Thread by @samcarlisle

Half way through the holidays as a parent carer so don't have enormous energy to argue this. But a number of parents have flagged this piece and @NickFerrariLBC 's comments today, so here's a mini, incoherent while-I'm-looking-afte-Elvi rant🧵 telegraph.co.uk/business/2024/…

What a load of tosh "Americans have warned us if you start on benefits you stay on benefits." What if that benefit allows a parent to work as it did for me? 🧵

or allows a child to access education rather than sitting at home staring at a wall? 🧵

or allows their sibling to do their homework and succeed in life? 🧵

We know that it costs families with a disabled child £581 more a year to have the same standard of life. Toys are more expensive, equipment, heating/cooling might be important. If we can reduce suppliers' costs please do🧵

Also for the ten billion, one hundred thousandth time, "ADHD and autism" are not the same as mental heath issues, they can coexist but not always. 🧵

Also, "learning difficulties" in the DWP graph can mean problem with maths etc, not "learning disabilities" which is a lifelong condition that extra algebra classes are not going to resolve. 🧵

It's f***ing hard to be a parent carer, it's hard to jump through the hoops required by the DWP to qualify for benefits while looking after a child. 🧵

there will be families on their knees because of the extra strain of the holidays caring for their gorgeous, loved children takes because the systems are so twisted.🧵

I was a reporter before I had to give up my career to fight the system for my daughter. Come on fellow hacks, and that includes you @NickFerrariLBC, you can do better than this.