Inhuman Tories benefits system discriminates against those with mental illness

Mental health claimants are more than twice as likely to lose their benefit as non-psychiatric claimants.

People who are mentally ill are 2.4 times more likely than claimants with non-psychiatric conditions to lose their existing benefit following a Personal Independence Payment (PIP) eligibility assessment, research has found.

Published in the British Journal of Psychiatry Open, the study from the University of York analysed government data of claimants moving from an existing Disability Living Allowance (DLA) entitlement to PIP between April 2013 and October 2016.

Professor Kate Pickett from the Department of Health Sciences, said: “Our study provides robust evidence that the benefits system discriminates against those with mental illness. The government needs to take notice and take action to ensure that those with mental illness are treated fairly.”

The Department for Work and Pensions has told its disability benefits assessors to discriminate against people with mental health conditions compared to those with physical problems.

New guidelines from the department to assessors for the Personal Independence Payment (PIP) benefit appears to explicitly single out those with mental health conditions who suffer identical impacts as those with physical conditions.

Raving Tory double standards

Southport MP Damien Moore previously made an appeal to residents in the town who may be affected by mental health – not to suffer in silence.

https://www.otsnews.co.uk/mp-damien-moore-on-world-mental-health-day/

However, his plea was simply lip-service to the greater crisis as his Tory government is at the centre of the welfare axis that has driven some people to attempt suicide.

Furthermore, Downing Street policy chief and Tory MP George Freeman was accused of denigrating mental health issues after he said the changes were simply “tweaks”, aimed at “people who take pills at home who suffer from anxiety.”

He argued that the exclusion of mental health conditions would “get the money to the really disabled people who need it”.

However, Freeman said in a series of tweets that he “hugely regrets” any offence caused by his remarks.

In a previous interview about the rule changes, which would prevent what would otherwise have been a £3.6bn increase in the benefits bill, Freeman criticised “some bizarre decisions by tribunals that now mean benefits are being given to people who are taking pills at home, who suffer from anxiety”.

It appears that the real Tory priority is cash and not helping people with mental health issues!