Dear disabled people: please stop believing ‘DWP PIP’ headlines by Reach

There’s a lot of fear among disabled people on DWP benefits like PIP at the moment and much of it is very warranted. With the Autumn Budget coming up and the government focusing on “working people”, many disabled people who can’t work are worried about what this will mean for their vital benefits.

It’s not helped by the fact that the government appears to be pushing ahead with the dangerous DWP WCA changes as I reported. But the fear is elevated even more so by the lack of clarity around changes to PIP.

Whilst the government still haven’t announced whether they will be reforming PIP, there’s been room for much speculation – especially from the tabloid press, like Reach-owned outlets, who rely on clicks to make money.

DWP PIP clickbait from Reach outlets

The Canary has previously reported on how tabloid and local news conglomerate Reach PLC has been whipping up fear with their constant stories on “DWP PIP”, with very little evidence to support that there actually is any news.

If you Google the phrase “DWP PIP” and click “News” I can almost guarantee that your results will be full of the likes of the Mirror, Express, CambridgeLive and of course BirminghamLive.

This is because the rags have figured out that while there’s so much uncertainty around the benefit changes that will affect our lives, many disabled people are frantically searching for any scrap of information.

Instead of going to the heart of the matter and seeking the truth, Reach is doing what they apparently do best nowadays – mine people’s fear for clicks. They’re writing stories based on rumours and even old or abandoned plans that are designed to confuse and spread fear which are more likely to be shared and generate more ad revenue for them.

It’s disinformation

I rather kindly used to refer to this sort of “journalism” as misinformation. But when they’re generating so many stories around DWP PIP with clickbait headlines – but without giving the audience the full picture – it’s actually purposeful disinformation at this point. And while it isn’t for political gain in the same way that the scrounger narrative in right-wing press is, it’s definitely being used for their own gain.

I don’t in any way blame disabled people for spreading and sharing this disinformation. When we’re all so desperate for news and fraught with the fear that our benefits will be cut yet again, it’s only natural to want to share any scrap of what seems like news with others who we also know are scared or struggling.

Instead, I want to offer some reassurance.

What it’s important to remember

It’s true that we don’t know what’s going to come out of the Autumn Budget. We also don’t know when DWP PIP reforms will be announced – but it’s looking more likely that it will be spring at the earliest. While that isn’t much comfort, it at least means nothing is changing yet. There are also, as yet, no immediate plans to means-test DWP PIP, as my fantastic colleague Hannah pointed out yesterday.

I also wanted to direct you to journalism around disability benefits that you can trust. Here at the Canary, we have many disabled journalists and allies who will only publish what we know to be true, as opposed to clickbait propaganda.

There’s also the indomitable Disability News Service run by John Pring and of course the Big Issue. Some great people to follow on Twitter for disability benefits are DPAC, Paula Peters, Ben Claimant, and Dr Jay Watts.

Take time for you

Finally, times ahead might be bleak but remember you don’t have to constantly be consuming news about something which can be triggering. Whilst it is important to fight these changes, constantly fighting will only lead to burn out.

So remember, check your sources on anything ‘DWP PIP’ related, consume media you can trust, and take time for you. The world won’t crumble if you delete the Twitter app or take some time away from the internet to eat some cake, watch some trashy TV, or spend some time with your loved ones.

Featured image via the Canary