Letters to the Canary: you do no understand benefit claimants, Rishi Sunak

The Canary is excited to share the latest edition of our letters page. This is where we publish people’s responses to the news and politics, or anything else they want to get off their chest. We’ve now opened the letters page up so anyone can submit a contribution. As always, if you’d like to subscribe to the Canary – starting from £2 a month – to support truly radical and independent media, then you can do that here:

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This week’s letters

This week we have an open letter to Rishi Sunak over his government’s continued attacks on chronically ill and disabled people.

Dear Rishi Sunak: about your latest DWP ‘reforms’…

Mr Sunak,

You do not understand the vast majority of benefit claimants. Most do not speak out due to fear. I worked for NHS mental health services, and tried so hard for years to remain well enough to work.

I live on PIP and ESA, and now feel like a frightened rabbit cowering in its burrow. Having gone through hell to to get benefits a few years back (PIP is not at all easy to get), I was now feeling I could worry a little less and not live in fear of losing benefits.

Work, if you are well enough and able to find a job that will accommodate you, CAN be rewarding. However, when you work in a harsh place, don’t make enough to live on and have a bullying boss, no flexibility, undermined and treated like you are property and subject to harsh sickness policies, then work is not rewarding or healthy. It is soul destroying. This is the reality for many people.

I have both mental and physical conditions but my mental health got a hell of a lot worse going through the lengthy process.

Now I am afraid of being pushed to the edge of desperation once more.

Suzanne, via email

ED: thanks for this powerful email, Suzanne. You can read more coverage of the Tories’ latest attacks on chronically ill and disabled people here, and you may wish to support new campaign group the Chronic Collaboration here. 

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