mumsnet would shut them down. It's not on and not helpful. I feel like our society is getting ever more fractured and distrustful and that these things are not accidental - it's all a way of getting us to fight each other rather than questioning those at the top who seem to be getting richer by the day. So many people are really struggling with the COL crisis and it's makes it very easy to lose empathy just when we need it the most.

There is no empathy for PIP claimants on here - people are not putting themselves in their shoes at all.

Disability hate and young mum hate.
Really gets on my wick.
Ive seen some comments about young mums and it makes me rage how can Mn allow such awful things to be said is beyond me but no one blinks at someone having a baby at 50.
Same as someone with a disability that cant work but then they can bring SEN in to everything they type.

I get pip but i try not to say anything on here about it because last time i did i got told to get a job.

The number of people who don't realise that PIP is not means tested or dependent on being unable to work is astonishing!

I didn't see the blame the victim cancer thread thank fuck or I may have been banned for my response.
I have spent today on mumsnet quite a lot partly because today was the day of my telephone appointment with my oncologist to tell me the results of my latest scan for my stage 4 cancer and I needed the distraction whilst I sat here feeling sick and clammy with terror.
It sometimes seems the vile idiots attacking disability here are jealous of the "easy life" us benefit scroungers have.
I am happy to start a day in the life of thread if it I thought it would change attitudes but I think I would be bashing my head against the wall. Maybe some might generously decide I am one of the "deserving disabled" with their huge insight and knowledge based upon the daily wail/ some bloke said down the pub/ all poor people simply don't work hard like Sebastian and I do insights but it would still achieve nothing for the vaguely described but strongly hated "undeserving disabled".

I can assure you I have reported multiple flat out transphobic posts and they have been left standing.

Thanks for posting this, I didn't have the spoons to get involved yesterday, but I've seen the ignorance/ableism and if anything it seems to be getting worse.

Trying to educate the bigots is exhausting at the best of times. Some support is sorely needed in making sure these comments are dealt with.
I'm all for debate and education but there are people on here that seem to take pleasure in spitting unfair, inaccurate "insight" into things they know nothing and care not to educate themselves about.

If I'd have wanted to become an educator, I'd have signed up to be a teacher. I'm just a person who has lived experience and deserves not to be insulted or have my family insulted by people on here. Just like everyone else who these posts offend.

Well said. I reported the thread about 2 disabled kids and a single mum getting benefits as I was so upset by the ablist and sexist comments. They got worse and worse. thread is still there though!

Mumsnet isn't a safe place if you're disabled, a single mother or on benefits.

Trust me, they do. There’s a very narrow window of tolerance on here in which to have a baby.

I find myself in the unfortunate position of having 2 disabled, adult children. They were both born apparently healthy but have sadly developed disabilities as they got older. They have very different disabilities. They will never live the life of a healthy person. I wish with all my heart that they were fit, well and making their own way in the world. No one would want our lives. And then I am informed that they should not have any benefit that would improve their lives, which are already sad, and which will become worse if PIP is removed. But I suspect that the millionaires who make up this government don't care.

I didn't have the spoons to get involved

This is just a brilliant phrase. I've never heard it before!

I'm getting my autism assessment in July after being diagnised with ADHD in Feb. Everywhere I go I face discrimination!
I look normal
Why do I want a labal
I'm just focussing on what I can't do
Everyone is a bit autistic
Why do you think you are autistic

It just goes on. I have {PTSD and cPTSD from years of abuse and trauma because I'm different and people have made my life hell. I'd like not to have to relive my trauma and justify my very existence to every ignorant arsehole I meet. I cannot believe women and mums on here are attacking actual single mums, caring for disabled kids and begrudging them the care and support they need and are entitled to.

It has shook me to my core. How dare people behave like that to others less fortunate than themselves. It isn't the benefit claimant's fault that other people's wages are so poor, nursery fees and housing prices are so exorbitant is it???

Mumsnet have always advised posters to challenge it themselves, I doubt they do the same with racism

Years ago it came to a bit of a head and loads of the regular posters who did challenge it left or name changed and , it wasn't worth the aggro . It drains you after a while and shouldn't be our job

One of those threads was mine. The one about PIP being replaced by vouchers. One person really had it in for me, calling me uneducated, saying I was scaremongering etc I'm a carer for my dh who has severe mental health issues and I actually said I wasn't trying to scare anyone but I was merely wanting other people's opinions as my dh is terrified.

@TheFunHasGone I think one regular poster was banned at that point too for "over reporting" the shitty comments.

Thank you for this

I'm on disability benefits. I didn't ask to be hurt and left permanently disabled during an armed robbery while quite ironically I was at work working. I didn't ask for my partner to be murdered and my house to be burned down, yet every post bashing me, Yes I do take them personally, makes me feel like I'm the actual criminal here and I'm being punished over and over, if I had my way I'd be dead now, instead I'm forced to exist, in a world full of hate and pain, it's nothing less than torture. If I was an animal my owner would be prosecuted for this!

I've had to walk away from mumsnet and put my phone down, as I'm ready for jumping off the nearest motorway bridge

Yup, and I remember a poster who had children with disabilities being called a window licker lover . Posters were being stalked round the boards