Tony Blair’s think tank has called for people with anxiety, depression and ADHD to be banned from claiming Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) disability benefits.

The latest in a long line of murky think tanks weighing in on benefits, the Tony Blair Institute says the government should pull the ’emergency handbrake’ on benefit claims. Whatever the fuck that means. The institute, founded by the former Prime Minister and war criminal, is claiming that the current system is ‘vulnerable to misuse’.

This is a ridiculous statement clearly made by someone who has never had to claim benefits. Anyone who knows how complex it is to navigate the system.

Warmonger attempts to make disabled people the enemy

The Tony Blair Institute wants to make what they call ‘non-working limiting conditions’ ineligible for benefits. This includes, instead, these people would be pointed towards treatment. Which is hilarious when you consider how much stress the NHS is already under and the backlog there already is for ADHD and mental health diagnosis and treatment.

Speaking to the Telegraph the Tony Blair Institute said

The handbrake is based on a simple idea: there are certain conditions that in the vast majority of cases do not limit an individual’s ability to work, and the default presumption should be that these non-work-limiting conditions no longer attract cash benefits

This is yet another think tank that wants to cut benefits for people with mental health and neurodivergent conditions whilst at the same time the government is trying to prove they’re over-diagnosed. This is despite experts already coming out and saying otherwise

And once again, they rely on this false idea that you do not need medical proof to get disability benefits. The Telegraph article said:

While it stressed there would be no blanket ban on claims, the TBI said claimants would have to support them with medical evidence.

It’s absolutely absurd that we’re expected to believe that neither the Telegraph nor a think tank ran by Tony sodding Blair knows you need mountains of evidence to qualify for Personal Independence Payment or the health element of Universal Credit.

But once again, they’re relying on the general public, who they’re attempting to turn against disabled people, not knowing.

They’re also relying on the public not knowing that PIP isn’t awarded based on what condition you have, but how the conditions affect your life and your ability to do things. During the 2025 PIP cut proposals, the DWP wanted to make mental health and neurodivergent conditions ineligible by changing the daily living criteria scoring system. They failed on that, so the Tony Blair Institute wants to bypass that completely.

There’s also the fact that it almost definitely won’t be medical professionals who decide which conditions are ‘work-limiting’ or not. It’ll be politicians and shadowy think tanks who want to do everything they can to cut benefits.

Tony Blair Institute policy quickly falls apart

In theory, it’s enough to get all the right wing disability haters rubbing their trousers, but practically it doesn’t work.

Most disabled people don’t just have one health condition; I’ve got thirteen. In theory I’d be disqualified because I have mental health and neurodivergent conditions, but I’ve also got a whole host of other things. Would I only be able to claim for them? Or would I be blanket-banned?

And there’s the big elephant in the room here that the right wing shitrags and the think tanks started by fucking ghouls like Blair and Iain Duncan Smith want us to ignore. Say it loudly: PIP isn’t an out-of-work benefit. And that while UC Health element is at the minute, the DWP plans to move it over to PIP too.

I, and many others, claim PIP and work – and the DWP know this. It’s absurd to propose restricting benefits only to conditions that stop you from working, when many disabled people rely on PIP so that they can work in a way that is safest for them without having to worry about not earning enough.

It’s clear this is yet another ‘policy’ that has been created so the bullshit rags on the right have another excuse to turn the public against disabled people.

Another way to turn the public against disabled people

And that’s exactly what this is designed to do, so that it’s easier for the DWP to cut benefits in the first place.

To back up this bullshit, the Tony Blair Institute also commissioned YouGov to ask a section of the UK public their thoughts on benefits claimants. One question, which shows you how vile their polling is was

Do you personally know anyone who you believe is receiving health-related welfare benefits, but you think does not genuinely need them?

This question doesn’t really do anything to further the Tony Blair Institute’s point except show that the DWP’s propaganda is working. These people have no proof, they just think they know someone who is gaming the system, based on what the media and government saturating them with constant stories of ‘lazy benefit skivers’.

In the current climate when working class people are spending every bloody hour working and still not being able to afford a good life, you can see why so many have been turned against those on benefits. But what this really speaks to is who holds all the power.

At the end of the day, your wages aren’t going to increase if your neighbour who you think doesn’t deserve it loses their benefits. Food and bills will still continue to go up. And when they’ve turned us all against disabled people, immigrants and every other minority, they’ll come for you too.

Featured image via the Canary

By Rachel Charlton-Dailey

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