Regardless of the activism disabled and chronically ill people have been doing now for over ten years, including warning the general public of what potentially lies ahead, it seems that we have now reached the point many feared regarding Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) benefit cuts. After 15 years of austerity and now a “Labour” government determined to outdo the Tories, many are extremely concerned and unsure what will happen to their entitlements and support, specifically DWP Personal Independence Payment (PIP).
DWP PIP cuts are coming
With the recent discovery of a survey (DO NOT FILL IT OUT, IT’S NONE OF THEIR BUSINESS) asking claimants what they spend their money on – along with similar ones by charities and organisations like There for ME and Scope – many chronically ill and disabled people are terrified as to what will happen to their DWP PIP support and whether they will still be entitled to it.
DWP PIP is a payment that chronically ill and disabled people receive regardless of whether they are in work or not. It is to support with the additional costs of being disabled.
But as of Labour’s Spring Statement and Green Paper, it has become clear that this entitlement is going to be reduced or removed for up to 1.3 million people. Along with many who currently receive this entitlement suddenly being left without it, there are also plans to push these chronically ill and disabled people back into work if they also get Universal Credit.
Are they taking the (DWP) PIP…?
Although I work as a writer and activist at the Canary and I am very lucky to have a partner that works and supports me, I am also incredibly lucky to have an amazing bunch of understanding work colleagues, who all live with chronic illnesses.
But many aren’t so lucky and don’t have this support – making these incredibly concerning times for any disabled or chronically ill person this affects.
Being a chronically ill and disabled person who, due to Universal Credit and living with a partner that earns over the threshold to get it, I have already lost my full health element of my entitlements. This includes my National Insurance contributions. As it stands, I already have to work around nine hours a week to cover these payments, or pay this out of my PIP entitlement.
So, if my PIP was stopped this would be the reality for me.
Although I look “absolutely fine” to most, I am in fact chronically ill and disabled, not workshy, and not a scrounger for getting DWP PIP either.
Labour PIP takers
I live with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS), atlantoaxial instability (AAI), craniocervical instability (CCI), postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME/CFS), gastroparesis, and epilepsy, to name a few of my conditions – not unlike thousands of others in the UK. And, along with the appointments and recovery times that come with these chronic illnesses and disabilities I live with, the following reflects an average four-month period in my life.
So far this year I have had four gastroparesis flares where I vomit continuously for around 24 hours – then needing around a week to recover.
I have had dumping syndrome twice (where I have uncontrollable diarrhoea), both times lasting around 48 hours, needing around two days to recover.
I have had severe vasomotor rhinitis causing post nasal drip that has been repeatedly getting worse, resulting in no sleep unless upright for around two weeks each time. This needed a doctors appointment and sleeping tablets along with an urgent private ENT appointment to finally get the correct treatment.
I have also had a deterioration in my POTS symptoms, lasting around 24 hours each time. This has resulted in me having to elevate my legs for long periods, whilst still awaiting a private appointment with my POTS specialist.
Therefore, if I was working or forced to work fulltime this year, I would have already missed nearly seven weeks out of the 15 working ones. I have only physically managed to attend four protests and write six articles from home for the Canary.
This is just one example of a chronically ill and disabled persons life who may now lose the support of DWP PIP.
Really taking the (DWP) PIP now…!
There are at least 2.9 million people who live with either EDS, POTS, ME, long Covid, epilepsy, or a combination of them. These being just some of the conditions that currently allow an entitlement of PIP. With there currently being around 3.7 million people receiving DWP PIP, even if by some stroke of luck or a miracle taking their support away suddenly makes people better or cured, where are the jobs, then…?
As Canary journalist Rachel Charlton-Dailey recently said there are seven (yes, SEVEN) jobs that are actually available for people with chronic illnesses and disabilities that would allow them to work from home part time. And seriously, who would actually employ someone who doesn’t know from one day to the next whether their going to be well enough or able to work, even if they really wanted to? Let alone the fact that taking peoples entitlements and financial support away doesn’t suddenly make them better, quite the opposite in fact.
The impact this will have on already isolated and vulnerable people will be devastating. In my opinion, this isn’t just an attack on chronically ill and disabled people, specifically people living with invisible disabilities who will be affected the most.
This is an attack on the once-proud mindset that allowed the foundations of the NHS, social security, and social housing to be built. We are being taken further away from welfare and closer to warfare purely to create wealth for rich people at the detriment of poor people.
I also honestly despair at the millions of people whose blatant ignorance is allowing this to continue to happen. Propaganda might make you discriminate, but trust me, disability does not.
Disclaimer:
On writing this article I had a fourth gastroparesis flare that lasted over a week. Not only was I unable to move out of my bed I lost two pounds in the process. Apart from my partner Steve I was completely isolated.
I honestly don’t think I would still be here if it wasn’t for his support over the last decade, and as many will know, all of my conditions were originally dismissed as mental health issues prior to him attending appointments with me. This included my epilepsy that was dismissed as psychiatric and a ‘childhood trauma’, and therefore left untreated for over 10 years, including my tonic clonic seizures.
This is not uncommon in the chronic illness community, with many, specifically women taking years to get a diagnosis. It seems having a dick to swing makes all the difference.
The point being, Steve has had to finish this article for me. Just another reason why taking away DWP PIP from people like me is just plain wrong.
Featured image via the Canary
