Achi news desk-
During his speech in London he repeatedly emphasized that the system, as it is, lets people down by not focusing enough on the work they could do. He added that hundreds of thousands of benefit recipients will be expected to work under the proposed reform.
Now, a Citizens Advice Scotland (CAS) officer is warning that the ‘so-called sick note rhetoric’ is a tired trope, out of touch with reality, and in danger of stigmatizing people with health conditions.
READ MORE: Rishi Sunak announces plans to tackle ‘sick note culture’
CAS social justice policy officer Erica Young said that while supporting people into work is the right thing to do, the Prime Minister is not focusing on the underlying issues that cause ill health in the UK.
He said: “We need to think hard about how we build a social safety net that not only protects people from falling through the cracks but gives them a platform of security and opportunity that allows them to they flourished. Instead we are seeing a return to the tired old tropes around ‘sick note culture’.
“This rhetoric does not match the reality. Analysis of CAB client data shows that people who cannot work are at greater risk of food insecurity and risks to income.
“It’s right to be ambitious about supporting people into work. Broad incentives are an important part of achieving this, with welfare restriction in contrast failing to tackle the root causes of increasing ill health, the most important of which are health inequalities, which cover poor housing conditions, access to services, and low income.
“These are difficult questions that require thoughtful answers. We all deserve better than tired tropes about sick notes.”
Mr Sunak’s speech went on to claim that, since 2011, the number of people doing a capacity to work assessment who were deemed unfit to work had more than tripled, adding that it was ‘wrong’.
Erica Young added: “However, many people with invisible and volatile well-being conditions, typical of mental health conditions, can find it impossible to access benefits. Meanwhile, it is an indisputable fact that living with health conditions often leads to higher living costs. Research we carried out last year estimated that more than 40,000 households in Scotland with someone living with a long-term condition sacrificed a cooked meal to run medical equipment.
“Those experiencing mental illness may need to use taxis or go to the expense of a car to maintain their independence.”
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Citizens Advice Scotland has released further client data and case studies relating to the theme of people being unable to work.
The data suggested that people who cannot work are at greater risk of food insecurity during the cost of living crisis. The charity showed that people who are unable to work make up 21 per cent of all their clients.
They reported that the same people account for 31 percent of food insecurity clients, 32 percent of clients seeking crisis assistance, and 36 percent of people seeking income risk advice.
Meanwhile, 14 per cent of people needed help with disability-related social security benefits who needed additional advice alongside concerns about food insecurity.
Case studies revealed by CAS included people’s bills doubling and the sacrifices they make to put food on the table.
A CAS spokesman said: “In recent cases from across the CAB network, a woman living with fibromyalgia has reported being too anxious to turn on the heating and instead spends the day in bed with hot water bottle after their direct debit increased from £130 a month to £304 a month.
“Elsewhere, the widowed mother of a disabled child with a sensory condition has been unable to use the special equipment in the home that helps her daughter sleep and relax due to higher energy bills, meaning the child has not able to attend school. The rising cost of bills means that the client has to make choices between their energy bills and other necessities such as food and clothing.”
