Carer tells James O'Brien the proposed disability benefit policy is 'grossly offensive'

12 January 2023, 14:10 | Updated: 12 January 2023, 14:20

Carer says the proposed disability benefit policy is 'grossly offensive'

This caller, who's a carer for his wife, blasted the government's proposal to boost employment through disability reform, deeming it a "grossly offensive" "non-story".

James O'Brien opened the discussion around the government's new proposal which could see people who collect disability benefits continuing to receive payments when they get back to work. The proposal is an attempt to tackle the UK's labour shortage.

James read a few words from the article that broke the story: "Ministers think that the perverse assessment system encourages people to prove they are too ill to work."

This caller chimed in to share his experience of being a carer for his wife who became disabled at the age of 28.

"It's grossly offensive and it's truly upsetting to suggest that because you get PIP you're not going to make an effort to go to work. Health is your greatest wealth" he told James.

READ MORE: Calls for ‘radical new approach’ to reduce disability employment gap

He began the call by telling James it was a "non-story".

The caller blasted the rhetoric surrounding the new disability reform, saying it painted disability claimants as people choosing not to work and gaming the system, but, the caller told James that receiving Personal Independence Payment (PIP) didn't equate to "free money".

He elaborated that the money he got from the government went towards the individual retaining a "level of independence".

The caller told James that people who believe he and his wife are lazy for not working have got it wrong. In fact, he told James that his wife wishes she could work, as they were both professionals prior to her disability.

The discourse that people who receive benefits "don't want to work" was squashed poignantly by the caller.

READ MORE: Over 50s could be exempt from income tax for up to a year under plans to tempt people back to work