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Disabled people must work from home to do ‘their duty’, says UK minister

43 comments
  • There are plenty of people living with disabilities who are willing and able to work from home, the problem is the lack of employers willing to accommodate them. Plenty of people without disabilities would benefit from that too.

    But making meaningful reforms to improve our society isn't very Tory, so better just call disabled people lazy instead.

  • “Of course there should be support for people to help them into work but ultimately there is a duty on citizens if they are able to go out to work they should. Those who can work and contribute should contribute.”

    There's not a tonne superficially wrong with it phrased in these terms. I think there are plenty of disabled people who are able and willing to work from home and there should be government support to help them get such jobs. There are plenty of non-disabled people who work from home most/all the time these days also.

    But I think the thing that pushes it over the edge is the unnecessary double reference to people needing to do their 'duty' and to 'contribute' - it's framing the matter in a way that presupposes disabled people are some sort of burden, whilst seeming superficially reasonable. Classic Tory dog whistle.

    I'd rather go after her for that than for the reasonable suggestion that disabled people can work from home when they're able to.

  • Typical of tories. To assume all brits have a duty to the nation. But only the rich havea right for the government to protect them.

    Basically tories feel fudalism is still how the world should work.

  • They really are ghouls.After attacking desperate asylum seekers they now move on to the sick and disabled.Cruelty that would make Fred west blush.

  • And yet when disabled staff request home working in many organisations (including the civil service) they face a battle.

  • This is the best summary I could come up with:


    People with mobility and mental health problems will be asked to work from home or lose benefits as part of what a government minister described today as doing “their duty”.

    The new policy will be set out on Wednesday as part of the autumn statement amid a drive by Rishi Sunak to make changes to the welfare system, which he described on Monday as “unsustainable”.

    Hundreds of thousands of people will be told to look for work that they can do from home or face having benefits cut by £4,680 a year, under plans that were first reported by the Times.

    Charities have already warned that DWP plans to tighten health-related benefits – which are provided to more than 3 million working-age adults in the UK – could cause “huge anxiety” and mean “sanctions” for disabled people.

    Tony Wilson, the director of the Institute for Employment Studies, told the Guardian in September that extra support to help disabled people into work should not come with such stringent conditions.

    Speaking on Monday in London about the plans to make changes to benefits, the prime minister said : “We believe in the inherent dignity of a good job.


    The original article contains 580 words, the summary contains 196 words. Saved 66%. I'm a bot and I'm open source!

    • Speaking on Monday in London about the plans to make changes to benefits, the prime minister said : “We believe in the inherent dignity of a good job.

      Ironic, given what a shit job you're doing as PM, Rishi.

43 comments