Stef Benstead
@stefbenstead.bsky.social
Christian interested in socio-economic justice.
Chronically ill with hEDS, PoTS, fibro/Small Fibre Neuropathy.
Independent (unpaid) researcher in chronic illness and social policy.
Books: Second Class Citizens; Just Worship.
Chronically ill with hEDS, PoTS, fibro/Small Fibre Neuropathy.
Independent (unpaid) researcher in chronic illness and social policy.
Books: Second Class Citizens; Just Worship.
@resfoundation previously looked at labour force elasticities to comment on employment rates after cutting support to sick & disabled people.
Barr et al's paper indicates that the UK, with its already-harsh system, is unlikely to see even the very small gains of other countries.
Barr et al's paper indicates that the UK, with its already-harsh system, is unlikely to see even the very small gains of other countries.
November 21, 2025 at 11:34 AM
@resfoundation previously looked at labour force elasticities to comment on employment rates after cutting support to sick & disabled people.
Barr et al's paper indicates that the UK, with its already-harsh system, is unlikely to see even the very small gains of other countries.
Barr et al's paper indicates that the UK, with its already-harsh system, is unlikely to see even the very small gains of other countries.
Cutting the income of people who are too sick to work but deemed capable of work-related activity:
- increases poverty;
- increases the incidence of mental illness;
- does not increase entry to work.
Labour want to repeat this, for people who are more sick.
papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers....
- increases poverty;
- increases the incidence of mental illness;
- does not increase entry to work.
Labour want to repeat this, for people who are more sick.
papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers....
Page Cannot be Found
papers.ssrn.com
November 21, 2025 at 11:24 AM
Cutting the income of people who are too sick to work but deemed capable of work-related activity:
- increases poverty;
- increases the incidence of mental illness;
- does not increase entry to work.
Labour want to repeat this, for people who are more sick.
papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers....
- increases poverty;
- increases the incidence of mental illness;
- does not increase entry to work.
Labour want to repeat this, for people who are more sick.
papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers....
@UKLabour have *not* long-grassed the key welfare change that they proposed - to completely eradicate the concept of long-term sickness, or being too sick to work, from Social Security.
They plan to do this by scrapping the Work Capability Assessment.
They plan to do this by scrapping the Work Capability Assessment.
November 12, 2025 at 2:52 PM
@UKLabour have *not* long-grassed the key welfare change that they proposed - to completely eradicate the concept of long-term sickness, or being too sick to work, from Social Security.
They plan to do this by scrapping the Work Capability Assessment.
They plan to do this by scrapping the Work Capability Assessment.
It's not 4mn who *never* have to work.
It's 4mn who currently aren't required to look or prepare for work, due to e.g. severe illness, disability, or caring responsibilities.
Also at an all-time high: the size of the UK working-age population.
Also high: state pension age.
It's 4mn who currently aren't required to look or prepare for work, due to e.g. severe illness, disability, or caring responsibilities.
Also at an all-time high: the size of the UK working-age population.
Also high: state pension age.
November 12, 2025 at 2:34 PM
It's not 4mn who *never* have to work.
It's 4mn who currently aren't required to look or prepare for work, due to e.g. severe illness, disability, or caring responsibilities.
Also at an all-time high: the size of the UK working-age population.
Also high: state pension age.
It's 4mn who currently aren't required to look or prepare for work, due to e.g. severe illness, disability, or caring responsibilities.
Also at an all-time high: the size of the UK working-age population.
Also high: state pension age.
This is my favourite pain scale.
It feels like the one that most accurately captures the full range of pain, and conveys the associated distress. I might have to print it out, so that I can point to it when people ask how my pain is.
It feels like the one that most accurately captures the full range of pain, and conveys the associated distress. I might have to print it out, so that I can point to it when people ask how my pain is.
November 5, 2025 at 5:34 PM
This is my favourite pain scale.
It feels like the one that most accurately captures the full range of pain, and conveys the associated distress. I might have to print it out, so that I can point to it when people ask how my pain is.
It feels like the one that most accurately captures the full range of pain, and conveys the associated distress. I might have to print it out, so that I can point to it when people ask how my pain is.
Reposted by Stef Benstead
The first question to ask whenever you hear a statisical claim about sickness & disability benefit receipt is 'has @benbgeiger.bsky.social posted on this yet?' and if the answer is 'no' wait until he has before commenting. inequalities.substack.com/p/have-new-w...
Have new WCA claims exploded in the last year?
Yet again, the DWP has been publishing data in a misleading way, making it hard to know what's going on...
inequalities.substack.com
November 5, 2025 at 2:37 PM
The first question to ask whenever you hear a statisical claim about sickness & disability benefit receipt is 'has @benbgeiger.bsky.social posted on this yet?' and if the answer is 'no' wait until he has before commenting. inequalities.substack.com/p/have-new-w...
Do you know what else young people miss out on when they're too ill to work?
Health.
Because that's the real problem here. It's not young 'workers' missing out on 'work'. It's young *people* who are *sick*.
www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/...
Health.
Because that's the real problem here. It's not young 'workers' missing out on 'work'. It's young *people* who are *sick*.
www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/...
Young workers miss out on £1m when they drop work through sickness
A review by Sir Charlie Mayfield finds young people are leaving the workforce at an unprecedented rate, costing themselves and the country millions
www.thetimes.com
November 5, 2025 at 5:32 PM
Do you know what else young people miss out on when they're too ill to work?
Health.
Because that's the real problem here. It's not young 'workers' missing out on 'work'. It's young *people* who are *sick*.
www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/...
Health.
Because that's the real problem here. It's not young 'workers' missing out on 'work'. It's young *people* who are *sick*.
www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/...
I've written up some initial thoughts on the government's response to the Pathways to Work consultation.
There were 48,000 responses to this consultation. Many people oppose the basic principles and key changes (cuts) proposed by the government.
www.stefbenstead.co.uk/post/pathway...
There were 48,000 responses to this consultation. Many people oppose the basic principles and key changes (cuts) proposed by the government.
www.stefbenstead.co.uk/post/pathway...
Pathways to Work: the government's response to the consultation
On 30th October 2025, the Labour government released its response to the consultation on the Pathways to Work Green Paper 2025. The government received nearly 15,000 direct responses (i.e. responses t...
www.stefbenstead.co.uk
November 1, 2025 at 12:21 PM
I've written up some initial thoughts on the government's response to the Pathways to Work consultation.
There were 48,000 responses to this consultation. Many people oppose the basic principles and key changes (cuts) proposed by the government.
www.stefbenstead.co.uk/post/pathway...
There were 48,000 responses to this consultation. Many people oppose the basic principles and key changes (cuts) proposed by the government.
www.stefbenstead.co.uk/post/pathway...
I have previously 'overcome anxiety' to speak on TV (I was on BBC NW).
This doesn't change the fact that I have two anti-depressants and a sedative to keep my distress levels within manageable levels. By 'manageable' I mean I'm managing to stay alive.
This doesn't change the fact that I have two anti-depressants and a sedative to keep my distress levels within manageable levels. By 'manageable' I mean I'm managing to stay alive.
November 1, 2025 at 11:00 AM
I have previously 'overcome anxiety' to speak on TV (I was on BBC NW).
This doesn't change the fact that I have two anti-depressants and a sedative to keep my distress levels within manageable levels. By 'manageable' I mean I'm managing to stay alive.
This doesn't change the fact that I have two anti-depressants and a sedative to keep my distress levels within manageable levels. By 'manageable' I mean I'm managing to stay alive.
Do you know what organisation/group was responsible for this? "32,788 responses from a single campaigning platform, which put 2 surveys asking its own questions to its members".
I can't remember seeing a survey with massive reach like that, but that may be Twitter's fault.
I can't remember seeing a survey with massive reach like that, but that may be Twitter's fault.
November 1, 2025 at 10:33 AM
Do you know what organisation/group was responsible for this? "32,788 responses from a single campaigning platform, which put 2 surveys asking its own questions to its members".
I can't remember seeing a survey with massive reach like that, but that may be Twitter's fault.
I can't remember seeing a survey with massive reach like that, but that may be Twitter's fault.
If what you mean to say is that Motability should only be for adapted vehicles, then you should know that adapted vehicles on Motability require up-front payments, above a person's PIP, which many can't afford. The scheme is already beyond many people's means.
November 1, 2025 at 10:23 AM
If what you mean to say is that Motability should only be for adapted vehicles, then you should know that adapted vehicles on Motability require up-front payments, above a person's PIP, which many can't afford. The scheme is already beyond many people's means.
Most disabled people don't need adapted vehicles. I'm not a permanent wheelchair user, & therefore don't need an adapted vehicle because I can transfer to a normal seat. But I still need to pay for a mobility scooter and taxis, because I'm disabled. That's why I qualify for PIP.
November 1, 2025 at 10:21 AM
Most disabled people don't need adapted vehicles. I'm not a permanent wheelchair user, & therefore don't need an adapted vehicle because I can transfer to a normal seat. But I still need to pay for a mobility scooter and taxis, because I'm disabled. That's why I qualify for PIP.
GPs know that work can be good for people.
They also know that work can be bad for people.
Sick-notes are a valuable therapeutic tool.
Sick people need healthcare, not workfare.
https://bmcprimcare.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1471-2296-13-82
They also know that work can be bad for people.
Sick-notes are a valuable therapeutic tool.
Sick people need healthcare, not workfare.
https://bmcprimcare.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1471-2296-13-82
October 18, 2025 at 7:47 AM
GPs know that work can be good for people.
They also know that work can be bad for people.
Sick-notes are a valuable therapeutic tool.
Sick people need healthcare, not workfare.
https://bmcprimcare.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1471-2296-13-82
They also know that work can be bad for people.
Sick-notes are a valuable therapeutic tool.
Sick people need healthcare, not workfare.
https://bmcprimcare.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1471-2296-13-82
It's World Mental Health Day.
Here in the UK, we're lucky to have a government that plans to cure mental illness by the radical approach of declaring it to not be a mental illness.
Here in my life, my general snark levels are increasing as a side-effect of anti-depressant #2.
Here in the UK, we're lucky to have a government that plans to cure mental illness by the radical approach of declaring it to not be a mental illness.
Here in my life, my general snark levels are increasing as a side-effect of anti-depressant #2.
October 10, 2025 at 9:25 AM
It's World Mental Health Day.
Here in the UK, we're lucky to have a government that plans to cure mental illness by the radical approach of declaring it to not be a mental illness.
Here in my life, my general snark levels are increasing as a side-effect of anti-depressant #2.
Here in the UK, we're lucky to have a government that plans to cure mental illness by the radical approach of declaring it to not be a mental illness.
Here in my life, my general snark levels are increasing as a side-effect of anti-depressant #2.
Shock discovery that people who are eligible for *and claim* PIP get more PIP than people who are eligible for *but don't claim* PIP.
And more money than people who aren't eligible and don't claim, but not enough to mitigate the extra costs of disability.
www.telegraph.co.uk/business/202...
And more money than people who aren't eligible and don't claim, but not enough to mitigate the extra costs of disability.
www.telegraph.co.uk/business/202...
Sickness benefits pay more than the minimum wage for one million Britons
UK ‘writing off’ generation of young people with welfare payments of up to £25,000 a year
www.telegraph.co.uk
August 30, 2025 at 7:22 PM
Shock discovery that people who are eligible for *and claim* PIP get more PIP than people who are eligible for *but don't claim* PIP.
And more money than people who aren't eligible and don't claim, but not enough to mitigate the extra costs of disability.
www.telegraph.co.uk/business/202...
And more money than people who aren't eligible and don't claim, but not enough to mitigate the extra costs of disability.
www.telegraph.co.uk/business/202...
"Everyone ultimately believes in some moral absolutes. Once we realise this, the new question becomes: Which set of beliefs and moral absolutes leads us to embrace most fully those from whom we deeply differ?"
Tim Keller, The Prodigal Prophet, pg173
Tim Keller, The Prodigal Prophet, pg173
August 11, 2025 at 4:16 PM
"Everyone ultimately believes in some moral absolutes. Once we realise this, the new question becomes: Which set of beliefs and moral absolutes leads us to embrace most fully those from whom we deeply differ?"
Tim Keller, The Prodigal Prophet, pg173
Tim Keller, The Prodigal Prophet, pg173
Latest blog!
I don't think it's as well constructed and written as normal; I'm just too exhausted. But I'm keen to get this work out there, because other reports are over-estimating the likely efficacy of employment support for sick and disabled people who aren't fit for work.
I don't think it's as well constructed and written as normal; I'm just too exhausted. But I'm keen to get this work out there, because other reports are over-estimating the likely efficacy of employment support for sick and disabled people who aren't fit for work.
May 26, 2025 at 11:04 AM
Latest blog!
I don't think it's as well constructed and written as normal; I'm just too exhausted. But I'm keen to get this work out there, because other reports are over-estimating the likely efficacy of employment support for sick and disabled people who aren't fit for work.
I don't think it's as well constructed and written as normal; I'm just too exhausted. But I'm keen to get this work out there, because other reports are over-estimating the likely efficacy of employment support for sick and disabled people who aren't fit for work.
"Many subscribe to Lionel Robbins’ definition of economics as the allocation of scarce resources among competing ends or to the stronger version that says that economists should focus on efficiency & leave equity to others, to politicians or administrators."
Angus Deaton www.imf.org/en/Publicati...
Angus Deaton www.imf.org/en/Publicati...
Rethinking Economics or Rethinking My Economics by Angus Deaton
Questioning one’s views as circumstances evolve can be a good thing
www.imf.org
May 23, 2025 at 12:27 PM
"Many subscribe to Lionel Robbins’ definition of economics as the allocation of scarce resources among competing ends or to the stronger version that says that economists should focus on efficiency & leave equity to others, to politicians or administrators."
Angus Deaton www.imf.org/en/Publicati...
Angus Deaton www.imf.org/en/Publicati...
“Some people say wait until you’ve got all the waiting lists down, wait until you’ve created all the new jobs.”
Yes.
Does she know why people say that?
It's because if you cut social security whilst people are sick & there aren't enough jobs, all you're doing is harm.
observer.co.uk/news/politic...
Yes.
Does she know why people say that?
It's because if you cut social security whilst people are sick & there aren't enough jobs, all you're doing is harm.
observer.co.uk/news/politic...
Welfare shake-up is not to save cash, it’s a ‘moral mission’, insists Kendall | The Observer
Independent journalism | News, culture & style | Investigations, analysis, features, ideas, recipes, newsletters & podcasts that make sense of the world
observer.co.uk
May 23, 2025 at 11:44 AM
“Some people say wait until you’ve got all the waiting lists down, wait until you’ve created all the new jobs.”
Yes.
Does she know why people say that?
It's because if you cut social security whilst people are sick & there aren't enough jobs, all you're doing is harm.
observer.co.uk/news/politic...
Yes.
Does she know why people say that?
It's because if you cut social security whilst people are sick & there aren't enough jobs, all you're doing is harm.
observer.co.uk/news/politic...
This matters.
"On its own, the number of disabled people explains 71% of the PIP caseload in a particular region. But when we add each region’s relative deprivation using the Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) we can explain 94% of the regional PIP caseload."
neweconomics.org/2025/05/what...
"On its own, the number of disabled people explains 71% of the PIP caseload in a particular region. But when we add each region’s relative deprivation using the Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) we can explain 94% of the regional PIP caseload."
neweconomics.org/2025/05/what...
What’s behind the rise in disability benefit claims?
Rising rates of disability colliding with greater financial hardship are pushing more people to seek support
neweconomics.org
May 6, 2025 at 9:01 PM
This matters.
"On its own, the number of disabled people explains 71% of the PIP caseload in a particular region. But when we add each region’s relative deprivation using the Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) we can explain 94% of the regional PIP caseload."
neweconomics.org/2025/05/what...
"On its own, the number of disabled people explains 71% of the PIP caseload in a particular region. But when we add each region’s relative deprivation using the Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) we can explain 94% of the regional PIP caseload."
neweconomics.org/2025/05/what...
Faced with major opposition and clear evidence against benefit cuts, Labour responds:
"We didn’t go big enough the first time round."
DWP thinks there may need to be a total of £15bn cut from social security.
This would be an unmitigated disaster.
www.theguardian.com/society/2025...
"We didn’t go big enough the first time round."
DWP thinks there may need to be a total of £15bn cut from social security.
This would be an unmitigated disaster.
www.theguardian.com/society/2025...
No 10 rethinking winter fuel payment cut after Labour slump in local elections
Exclusive: government fears further electoral losses from unpopular policy as well as from planned £5bn of benefits cuts
www.theguardian.com
May 5, 2025 at 8:49 PM
Faced with major opposition and clear evidence against benefit cuts, Labour responds:
"We didn’t go big enough the first time round."
DWP thinks there may need to be a total of £15bn cut from social security.
This would be an unmitigated disaster.
www.theguardian.com/society/2025...
"We didn’t go big enough the first time round."
DWP thinks there may need to be a total of £15bn cut from social security.
This would be an unmitigated disaster.
www.theguardian.com/society/2025...
I guess sick and disabled people are just 'unsustainable'.
It's unsustainable to support us outside of paid work.
It's unsustainable to support us in the extra costs we face.
And it's unsustainable to support us to engage in paid work.
www.disabilitynewsservice.com/minister-sug...
It's unsustainable to support us outside of paid work.
It's unsustainable to support us in the extra costs we face.
And it's unsustainable to support us to engage in paid work.
www.disabilitynewsservice.com/minister-sug...
Minister suggests cuts are coming to Access to Work scheme
Ministers appear to be set to announce cuts to a flagship disability employment scheme, just as the government is trying to push more disabled people towards the workplace. Sir Stephen Timms (pictu…
www.disabilitynewsservice.com
April 13, 2025 at 6:31 AM
I guess sick and disabled people are just 'unsustainable'.
It's unsustainable to support us outside of paid work.
It's unsustainable to support us in the extra costs we face.
And it's unsustainable to support us to engage in paid work.
www.disabilitynewsservice.com/minister-sug...
It's unsustainable to support us outside of paid work.
It's unsustainable to support us in the extra costs we face.
And it's unsustainable to support us to engage in paid work.
www.disabilitynewsservice.com/minister-sug...
This is appalling
time.com/7269604/el-s...
time.com/7269604/el-s...
What the Venezuelans Deported to El Salvador Experienced
Exclusive photos of the arrival of Venezuelan detainees deported from the U.S.
time.com
March 23, 2025 at 9:57 PM
This is appalling
time.com/7269604/el-s...
time.com/7269604/el-s...
Ironic qu in the Labour #DisabilityBenefits consult:
"We are consulting therefore on how we should determine who is subject to a requirement only to participate in conversations, or work preparation activity rather than the stronger requirements placed on people in the Intensive Work Search regime."
"We are consulting therefore on how we should determine who is subject to a requirement only to participate in conversations, or work preparation activity rather than the stronger requirements placed on people in the Intensive Work Search regime."
March 19, 2025 at 7:22 PM
Ironic qu in the Labour #DisabilityBenefits consult:
"We are consulting therefore on how we should determine who is subject to a requirement only to participate in conversations, or work preparation activity rather than the stronger requirements placed on people in the Intensive Work Search regime."
"We are consulting therefore on how we should determine who is subject to a requirement only to participate in conversations, or work preparation activity rather than the stronger requirements placed on people in the Intensive Work Search regime."
"We will also legislate to establish in law the principle that work in and of itself will never lead to a reassessment."
Well, obviously. That is going to happen anyway. Because you're scrapping the WCA, and PIP assessments aren't related to capacity for work.
#DisabilityBenefits
Well, obviously. That is going to happen anyway. Because you're scrapping the WCA, and PIP assessments aren't related to capacity for work.
#DisabilityBenefits
March 19, 2025 at 6:12 PM
"We will also legislate to establish in law the principle that work in and of itself will never lead to a reassessment."
Well, obviously. That is going to happen anyway. Because you're scrapping the WCA, and PIP assessments aren't related to capacity for work.
#DisabilityBenefits
Well, obviously. That is going to happen anyway. Because you're scrapping the WCA, and PIP assessments aren't related to capacity for work.
#DisabilityBenefits