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Huffington Post: Disability Benefits: Why the UK has to reinvent the workplace

Firestormm

Senior Member
Messages
5,055
Location
Cornwall England
Written by Jason Reed who looks at fluctuating conditions and specifically ME and the difficulties faced with trying - even when able - to fit in with the workplace:

7th January 2013: http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/jas...-has-to-reinvent-the-workplace_b_2404923.html

"When you have your health, you have everything. When you do not have your health, nothing else matters at all."

- A quote that's so familiar that it's become seamless in our collective vernacular. As clichéd as the sentiment is, it may have lost it's visceral relevance.

As the UK hits the 'welfare cliff' with more and more people relying on food banks, and with the disabled still at the very real mercy of the now infamous ATOS 'assessment' process, there remains a rather large elephant in the room of disability welfare reforms.

There has been a projected image over the last few years that the UK's welfare culture has meant that there are many fraudulent cases, all of whom can play on the golf course daily whilst receiving a gross handout from the state for their chosen lifestyles of apathy. In truth, nothing could be further from the hyperbolic bubble that we've shrouded ourselves in. Despite only 0.5% of disability benefits being fraudulent, the cuts to the disabled is growing with alarming consequences. It is now commonplace to read of suicides, deaths and risible tales relating to the ATOS process.

There is, however, an area that we now must address with the severity that's needed to evoke a mood of change. I have previously blogged on the lack of understanding and opportunities that exist to those who have disabilities, and especially those who suffer from fluctuating illness, but as the cuts bite hard, there is still no attainable alternative to those on the receiving end of austerity.

To cite the personal perspective of M.E, Fibromyalgia, M.S, and similar illnesses that have no degree of constancy to the sufferer, it is a fundamental impossibility to conform to the nine to five workplace. By its very nature, chronic and fluctuating conditions prevent normality entirely, not to mention, dealing with constant agonising pain, fatigue and mental attrition is a full-time job in itself. Severe illness is indiscriminate, it can happen to anyone who's had misfortune in life. It remains a sobering fact that many people are simply not eligible to work.

But, there is also another, rather oblique, aspect to this large quandary. There are those with chronic illness whom are clearly capable of high achievement, those who have learned over a great period of time to seek autonomy through necessity - there are many with fluctuating illness that have personally sought productive outlets under their own auspices. The misnomer that we even have a benefit culture with disabled people ready to exploit and sit comfortably needs quashing. Make no mistake, the benefit system does not hand out much money at all to the individual, and it's a system full of stigma.

The unyielding reality is that there are hardly any resources or infrastructure to cater for those who wish to be self-reliant whilst still having to tread upon their own battle weary path of dealing with illness. We are able to cater for disabilities that have a degree of constancy, and yet no real effort has been made for those who's very existence is turbulent - with unreliability an inherent factor of fluctuating illness, this makes for a tumultuous and untenable mix for prospective employers and employees alike. We must think outside the box.

Through my public platforms such as the The Huffington Post UK, I've come to meet and speak to many who deal with debilitating illness on a daily basis, some are unable to even think about work, some are capable of intermediate activities, others positively seek work that conforms to their needs to no avail - task based work can often be achieved, but it has to be dictated by the circumstances of the individual, and once more, there are not many employers who are willing to take this punt, and who can blame them? If an employee cannot offer reliability in their working hours, what else is there? Moreover, the juggling act of the benefit system is also a factor: it's all or nothing, there's little intelligence within the system to allow for sporadic methods of earning.

Support groups such as the M.E Association are often the go-to place for those with nowhere to turn, and it doesn't take long to find examples of how there are a great deal of people who are all in the same boat of nonconformity. As we hit 2013 we must begin in our quest for work that suits patients' needs.

It can often be the case that arts and crafts provide solace. I've come to know many talented people: from dressmakers to writers, musicians to graphic designers, bakers to artists, these are areas that are often the hardest to break into. Working from home also provides possible alternatives, and yet the irony soon becomes apparent that these positions are equally as hard to find, and often only serve to provide menial tasks that pay a fabled pittance. Self-employment is an option, but this method of earning is often fraught with stress, long working hours and has its own pitfalls of unreliability.

With the modern world interconnected is there any excuse for such distinct lack of opportunities? Task-based over strict hour-based work ethics could be an achievable alternative if enough resources and thought were applied - we must begin to see the skills of individuals and learn to trust in unconventionality - high level mentoring would also be a welcome addition. Those who fight just to exist on a daily basis, through pain and personal hindrance, are often lateral thinkers; thinking outside the box is a necessitous process.

It's time we reinvent the workplace and provide real alternatives to those who have some capability to work, but it has to be on their terms - a more mutual, affable working condition owing to the very nature of inconsistent health. We must have a collective empathy with those whom are simply not eligible to work; to reiterate, we're all but one of life's hardships from having our world rocked to its foundations, and we're running out of safety nets. If we readdress our working practices for those that suffer from chronic illness and disease, we could also engender a more welcoming, stress-free environment that would have a wider benefit. For too long fear has pervaded the 'back to work' notion of the disabled due to its undiscerning, unrelenting practices. We have to begin to present overarching and reasonable options for those most vulnerable, and we must deal with the entrenched financial wilderness that many now face.
 
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15,786
A good article, in that it talks about the near non-existence of benefits fraud, and the lack of flexibility in the system when it comes to fluctuating chronic conditions.

But I also agree with with some of the critical comments - unless there's a huge excess of jobs, no one wants to deal with or invest in setting up a system for unreliable employees. There's absolutely no incentive for private companies to do it, and if they government did it, jobs for the chronically ill would displace healthy workers.

Speaking as one of the sickies, I'd rather be on benefits than struggling to work part-time, if I knew my job was partially responsible for putting someone else out of work. And really, the only way it would ever make economic sense is if the ill workers were being paid less than able-bodied reliable workers.

So I think he does a good job in talking about the problems, but the solution isn't at all realistic or even sensible in the current economic climate.
 

Firestormm

Senior Member
Messages
5,055
Location
Cornwall England
I don't know the solution either Val. I think in part a greater recognition of the problem facing those of us with fluctuating symptoms and with a condition that to some extent can 'flare' due to exertion; that opens us up to more infections etc. A welfare system that better recognises this dilemma would be a bonus also.

Even those of us who are able to work part-time often face the double-whammy of losing benefit but being unable to earn enough to replace what has been lost.

The UK Government did promise to address this particular problem but as I'm not yet in the position to consider part-time working, I don't know if they've honoured a commitment to phasing out benefits as a person becomes more able to reliably stay in work.

Reliability is a key concern of my own. This led to me losing my last job - although in part I think I might have stood a better chance of retaining the position had it been part and not full-time. The trouble I have found when I did try to work (aside from a physical and mental ability to complete the tasks efficiently) was that I needed to work full-time to cover my costs.

There has been some effort (I think it was in Scotland) to open a business that would employ people with ME on whatever (I presume) terms were most compatible to them. Gods know what the actual business was or what the jobs were - I can't remember; but I wouldn't have much faith in the business model.

I think in recent months - and today I've noticed this especially as the coalition here 're-brand' themselves - the Goverment are being increasingly criticised for their stance of benefit stigmatisation. The chancellor's oft-cited meme of working people leaving their out of work neighbours asleep behind drawn curtains whilst they struggle off to work in order to support them - is now being called out. People are slamming this meme - it was addressed to e.g. Danny Alexander just now on PM on BBC Radio 4 - he was asked whether he cringed every time he heard the Chancellor or other Tories come out with such nonsense. The answer was a fudge of course.

I am wholly in agreement with the notion that being in work (should you choose to be e.g. and not choose to stay home to raise the kids etc.) is preferable to not working. I have always enjoyed working. I never felt it was simply to earn money. It was always more than that for me. So, I want to work - but what can I offer an employer?
 
Messages
15,786
There has been some effort (I think it was in Scotland) to open a business that would employ people with ME on whatever (I presume) terms were most compatible to them. Gods know what the actual business was or what the jobs were - I can't remember; but I wouldn't have much faith in the business model.

There's one job I had, 10 or 15 years ago, long before I got sick, which I think would somewhat work. It was working from home (and not a scam!), for a company that would have us use image recognition software to translate the scanned images of bills, etc, into text. The software would often do most of the work, but we had to check it and fix it.

But there was flexibility on how much we wanted to do on a regular basis, and if someone called in sick, extra work could be distributed to other people that wanted the extra. Something similar could work on a large scale basis for people with ME, etc, if they could say how much work they wanted each day, rather than a usual amount wanted.

But how much of that sort of work is there for people to do at home? Probably not nearly enough to keep all of the people busy that want to work that way, and consistently healthy workers are still much easier to plan around. Plus it was paid per piece rather than per hour (though technically there was an hourly minimum wage), so not good money, especially for people that aren't fast at visually scanning forms and typing text. So really only suitable for people with a certain skill set - what would everyone else be doing, if not suited to that sort of job?

Lots of questions that the article doesn't answer, and that I don't think there really are answers for.
 

alex3619

Senior Member
Messages
13,810
Location
Logan, Queensland, Australia
Hi, on even that low rate of "fraud" in disability claims, its been pointed out in various places that I find from time to time that a good percentage of this is from forms that were not properly filled in. Keep in mind that many of these people have cognitive or mental disorders and very poor support. Is it a surprise that forms get filled in wrongly? Bye, Alex
 
Messages
57
Speaking as one of the sickies, I'd rather be on benefits than struggling to work part-time, if I knew my job was partially responsible for putting someone else out of work. And really, the only way it would ever make economic sense is if the ill workers were being paid less than able-bodied reliable workers.

No disrespect meant but I really cannot fathom that logic. Surely the same would apply to anyone taking a job - you're potentially displacing someone else. It also is not how I believe economics works - what is best for everyone is that the system has maximum efficiency. If I displace another potential employee because I am better able to do the job that is required, that is surely a good thing?

If you are talking about the government paying people to work outside of the private sector and hence displacing private sector employees, then I could at least understand your point, though possibly not agree with it. However you seem to be suggesting that this applies even if I get a private sector job on my own merits?

Sorry if I misunderstood :)
 

Firestormm

Senior Member
Messages
5,055
Location
Cornwall England
I think in recent months - and today I've noticed this especially as the coalition here 're-brand' themselves - the Goverment are being increasingly criticised for their stance of benefit stigmatisation. The chancellor's oft-cited meme of working people leaving their out of work neighbours asleep behind drawn curtains whilst they struggle off to work in order to support them - is now being called out. People are slamming this meme - it was addressed to e.g. Danny Alexander just now on PM on BBC Radio 4 - he was asked whether he cringed every time he heard the Chancellor or other Tories come out with such nonsense. The answer was a fudge of course.

Guardian 7 January 2013: http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2013/jan/07/nick-clegg-protests-shirkers

...It is expected more Lib Dem MPs will rebel later in the passage of the bill through parliament.

"I hate the scroungers versus strivers rhetoric that drives this stuff, and the use of legislation to try and force artificial dividing lines," she said. "We were elected to serve the common good, not to use parliament and the vulnerable we serve as a playground for petty games."...
 
Messages
15,786
No disrespect meant but I really cannot fathom that logic. Surely the same would apply to anyone taking a job - you're potentially displacing someone else. It also is not how I believe economics works - what is best for everyone is that the system has maximum efficiency. If I displace another potential employee because I am better able to do the job that is required, that is surely a good thing?

As someone that has very limited energy and gets sick when doing more, it's more sensible for me to not be working and receive disability benefits, than it is for a healthy person to not be working and receiving unemployment benefits. The government is still paying benefits to someone in either situation, but at least I'm not using up all of my energy on work and/or risking making myself worse. Also, as much as I would dislike being on benefits, it would likely hurt my pride a lot less than it would someone who is in much better health.