Those considered obese, and with drug and alcohol dependency are to face sanctions if they refuse treatment for their ‘life style choices’ announces Cameron. A review has been carried out by Dame Carol Black, well known as one of the architects of the Bio-psycho-social model on which the punitive work capability assessment is based- now an advisor to the Department of Health. The announcement today claims that particular groups will face sanctions if they dont get help. Yet Cameron’s unelected Government have consistently slashed front line support. Cameron’s announcement has been described as ‘a stupid stunt’ and ’embarressing’ by Alastair Campbell
But our own Ellen Clifford said it best:
“The cheap election trick by the Tories to threaten to stop benefits to those who with drug and alcohol dependency issues and obesity who “refuse” treatment is obscene and some might say a convenient distraction from the issue of Cameron’s tax avoiding friends. Affecting only 100,000 out of 2.5 million sickness benefit claimants such measures won’t even dent the welfare budget but it will further demonise the poorest and most disadvantaged in society. People in these situations have often experienced terrible trauma and may never be able to work, not as a life style choice but as the result of complex and enduring conditions and the multiple barriers they face, including a disproportionate number of ex service personnel. No one treatment option works for everyone. With the savage cuts to frontline services those treatment options that are available are steadily decreasing. Benefit sanctions will not work and will only punish those who have suffered enough. If the government really cared about obesity and substance dependency they would be providing real support to people not taking away their lifeline. This shouldn’t be happening in the seventh wealthiest nation in the world.”
see: https://news.sky.com/story/1427279/obese-could-lose-benefits-unless-they-diet
There are 1780 ESA/IB claimants with obesity as primary condition out of 2,501.480 claimants, 56,000 with alcohol misuse, plus 33,650 with drug misuse, so we are talking about 3,6% of the total caseload. But these numbers do not refer to those refusing any treatment.There are, as far as we are aware, no figures for this.
This is typical of the so called self proclaimed Master of Care or as we all know him the Prime Minister. He claims that he knows and understands about disabled people but builds his policies on pure hatred, prejudice and discrimination. As a parent carer of two disabled sons one of which has epilepsy and has ballooned in weight due to his medication I am well aware of the consequences this will have on people!
DC needs to take a good look at his government, tbh. IDS? Obese. Pickles? Morbidly isn’t the word for how obese he is. Yet people on benefits have to be thin. Does that mean larger people no longer have to pay NI? After all, if they are unable to benefit from their statutory, protected insurance scheme, why should they have to be part of it?
Funny innit? The government says it cannot track down and prosecute large scale tax avoiders and evaders and was unable to act on the HSBC information given to them in 2010. But it is magically able to determine the weight of every single individual on benefits and if they go an ounce over their allowed BMI* their money is stopped.
Oh well, they weren’t voted in last time and they won’t be voted in this time either, especially if the SNP keeps its promise to shore up the Labour count.
Seventh richest country in the world … and we have food banks. As a higher rate taxpayer, one of those the bone idle members of the government love (yes, bone idle. DC is our first 9-5 PM and is on holiday almost as much as the royal scroungers) but who admits she’s a damn sight less hard working than people on minimum wage such as carers, cleaners, shop staff and so on who need the assistance of food banks, I am ashamed.
*BMI is a bad tool to use to determine if someone is overweight. Current research proves it severely underestimates the healthy weight of taller people, for instance.
This phoney attack on obese and/or drug and alcohol dependant claimants, isn’t all it seems to be, at first glance. It’s the first shots across the bow, towards Food Vouchers, instead of cash benefits.
Specifically targeted at the ‘lowest in society’ now, but, aimed eventually, at all claimants on Means Tested Benefits if the Tories get back into power.
Cheap trick or not the scary thing is, that it acually works. God help us.
This will severely target mental health patients. Many, if not most psychiatric drugs – from antipsychotics to lithium to amitriptyline (also forced on fibromyalgia patients) – cause weight gain (often severe and very rapid) as a side effect.
Yet many MH patients risk forced hospitalisation, and/or being forcibly pinned down and injected with the drugs at home, should they fail to comply with a prescribed treatment regardless of the reason.
It seems that anyone with an MH issue will now be faced with a choice between sectioning and sanctioning. How is this NOT torture?
Weight watchers diets etc aren’t suitable for those with additional dietry requirements be that low salt diets for blood pressure, someone with IBS who’s bowels can’t cope with fibre, allergies, etc. Are they going to provide them with access to a dietician to sort out a diet tailored to their specific needs? Doubt it. They’ll just sanction them for not being able to follow whatever the governments prefered one-size-fits-all (which ussually means fits no one) program is. And remember the medical term obese covers folk generally considered plump or a bit overweight not just the extreme cases where it makes them unable to do anything. Most obese benefit claimants will be fit for work or disabled for reasons unrelated to their weight and will include carers and those who work out so much they haven’t got an ounce of fat on them- muscles weigh a lot so make you obese according to your BMI.