Has the tide turned in the ‘benefit scroungers’ debate?

Diary of a benefit scrounger

By Sue Marsh

Something quite interesting happened yesterday.

As readers will know, the Mail, Express, government ministers, the BBC and even our Prime Minister launched yet another attack on sickness benefit “scroungers” yesterday.

Somehow though, it didn’t quite go as the government planned.

As campaigners, our phones started ringing before breakfast, offering us a “Right to Reply” on numerous radio shows and blogs.

I wrote a piece about it for Left Foot Forward and despite it being the top article, no-one felt the need to defend the politicians or the media and their nasty attacks.

I went back and checked the comments on the Mail and Express articles, but almost every single one was in support of the sick and disabled, with many making points about where they would rather the government focussed their fire.

A little later, Mark Easton wrote this brilliant piece for the BBC, asking where we draw the line if we start to differentiate between “self inflicted” conditions and “worthy” ones. Do we still take care of the horse-rider who’s hobby “caused” their own paraplegia? Do we treat the lung cancer patient who lived with a smoker for 40 years?

David Cameron was roundly attacked for wading into this divisive debate.

Rather than being seen as “defenders of the taxpayer” the government managed to show themselves for the playground bullies they are.

Perhaps it will make them think twice the next time they choose to kick an easy target. Over 10 million people in the UK suffer from a long term illness or disability. They all have husbands or wives, children or parents, carers and friends. That’s a lot of voters.

To assume that these changes can be forced through because “sick benefit scroungers” won’t vote Tory anyway might be a risk a little greater than the government had imagined.