One authorities help mechanism designed to assist folks could make them extra weak to abuse: means-tested advantages. Whereas some disabled folks can declare Private Independence Cost (PIP), a non-means-tested profit designed to cowl the extra prices of incapacity, estimated to be £975 per thirty days, it’s typically inadequate. So, many additionally declare means-tested advantages, similar to Common Credit score (UC), to help them. The DWP assesses your eligibility utilizing the entire family’s revenue.
Disabled individuals who cohabit or marry a accomplice within the UK might lose entry to means-tested advantages like Housing Profit and free prescriptions if their mixed revenue exceeds the brink. For disabled individuals who can’t work, this leaves them completely reliant on PIP and romantic companions to fill the monetary hole.
Primarily, the method strips claimants of monetary autonomy by assuming romantic companions will decide up the slack with out query. That’s what occurred to me again in 2019; my ex’s revenue far surpassed the brink, however we didn’t share funds, so I misplaced out on tons of of kilos per thirty days. I later discovered myself unable to go away an more and more poisonous state of affairs as a consequence of an absence of revenue. Many profit claimants don’t know this might occur to them till it’s too late.
“I used to be ignorant to the actual fact his wage would have an effect on my advantages earlier than we acquired married. My UC work coach did not inform me that it might, and she or he knew I used to be getting married,” says Nicole*, who was together with her ex for seven years. “After I phoned UC about it, I used to be met with a vile man who laughed at me whereas I used to be crying and stated, ‘Nicely, you’re married now, so your husband can maintain you’ and ‘You’re disabled, why do you want cash?’”
After shedding entry to means-tested advantages, her ex’s resentment and abusive behaviour grew exponentially till she needed to depend on the kindness of family members to outlive. “He would purchase video games, movies, garments, no matter he needed, and I’d be fortunate to interchange the garments I had with holes in them. I had extreme endometriosis, so I wanted a number of sanitary merchandise, and I used to be typically made to ask my mum or my buddies to ship me cash to get them.”
The funnelling of all family advantages into one account additionally made it extraordinarily tough for Olive*, who has Ehler’s Danlos Syndrome (EDS) and ADHD, to go away her violent ex-partner and the daddy of three of her 5 youngsters. “He wasn’t working and it was a joint account, however I had no entry to it. One time, shortly earlier than I attempted to go away, he emptied the checking account, regardless that the kid profit was in my identify, and the police stated there was nothing they might do.”
The means-tested advantages system is ostensibly truthful, guaranteeing households don’t take greater than their share. However it may make it more durable for victims of abuse to flee, notably if their accomplice is financially controlling. “Having no cash to my identify and being disabled meant the considered leaving him wasn’t even an possibility; I used to be terrified, and it was conserving me trapped. I used to be made to really feel ineffective and nugatory, and I assumed being with somebody, irrespective of who, was higher than being alone,” Nicole tells GLAMOUR.
In an announcement to GLAMOUR, the DWP says they’ve “no plans” to “amend the principles relating to the therapy of family revenue and capital in UC and Employment Assist Allowance.” A DWP spokesperson added: “We’d urge anybody experiencing any type of home abuse to achieve out to the related authorities, and so they may also communicate to our specially-trained Jobcentre employees who can present pressing help together with, momentary lodging, profit advances and signposting to further help.”
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