Kelly Sivris (she/her)

Truth bombs about being disabled and claiming benefits in the UK 💥 💣 Many disabled people DO work. You don’t need to be out of work to claim PIP - which is to help with the additional monthly cost of being disabled. 💣 Disabled people who can't work DO contribute to taxes. Benefits get spent on local services, groceries, and essentials, generating VAT and boosting the economy. It's not "free money" - it's recirculated back into society. 💣 Benefits aren't handed out on a whim PIP and the health element of UC are based on how your condition affects daily functionality - not just a diagnosis. You can't just ring up DWP and say “I'm sick, gimme cash.” 💣 Claiming benefits is HARD You need mountains of medical evidence, face-to-face (or virtual) assessments, and even then, just 38% of new claims get an award. Appeals are common. 💣 Motability isn't a "free car" You lease the vehicle using your higher-rate mobility allowance plus your own cash if needed. You don't own it; it's returned at the end of the lease. It's about independence, not luxury. If you're disabled, you know the real struggle. RT to bust the myths🔥 #DisabilityAwareness #DisabilityBenefits

At what point does wealth accumulation become hoarding? Should ‘billionairism’ prompt a mental-health conversation?

‘One thing I would like is for senior psychologists and managers to be more honest about the difficulties faced, by both workers and service users, rather than making us feel like we’re being difficult, and that we’re the problem.’ midpsy.uk/wp-content/upl…

Anyone can become disabled. Anyone can become chronically ill. Anyone can become homeless. These are not moral failings. They can happen in an instant, often when you least expect it. It just takes one accident or illness to change your life forever.

There are a million disabled people who want to work but are denied the opportunity. Sir Charlie Mayfield’s new report highlights many of the barriers they face 🚧 bbc.co.uk/news/articles/…

Controversial but... I think PIP should be accessible to MORE people. Anyone who has been through the process of claiming PIP knows how distressing it is having your life picked apart by someone who isn't even a medic. Your disabilities are questioned and denied. Very few people with a disability get PIP without a mandatory reconsideration. The whole system is designed to make people have to fight for what they deserve. Not many people can navigate this complex system, leaving them with nothing. Now, let's move on to "mild" disabilities. Let's face it this argument has solely been targeting those with mental health conditions. Anyone who has ever experienced anxiety, however crippling, knows the impact it can have on daily life. Public transport becomes a no-go, stepping into shops feels mammoth, and holding down a full time job can be impossible. These are all things you don't see. Mental illness is often lived behind closed doors. PIP is designed to support those who have a disability to live life. Being mentally unwell is expensive. Think taxi fairs, travelling to appointments, prescriptions... the list goes on. Getting people into meaningful occupation is hard but it starts with PIP. PIP helps provide the basis for building up independence, giving people the life skills they need to work (Although PIP is not income tested). So yeah, we SHOULD be encouraging more people with mental and physical disabilities to apply for PIP. We should be utilising resources that are there to help claimants live life rather than ostracising and questioning the severity and need of someone's disability. #PIP

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@Shrink_at_Large 💯 Ageing with good health and without pain is a privilege. Life can become unbearable when we are in constant suffering 🫂

Really dislike when people say “ageing is a privilege”. For those of us who’ve spent years wanting not to be here, it feels like “show your gratitude” for something we never asked for.

If you’re suicidal about benefits changes, please remember nothing can change at all soon: 📞 Samaritans – 116 123 (24/7) 📞 CALM - 0800 58 58 58 (5pm-12) 📞 Mind – 0300 123 3393 (Mon-Fri, 9am-6pm) 📞 Papyrus – 0800 068 4141 (9am-midnight) 📞 Citizens Advice – 0800 144 8848 J💜

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Invisible disability can feel like constantly auditioning for belief.

@Shrink_at_Large Even if that was true and 25% needed PIP (it’s not), ‘we’ somehow afford to under-tax billionaires while cutting support for disabled people 🤔 Priorities really are straight 😵‍💫 With an ageing population, more will live with chronic illness/disability. The need will only grow.

Someone just tweeted me and said we can’t afford to have 20–25% of the population on PIP. So, as a PSA: 20–25% of the population AREN’T on PIP. 20–25% of the disabled population are on PIP. The percentage of the whole population is 5.5%. #TakingThePIP

“You would have more friends if you didn’t talk about your disability & kept the advocacy quiet” Sure. But what kinds of friends would those be? And how would conditions ever improve? Too many people seek to silence disabled voices because we make them uncomfortable. Get loud

‘Neutrality is not harmless. It is a protective shield for the powerful. As psychologists, we can no longer afford to sit quietly, intellectualise injustice, or prioritise comfort over truth. Our ethics must evolve with the world we live in’ bps.org.uk/psychologist/i…

“About 400,000 people are falling out of work due to sickness,” says Kendall. “The longer someone is signed off, the less likely they are to return.” Well, yes, because they’re sicker or disabled — not less willing. Illness and disability aren't a work ethic problem, Liz.