Must be nice to hear it through choice! 😆

*sigh*

I agree, that phrase is dismissive on multiple levels. Still, it is a good idea to teach kids how to deal with unfairness without taking all of it on themselves/ expecting their caregivers to sort it. Fighting injustice everywhere you find it is just not sustainable.

Thanks for this. So nice to see someone opening up a view of the big picture rather than spouting narrow one-sided arguments. Really enjoyed your piece :)

Also more in benefits down the line: "...it all comes back to child poverty. Growing up in poverty causes mental health problems and other chronic illnesses early in life, leading to high use of disability benefits"
www.bigissue.com/news/social-...

Good Q. If you think of having a child as a multi-step process (e.g. 1. Partner choice 2. Unprotected sex 3. No morning-after pill 4. No abortion 5. Not relinquishing the child), you can see the two-child limit doesn’t factor in + it disproportionately affects women who end up raising children alone

Isn't the "eligibility verification measure" to flag claimant bank accounts with too much capital or income in the Public Authorities (Fraud and Error) Bill? bills.parliament.uk/bills/3921 Not yet passed. Data Protection and Digital Information Bill had similar proposal but never passed...

"replete with elegant satisfaction" sent a wave of that contented feeling my way, what a lovely turn of phrase 😊

I suspect the rate in benefit claims has been steeper than the increase in illness because sick/disabled ppl made do without claiming until the cost of living forced them to. They were still entitled!

If it's really getting you down, or it's dragging on, do get yourself a benefits advisor. Check out advicelocal.uk to find out who's near you. An advisor may help you deal with the DWP, complain (if appropriate) and ask for flexibility in light of any vulnerabilities/difficulties you have

It is stressful so don't beat yourself up for finding it so. DWP processes are very opaque which doesn't help. I'm concerned about how they learnt about the energy bill credit in the first place - unless you disclosed it? I don't think the DWP has the power to get info directly from energy providers

I've never heard of DWP gaining direct access to utility balances - doesn't sound right... maybe on a credit report? But that's usually when you've defaulted/you're in debt. I will be looking this up when time allows, for sure!

Thanks Paul, server issues again. Be assured we're investigating long-term solutions!

Thanks for bringing these stats to my attention Charlie. Interesting to see that even after lapsing such a high proportion of appeals, appeal success rates are still very high at tribunal.

The W&P Committee’s proposal to record benefit claimant status on death certificates is sensitive — but it could help us better understand the pressures facing people of working age, and how support systems might be failing them.
committees.parliament.uk/oralevidence...

Also of self-employed people having to stop work due to illness or some other shock, and having to use savings meant for restocking/ retraining/ replacing tools on living costs

I've seen cases of couples separating, having too little capital from sale of shared property to buy elsewhere, spending their precious savings on rent at a time when it's harder to increase earnings (e.g. childcare) and the family being trapped on benefits