'On worst days I tried to take my own life - new benefits bill is devastating'
The government has been slammed for 'turning its back on thousands of disabled people' as it pushes ahead with plans to cut disability benefits in an overhaul of the Universal Credit and PIP system
With MPs set to vote on plans for widespread cuts to disability and sickness benefits, many recipients are concerned about what their futures will look like.
As the government published its controversial benefits bill, overhauling the system for recipients of Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payments, the Mirror spoke to everyday people who have been left terrified by the proposals. Mark Smith, 49, from Cardiff, South Wales, was left unable to work after being diagnosed with bipolar disorder, fibromyalgia and arthritis. He takes mood stabilisers and anti-depressants after attempting to take his own life on more than one occasion, and on average spends five days out of the week physically unable to leave the house.
After applying to do a Masters in mental health, Mark lost £200 a month from his Universal Credit after the DWP deemed his student loan to be an income. But now he could see another 'devastating' £200 slashed from his PIP payments as a result of Labour's benefits bill.
He said: "If I was a new applicant now I would receive at least half of the mobility side of PIP which would be about £200 less than what I'm receiving now. But for all I know it could affect the everyday living side of PIP as well.
"It's impossible to know right now because we don't know the changes in the assessment until the government outlines them."
Mark fears his payments, which he is due to receive until 2027 could end sooner and he will be forced to reapply under the new stricter scheme. "It's a deep rooted anxiety over not knowing and you feel like you're just making the best of what you've got for the time being," he said.
He added: "The cost of living is really the cost of dying. Can a form really decide who are the most vulnerable in society or can people who don't know you and have never met you really know how bad it is, they don't understand what we go through daily."
Mark's intense bouts of low mood often leave him unable to look after himself and his house, meaning he relies on the payments for easy prep meals and occasional cleaners. His illnesses also leave him suffering with fatigue and pain which can render him unable to drive and reliant on trains or taxis.
He said: "Because my confidence has been reduced so much since Covid, when I rarely left the house, I have become incredibly anxious on the roads. I only drive within a relatively small area of Cardiff and so being able to take public transport means I can go further."
Mark believes people are forgetting that PIP stands for personal independence payments and should be there to help people live an independent lifestyle. He has been claiming benefits for three years but believes there is more stigma attached to benefits than mental health.
He said: "I don't struggle to tell people about my mental health but I do struggle to tell them I claim benefits."
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