This statistic is verging on the unbelievable....but it is not.

I do.
Some do say “we’ve just got better at diagnosing”.
I can’t believe how we’ve got here. Covid explains much of it I think. People have got used to being at home. Even better if it can be done on benefits.

It does sound awful but we do have to factor in a completely failing NHS and no adult social care to speak of. Many health issues if treated initially and successfully would mean more adults bound lead normal working lives, but countless adults have no access to health care, cannot even make an appointment with a GP, and referrals can take years. And adult social care would help those with mental health problems back into work and so back into society.
We have a terrible record for post covid care - the worst in Europe.

I don’t understand how it is now possible for so many to get through the assessments needed to qualify for sickness benefits either LCWRA ( limited capacity for work related activity) or PIP ( which is not work-related) when many claimants with serious long-term conditions find it so difficult.

This explains much:

FACE-TO-FACE assessments for Britain’s main disability benefit have collapsed to less than 2 per cent since Labour took power amid concerns the welfare bill is spiralling out of control.

The architect of the Tories’ welfare reform warned a sharp drop in face-to-face assessments for those claiming Personal Independence Payment (PIP) since lockdown had left the system “open to abuse”, with remote assessments more likely to result in awards.

Official figures show more than 80 per cent of PIP assessments conducted before the pandemic were in person. This dropped to a record post-Covid low of less than 2 per cent in September last year, when just 1,270 of 74,000 assessments were carried out face-to-face.

Yes. It is unsustainable. We need more people working than not, whether they are claiming benefits or not. A welfare state has to have more contributors than claimants, or there is not enough to go round. We all need to pay for police, education, health, defence, roads etc, and there has to be enough left over for pensions, benefits and things like sick pay and maternity leave. We have an aging population, so unless we want people to work till they die, we have to have more working age people in work, and not expecting others to do their share for them.

benefits are claimed by over one million foreigners, who have not put any money into the system. 13 billion pounds to people born overseas

I wonder how many gNers are children of “foreigners”? I wonder if their family benefited from education, NHS, welfare services, library services, police services, etc etc. and without having paid a single penny in tax prior to their arrival?

I’m not sure I believe these stats, and what’s more most people are claiming UC, incapacity benefit no longer exists and those on its replacement, ESA (Employmemt Support Allowance) are being migrated to UC.

I find it really hard to believe that 10% of our working age population is not in paid work!

Of course, I could well be wrong!

karmalady

benefits are claimed by over one million foreigners, who have not put any money into the system. 13 billion pounds to people born overseas

Mmmm I was born overseas, as was my husband! Singapore and Ireland respectively!

We have a generation of snowflakes who believe their fragile mental health will be adversely affected by work. What would have happened to us if they were the people called up for the world wars?

cossy I think the words referred to recent migrants who came into the uk illegally and have been granted permission to stay

Barleyfields

We have a generation of snowflakes who believe their fragile mental health will be adversely affected by work. What would have happened to us if they were the people called up for the world wars?

Massive generalisation there

karmalady

cossy I think the words referred to recent migrants who came into the uk illegally and have been granted permission to stay

So they are in the U.K. legally?

ie illegals who have become legal

Not in paid work because they are deemed unfit for work, is what I actually meant. But on reflection, I think these are probably fairly accurate as 75% of the working age population are in paid work.

karmalady

ie illegals who have become legal

Please don’t refer to human beings as “illegals” it’s utterly awful.

We have plenty of white British born people not pulling their weight in this country!

It is not possible for illegal immigrants to receive benefits. You have to be in the system to be paid by the system, and if you are here illegally that will not be the case. The problem is with people who expect everyone else to work but reserve the right to choose not to do so themselves.

If people are unable to work because of illness, mental or physical, then of course they should be supported; but that support can sometimes take the form of help to work, not help to stay at home. Obviously if someone has a long-term condition they shouldn't be subjected to repeated requests for information when they are not going to get better, but those suffering from anxiety, for instance, could reasonably be expected to find ways to deal with it so that they can work. This should be backed up with proper help from professionals, who should be part of the package. I don't think that is unreasonable at all.

Barleyfields

We have a generation of snowflakes who believe their fragile mental health will be adversely affected by work. What would have happened to us if they were the people called up for the world wars?

That’s really “baloney”

My daughter has a very serious mental health issue, she works full time, our middle daughter is autistic, she works full time.

Some of our mental health units are full to the brim with youngsters who’ve attempted suicide or have serious eating disorders.

You clearly don’t understand much about mental health.

Doodledog

It is not possible for illegal immigrants to receive benefits. You have to be in the system to be paid by the system, and if you are here illegally that will not be the case. The problem is with people who expect everyone else to work but reserve the right to choose not to do so themselves.

If people are unable to work because of illness, mental or physical, then of course they should be supported; but that support can sometimes take the form of help to work, not help to stay at home. Obviously if someone has a long-term condition they shouldn't be subjected to repeated requests for information when they are not going to get better, but those suffering from anxiety, for instance, could reasonably be expected to find ways to deal with it so that they can work. This should be backed up with proper help from professionals, who should be part of the package. I don't think that is unreasonable at all.

I completely agree.

Much research shows paid work is good for some people who are managing their mental health conditions with support, therapy and/or medication.

Is it just me who is confused by the conflation of people claiming incapacity or sickness benefits as per the OP, and ‘benefits are claimed by over one million foreigners’? Benefits overall is a much broader category than just incapacity or sickness benefits, surely.

If the newspaper is including PIP claimants in their numbers, the claimant could well be in work.

Cossy

Barleyfields

We have a generation of snowflakes who believe their fragile mental health will be adversely affected by work. What would have happened to us if they were the people called up for the world wars?

That’s really “baloney”

My daughter has a very serious mental health issue, she works full time, our middle daughter is autistic, she works full time.

Some of our mental health units are full to the brim with youngsters who’ve attempted suicide or have serious eating disorders.

You clearly don’t understand much about mental health.

Having suffered from postnatal psychosis and after that severe depression and anxiety, which continue to this day, I know quite a lot Cossy. I have been suicidal at times but I have never missed a day of work because of mental health issues. I had responsibilities and obligations, things I have always taken seriously. Without antidepressants I simply wouldn’t be here and nor would my son. There are obviously, looking at the numbers, far too many who just CBA and would benefit from a good kick up the backside and having to earn a living rather than relying on benefits.

Ilovecheese

If the newspaper is including PIP claimants in their numbers, the claimant could well be in work.

Indeed!

FriedGreenTomatoes2

This explains much:

FACE-TO-FACE assessments for Britain’s main disability benefit have collapsed to less than 2 per cent since Labour took power amid concerns the welfare bill is spiralling out of control.

The architect of the Tories’ welfare reform warned a sharp drop in face-to-face assessments for those claiming Personal Independence Payment (PIP) since lockdown had left the system “open to abuse”, with remote assessments more likely to result in awards.

Official figures show more than 80 per cent of PIP assessments conducted before the pandemic were in person. This dropped to a record post-Covid low of less than 2 per cent in September last year, when just 1,270 of 74,000 assessments were carried out face-to-face.

That’s it then, mystery huge numbers claiming and getting is now explained.