Thread by @TinyWriterLaura

i want to break down some disability stats because i see a lot of people balking at the idea that there are 16 million disabled people in the UK (only 3.6 million of those on PIP, and only 37% of those claimants on the highest amount of £737 a month)

let’s have a 🧵 shall we?

at any one time, it’s estimated that there are:

-3.5 million cancer patients in treatment in the UK
-7.6 million people have some form of circulatory or heart disease
-982,000 have dementia
-150,000 have MS
-153,000 have Parkinson’s
-1.2 million have COPD

and these are just the diseases everyone has heard of

it’s estimated that:

-4,400 people per year are diagnosed with a new spinal injury
-3 million people have some form of osteoporosis

and we aren’t even onto lesser-known genetic or acquired conditions

-my genetic ataxia, for instance, unique in presentation as it is, accounts for 10,500 patients across the UK and that’s inclusive of a number of different disorders that huddle under the ataxia umbrella

but these numbers, across a population level, soon add up

the fact only 1.3 million people of a 68.3 million population are entitled to the ‘riches’ (lol) of £737 a month, many of whom are still in work because *PIP is NOT an out of work benefit* is testament to the fact many disabled people go without help, not that it’s over-awarded

a couple of people have asked me this in the comments so: the lowest amount of PIP someone can be awarded (above £0) is £28.70 a week, which is £114.80 a month,

so remember that when the media tries to whip everyone into hysteria over this benefit. it is often a pittance

ok friends i’m going to bed and don’t want to wake up to hundreds of notifications so i’m going to mute this now! 🙏