Opinion Inheriting discriminatory socio-political landscapes as ‘undeserving’ disabled people: legacy of common health problems & future for LC, 2024, Hunt

Free fulltext:
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/02610183241229050

Critical Social Policy
https://doi.org/10.1177/02610183241229050

Commentary

Inheriting discriminatory socio-political landscapes as ‘undeserving’ disabled people: The legacy of common health problems and the future for long COVID

Joanne Hunt

Abstract

The UK government's recent announcement that the highly controversial Work Capability Assessment (WCA) will likely be abolished leaves questions of what precisely will emerge in its place.

This commentary revisits a construct central to the attempted justification of the WCA, that of ‘common health problems’, which may well continue to leave a legacy in delineating purported ‘deserving’ and ‘undeserving’ impairment, ill-health and related disability.

After outlining the politically strategic application of this construct in social policy, concerns are raised for long Covid.

In particular, the risk of long Covid following the trajectory of another post-infection diagnosis, myalgic encephalomyelitis / chronic fatigue syndrome, is discussed.

Keywords
biopsychosocial model, common health problems, long covid, myalgic encephalomyelitis / chronic fatigue syndrome, welfare reform

 

An important article, but will [it] gain enough traction to influence services and support for people with Long Covid, particularly those that meet the diagnostic criteria for ME/CFS?

[edited to correct typo]

 

Yup. And DWP has confirmed today that Jobcentres will no longer issue food bank vouchers to people who can't feed themselves or their kids. Many food banks won't give out parcels without a referral.

https://www.theguardian.com/society...top-referring-benefit-claimants-to-food-banks