Benefit reform uncertainty is giving disabled people manic depression, according to a charity report.
The warning comes from Bipolar UK chief executive Simon Kitchen. “Bipolar” is how the condition formerly known as manic depression is currently described, as the mood of people with that condition swings from manic highs to deeply depressed lows.
Writing in The Big Issue, Mr Kitchen states:
The debate around welfare reform is missing a crucial point: the rapid expansion of disability benefits for mental illness is a direct consequence of the NHS’s failure to diagnose and treat these conditions in a timely manner.
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Welfare reforms often fail to consider the specific needs of people with serious mental illnesses like bipolar, and this anxiety is only compounded by dismissive rhetoric about self-diagnosis and ‘sick note culture’.
Former prime minister Tony Blair recently added fuel to this fire by claiming that more people are now self-diagnosing mental health conditions and putting additional strain on already overstretched services.
These kinds of comments not only increase stigma but also distract from the real issue: people with bipolar aren’t getting diagnosed in the first place.
Many NHS Trusts won’t even accept referrals for a bipolar assessment unless someone is in crisis. This means there often isn’t even a formal waiting list.
Instead, there is a vast, uncounted pool of around 500,000 people with undiagnosed bipolar in the UK who are struggling without any condition-specific advice or treatment.
Without a diagnosis, people cannot get access to the right medication, support, or workplace adjustments – leaving many unable to work and reliant on welfare.
People with bipolar wait, on average, 9.5 years for a correct diagnosis. This delay has profound consequences, with a third reporting attempting to take their own life because of it – with many more losing jobs, friends and family.
Mr Kitchen writes that lack of resources means only people in total crisis receive care – that handles an immediate situation but does not address the underlying causes and therefore makes future episodes likely.
So the problem lies in the health service, that is not equipped to diagnose conditions and treat them early enough to prevent sufferers from falling seriously ill.
In fairness, Health Secretary Wes Streeting has made noises about improving performance – but with public services strapped for cash because the government won’t tax the super-rich, many fear that noise is all he is capable of providing.
So we are left with a downward spiral:
People are becoming mentally ill because conditions in the UK are forcing them to: the cost of living, low wages, high rents and utility bills with poor services, a “benefit” system that does not cover a claimant’s costs.
They cannot get early treatment because the health service has been parasitised by private companies that use the money given to them as profit for their shareholders rather than to provide services, and publicly-funded healthcare is starved of the resources it needs.
Their condition worsens until they lose the ability to hold down a job and have to claim benefits.
They are demonised as scroungers by the very government whose neglect of investment in the economy and public services caused their illness in the first place.
Their mental illness worsens.
But they cannot get treatment.
Repeat until untimely death.
Labour’s solution – possibly under advice from US health insurer Unum (remember that mob?) is to tell people with mental illness that they aren’t really ill at all – they’re just faking it, they won’t get any benefits and they should get back to work.
This will perpetuate the spiral and cause more untimely deaths.
Labour will be responsible. Liz Kendall will be responsible. Wes Streeting will be responsible. Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves will be responsible.
But they will refuse to accept responsibility – probably using the same excuse as the Tories, back in the day: “Correlation does not equal causation.”
Sneaky, isn’t it?
And it’s self-harming for the politicians, too.
Because one thing is certain. If they die due to lack of treatment or somehow survive the government-led assault on their health, these bipolar people will never vote Labour again.
And that’s just one group; one health issue. What about all the others?
All things considered, doesn’t it look to you like this government is deliberately trying to continue the work of the Tory administration before it – and kill as many people as possible by indirect means?
Source: Uncertainty around disability benefit cuts is triggering bipolar symptoms
Additional: Here’s a perfect illustration of the problem from today’s (Wednesday, February 5, 2025) Prime Minister’s Questions:
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Benefit reform uncertainty is giving disabled people manic depression
Benefit reform uncertainty is giving disabled people manic depression, according to a charity report.
The warning comes from Bipolar UK chief executive Simon Kitchen. “Bipolar” is how the condition formerly known as manic depression is currently described, as the mood of people with that condition swings from manic highs to deeply depressed lows.
Writing in The Big Issue, Mr Kitchen states:
Buy Cruel Britannia in print here. Buy the Cruel Britannia ebook here. Or just click on the image!
Mr Kitchen writes that lack of resources means only people in total crisis receive care – that handles an immediate situation but does not address the underlying causes and therefore makes future episodes likely.
So the problem lies in the health service, that is not equipped to diagnose conditions and treat them early enough to prevent sufferers from falling seriously ill.
In fairness, Health Secretary Wes Streeting has made noises about improving performance – but with public services strapped for cash because the government won’t tax the super-rich, many fear that noise is all he is capable of providing.
So we are left with a downward spiral:
People are becoming mentally ill because conditions in the UK are forcing them to: the cost of living, low wages, high rents and utility bills with poor services, a “benefit” system that does not cover a claimant’s costs.
They cannot get early treatment because the health service has been parasitised by private companies that use the money given to them as profit for their shareholders rather than to provide services, and publicly-funded healthcare is starved of the resources it needs.
Their condition worsens until they lose the ability to hold down a job and have to claim benefits.
They are demonised as scroungers by the very government whose neglect of investment in the economy and public services caused their illness in the first place.
Their mental illness worsens.
But they cannot get treatment.
Repeat until untimely death.
Labour’s solution – possibly under advice from US health insurer Unum (remember that mob?) is to tell people with mental illness that they aren’t really ill at all – they’re just faking it, they won’t get any benefits and they should get back to work.
This will perpetuate the spiral and cause more untimely deaths.
Labour will be responsible. Liz Kendall will be responsible. Wes Streeting will be responsible. Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves will be responsible.
But they will refuse to accept responsibility – probably using the same excuse as the Tories, back in the day: “Correlation does not equal causation.”
Sneaky, isn’t it?
And it’s self-harming for the politicians, too.
Because one thing is certain. If they die due to lack of treatment or somehow survive the government-led assault on their health, these bipolar people will never vote Labour again.
And that’s just one group; one health issue. What about all the others?
All things considered, doesn’t it look to you like this government is deliberately trying to continue the work of the Tory administration before it – and kill as many people as possible by indirect means?
Source: Uncertainty around disability benefit cuts is triggering bipolar symptoms
Additional: Here’s a perfect illustration of the problem from today’s (Wednesday, February 5, 2025) Prime Minister’s Questions:
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2) Follow VP on Twitter @VoxPolitical
3) Like the Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/VoxPolitical/
Join the Vox Political Facebook page.
4) You could even make Vox Political your homepage at http://voxpoliticalonline.com
5) Follow Vox Political writer Mike Sivier on BlueSky
6) Join the MeWe page at https://mewe.com/p-front/voxpolitical
7) Feel free to comment!
And do share with your family and friends – so they don’t miss out!
If you have appreciated this article, don’t forget to share it using the buttons at the bottom of this page. Politics is about everybody – so let’s try to get everybody involved!
Buy Vox Political books so we can continue
fighting for the facts.
Cruel Britannia is available
in either print or eBook format here:
The Livingstone Presumption is available
in either print or eBook format here:
Health Warning: Government! is now available
in either print or eBook format here:
The first collection, Strong Words and Hard Times,
is still available in either print or eBook format here:
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