Hello all, 

There has still been a lot of negativity in the news regarding Disabled people and benefits. I think what is quite dangerous is that our politicians do not seem to have a clue about what our lives are like. 

An example I will focus on is Personal Independence Payment. 

A lot of politicians seemed to be going around talking about how we should make work pay. They will then proceed to discuss talking about how too many people are claiming PIP and we should change the benefits system to ensure people stop claiming these benefits and are instead allocated vouchers or grants. 

Here are a few reasons why I believe this will not work: 

Access to Work already exists on a similar basis and there is a huge backlog of claims waiting to be processed. These are benefits which enable a Disabled person to have the necessary support in place to help them access work. 

If PIP is put onto a similar scheme then those who are accessing PIP will be in a similar situation where the government is ill equipped to help process claims for items or services Disabled people use. 

But what are some of these services? 

Some Disabled people may pay for their care needs out of PIP benefit because they don’t qualify for support from the council. They may need support with anything from doing their shopping (yes Disabled people have the right the right to wander round supermarkets like everyone else) 

Not all treatments are covered under the NHS. I use PIP to pay for physio which includes a sport massage. Physiotherapy alone is not enough for my back pain. I have a curved spine and learning to stand up straight and just having better posture is not the answer. It’s a mixture of exercises, correcting my posture (within the limit of my curve) and sport massage. Without which I would be in a lot more pain than what I am with the physio  (I am currently sat in bed while I write this because my back really hurts). 

Transport is a big issue for Disabled people. Not all transport is accessible due to a number of reasons. One example maybe with bus stops and cycle lanes. As a Visually Impaired person I find it dangerous using bus stops which have cycle lanes separating them from the pavement. Therefore Disabled people like myself will opt for taxis instead of busses when these cycle lanes are in place.

How much does it cost to buy equipment as a Disabled person? 

I use a no jab long cane which enables me to navigate my surroundings while I am out and about. The jab cane means I don’t get a horrible pain in my shoulder and neck if I walk into something with my cane, because I the cain has a spring in it. These canes cost £78. 

If you wanted a standard cane you would looking at around £37. 

People will often have more than one of these items incase one breaks. I have three canes, one at work, one for eevrday and my spare. And no they are not all the no jab ones because they are expensive. 

Then there is the maintenance for your your cane. You will need to Geta new tip for it, which for some people that time can vary greatly. These tips can be around £18 for the high milage one I opt for. 

Have a look around online and see how much wheelchairs which are self propelled can cost. There not always covered by the NHS which people often think is the case. Here is one I found after only a few minutes. It is £399. 

Imagine having to pay for all the normal daily things which everyone needs and then consider these additional costs on top. 

Being Disabled costs money. They money Disabled people get does, surprise surprise, find its way back into the economy. The money Disable pound, or the purple pound is worth up to £212 billion. Imagine how much money business are missing out on because they do not always think about their Disabled shoppers. 

When you are scrolling through the news over the next few weeks as the general election looms, remember to actually think about how the Disabled Community is one you could become apart of at any moment and how would you like it if someone said ‘you should work for your benefits?’. 

Thank you for reading, 

Philippa B.