But if they claim them, they get labelled as lazy and chancers. Plus the convoluted nature of the system is a slog to get through with far too much hoop jumping. And if that’s not enough, the constant threat of having the rug pulled from under you via sanctions is enough to give even the strongest willed sheer anxiety.
fun fact: everyone who tried to apply for welfare, but gets discouraged part way through the process due to either the complexity or crapita lying about their claims validity, is counted as welfare fraud being prevented.
My husband is ill-health retired at 35. Housebound and very sick. NHS Consultant said in writing that he’ll likely never be well enough to work again.
But he was denied PIP (and is too sick to keep fighting for it). By extension, I’m denied being his carer. I earn too much for us to claim anything means-tested, so we get zero support from the Government. (And I’m not a particularly high earner).
We’d actually start to get support for him if we divorced, but that’s a whole different can of worms.
So we disappear off any Government stats and he’s seen as “economically inactive” Bullshit. He’s disabled but they’ve managed to make the system so twisted that they’ve destroyed any safety net.
stop calling them benefits.
it is just welfare. it is social support.
This is why there is a stigma associated with social support in the UK.
Referring to it as a “benefits” system creates the false impression that someone is getting something extra for nothing. Hence why the full time labourer not entitled to assistance feels betrayed because “why should they get benefits and not me”.
In reality, that person has barely enough as it is, and the support they receive gives them some degree of dignity.
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But if they claim them, they get labelled as lazy and chancers. Plus the convoluted nature of the system is a slog to get through with far too much hoop jumping. And if that’s not enough, the constant threat of having the rug pulled from under you via sanctions is enough to give even the strongest willed sheer anxiety.
fun fact: everyone who tried to apply for welfare, but gets discouraged part way through the process due to either the complexity or crapita lying about their claims validity, is counted as welfare fraud being prevented.
My husband is ill-health retired at 35. Housebound and very sick. NHS Consultant said in writing that he’ll likely never be well enough to work again.
But he was denied PIP (and is too sick to keep fighting for it). By extension, I’m denied being his carer. I earn too much for us to claim anything means-tested, so we get zero support from the Government. (And I’m not a particularly high earner).
We’d actually start to get support for him if we divorced, but that’s a whole different can of worms.
So we disappear off any Government stats and he’s seen as “economically inactive” Bullshit. He’s disabled but they’ve managed to make the system so twisted that they’ve destroyed any safety net.
stop calling them benefits.
it is just welfare. it is social support.
This is why there is a stigma associated with social support in the UK.
Referring to it as a “benefits” system creates the false impression that someone is getting something extra for nothing. Hence why the full time labourer not entitled to assistance feels betrayed because “why should they get benefits and not me”.
In reality, that person has barely enough as it is, and the support they receive gives them some degree of dignity.