“Even more stringent benefit cuts are on the cards.” “Ministers are planning billions in cuts to disability benefits.” “the House of Lords economic affairs committee said this might not be enough.”
FFS just legalise euthanasia already. I’d rather get a quick injection than starve to death out on the streets. Even the Nazis were kinder to the disabled, gassing them to death quickly.
Even from a capitalist growth perspective it is not ‘waste’, giving disabled people money allows them to spend it on stuff. And poor disabled people are likely to spend almost all they receive.
Also disabled people create jobs for other people like nurses, carers, people who make and install mobility aids, etc.
they spent so long trying to convince people about austerity by using the household budget analogy that they started believing it themselves
Where are they spending it though? Online companies outside the country?
I’d wager that other than groceries a lot of people who are housebound by disability benefits are getting both their entertainment and their consumer deals from companies outside britain.
rent
Rent is covered by Housing Benefit, which is a separate benefit to the PIP payments (disability).
that makes sense. there is a similar scheme in ireland but hardly anybody gets to avail of it so it’s mostly regular welfare and disability payments getting funneled to the landlords.
The whole thing is a byzantine mess to navigate. When it’s properly applied for it’s paid directly to landlord though.
Ideally I’d want every single one of these benefits thrown out, along with the entire infrastructure that exists to manage them (costs a lot) and replace it all with one single payment that everyone can get regardless of circumstances.
I would think the majority of expenses would be on domestic essentials like utilities, housing, medication (and groceries ofc.) etc.
How much do you think disabled people get? Even when I’m in receipt of benefits, its just enough to pay the bills. ie - utilities, rent, food and basic clothes.
in Ireland if you are “lucky” enough to get on disability it is still not nearly enough to live. if you’re under the age of 70 it can take months or years of appeals to get approved. you need other supports/income to survive but you also have to lie to the govt about those because it’s means tested. you get €230/week which isn’t enough to even just cover rent most places in the country let alone the cities. I’m currently in the process of trying to get on it and recently got kicked off my bridge payment that i managed to get while waiting.
I know how much. Intimately.
Housing Benefit covers the rent. UC is £200. PIP is between £300 and £665 depending on tier and whether someone receives the mobility component, so we’re talking about between £500 (after rent) and and £865 per month on utilities and groceries.
My utilities are like £160/mo and my groceries are £150/mo for a single person.
This leaves between £190 and £555 left over, dependent on tier obviously. Lower tier will be on 50% council tax exemption while upper tier will be on 100%. Granted, if you’re on lower tier here there is practically nothing left over when factoring in council tax.
Given that the disabled in receipt of benefits are liable to lose those benefits if they so much as step outside their house there is no travel cost to factor in because of being housebound.
The flip side of this is that you’re repeatedly put through the living hell of filling out that points based assessment form where some reviewer with claim denial targets might or might not completely ruin your life when they read your answers based entirely upon their mood that day. Do not get me started on the personal visits you get no say in where you’re sometimes given barely a day or two of notice beforehand.
Not everyone who claims disability is claiming for the “can’t walk 50 metres” part. Many people on disability work full time even, a far cry from never leaving the house. Many have daily hospital appointments. In other words, many have substantial travel costs. Many people, for various reasons, aren’t eligible for housing benefit and have to pay their rent themselves out of their UC and PIP. Your experience of disability isn’t the same as everyone else’s. Many have nothing left over after paying their basic costs, many don’t even have enough for the basics. Also the lowest rate of PIP is £114 a month, not £300.
I’m not sure why you’re trying to make being disabled and living on benefits easier than it actually is.
Right but I clarified in my original comment that I was talking about the housebound. I’m not saying that others do not exist, just considering what ghouls may be thinking about behind the scenes.
What does this have to do with the topic though? Are you saying housebound people get too much money? And so what if they buy entertainment from abroad - doesn’t everyone these days? Should they have to stare at a blank wall all day? They are still contributing to the British economy by buying their food and utilities here, and as stated, many actually pay rent. To even bring up the topic of housebound people not contributing enough to the economy by supposedly spending money abroad is such a capitalist mindset - why do disabled people need to justify their existence and their pittance in payments by contributing to the economy anyway?
No. Not everything is an argument or debate. I’m just thinking out loud and putting thought to post.
Try to assume the best of everyone here.
Yes but the prior user mused that they’re contributing to the economy. They’re contributing to a different economy if it goes abroad. I’m speculating that the ghouls may think that has absolutely no meaningful value to them whatsoever.
Yes it is, because I’m speculating about what they’re thinking.
You’re assuming the worst instead of the best of other people here. I am not your enemy or trying to fight or argue with you, at all.
I agree. That does not mean the ghouls aren’t thinking it though.