Benefit Cuts, Stigma for the unemployed

So it was the emergency summer budget on Wednesday for the UK and without getting all political about it here are the simple facts regarding disability benefits.

The Government will be cutting the financial support available to people who cannot work because of illness or disability. Reducing the amount provided to those in the Work Related Activity Group of ESA from about £5000 to £3500.

PIP however will remain unchanged.

Supposedly according to the government this will more likely help people on ESA return to work? Now i dont know about you, but last time i checked starving a mentally and physically ill person of there money does not suddenly make there illness go away? Perhaps working on better understanding and supporting sufferers will be a better idea no?

But this brings on another problem for mental health sufferers especially..STIGMA, most of us have been personally told it or heard it...That mentally ill people should be able to work and there just lazy and should just "get on with it" and should try harder etc etc etc. Well im saving that for another post but i do fear a combination of this and the above cuts will backfire.

Less money and the abillity to work will not get any better straight away?? = More stress, and what does more stress cause? Poor Mental Health or your Mental Health getting worse or even worse a bad cycle.

Mentally ill, can't work

Increase in Symptoms Struggling to live on cuts to ESA

Added stress, lower self esteem

This will increase the burden on a NHS that already struggles to handle Mental Health sufferers, this will cause some sufferers like i had to, to go private, i would love to see these MP's try and live on the current £500 on private therapy plus day to day living let alone on the new £350 per month....So the problem does NOT go away the Tax avoidance they are refusing to crack down on would of come in much more handy.