Why Are the Genuinely Ill and Disabled Always the Government's Favourite Target?

I’m going to say something that most of us living it already know: being ill or disabled in this country feels like a crime. And the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP)? They’re not just the judge - they’re the jury, the executioner, and the smug bloke behind the glass watching you squirm. It’s like being stuck in a game show, only the prize is humiliation and a migraine.

I’m on PIP. Not because I want to be - believe me, I’d give anything to not need it - but because I have to be. My list of conditions isn’t just a checklist, it’s my reality: Fibromyalgia (yeah, go on, scoff  -  now try living with it), FND, Arthritis, Degenerative Disc Disease, Severe sleep aponea, Chronic Fatigue and C-PTSD. Each one brings its own lovely brand of chaos and pain, and every day’s a challenge just to keep functioning.

And yet, despite that, it’s people like me who are treated like con artists. The DWP treat us with suspicion, like we’re all auditioning for some Oscar-winning disability act. They make you jump through hoop after hoop, while knowing full well that some of us can barely even stand, never mind jump. And if we don’t tick every box on some mythical “ill enough” form? They take what little we have left.

But here’s the real kicker: these same sick and twisted individuals who constantly tell us “there’s no money” - they can always find it when it suits them. There’s always money to bomb another country. Always money for another round of missiles, drones, or sending troops somewhere we’ve no business being. And there’s always a few spare billion down the back of the sofa when it comes to handing out contracts to their mates - dodgy PPE deals, consultancy gigs, or "randomly selected" private firms that just happen to be connected to donors and old school friends. Funny that.

Meanwhile, we get grilled for daring to need help just to exist.

And don’t think Labour are any better. Once upon a time, they might’ve stood for the working class and vulnerable. Now? They’re tripping over themselves to prove how "tough" they can be on welfare. Liz Kendall is a perfect example - absolutely vile. She’s made it crystal clear how little she thinks of people like me. And any MP, from any party, backing her? You’re no better. And anyone out there cheering her on, pretending it's about "fairness" or "reform" - you’re not helping the system, you’re helping to crush the people who actually need it.

In fact, this Labour government couldn’t give a crap about human rights, disabilty rights or rights of any kind that helps the people. They’ve made that clear. Whether it’s targeting the sick, disabled, workers, renters, or just about anyone without a six-figure income and a golf club membership they’re not on our side. They’re arrogant, out-of-touch, and dangerously eager to out-Tory the Tories. Disgusting doesn’t even cover it. And honestly, I hope they get absolutely wiped out in the Welsh Assembly elections next year. Wales deserves better. We’ve suffered enough under cruelty disguised as policy.

And just to clarify, if it ever looks like I’m posting blog after blog in a short space of time - I’m not suddenly on a roll or banging these out in a day. These posts have been sat in drafts for ages, carefully written and tweaked when I’ve had the energy (which isn’t often). Sometimes I finish one and wait days before hitting “publish” because my body’s had enough. So if three appear in a day, don’t be impressed - be concerned I might’ve accidentally triggered a flare-up by posting them.

Because every blog post takes time, pain, effort, and usually a lie-down after. I don’t write these for fun. I write them because this stuff needs to be said.

We’re not burdens. We’re not lazy. We’re not frauds. We’re human. And we’ve had enough.

Written by someone in pain, knackered, and still more honest and decent than the entire front bench combined.