Indulgent benefits are encouraging a generation of idleness

ICHALLENGE anyone to read The Mail on Sunday’s expose of the amount of money being cynically drained from the benefits system at the behest of social media influencers and not be horrified.

As a doctor working in mental health, who sees people genuinely disabled by mental illness and who desperately need those PIP payments to ensure they can get on with their lives, it makes my blood boil.

These people aren’t just gaming the system. They are stealing public money designed to support the sickest, most vulnerable people in society. In doing so, they make a mockery of the welfare state. Young adults in Britain do not need another excuse to skip work but by encouraging them to do so by bending the benefits system to their every disorder, however spurious, we are inviting a generation of idleness.

This open abuse does, of course, also reveal another uncomfortable truth: that the system itself, particularly when it comes to mental health conditions, is not perfect.

One of the difficulties of psychiatry is that there isn’t a blood test or a scan you can do to ascertain a diagnosis. Instead, it relies on careful questions and assessments conducted by professionals. But, as this investigation shows, sometimes knowing the ‘right’ answers to those questions is all it takes.

ADHD, in particular, is a complex and contentious area. Its symptoms – including problems with focus and attention, struggling to keep track of time, and hyperactivity – can be genuinely disabling for many people. But as awareness of it has spread – thanks, in part, to recently diagnosed celebrities – specialist neurodevelopment clinics have been overwhelmed with referrals. NHS waiting lists run into years in some places.

This has led to the emergence of an incredibly lucrative private sector, with psychologists and even therapists (which anyone can claim to be, despite having no qualifications) giving out ADHD diagnoses with ease. After all, the symptoms are so vague we might wondering whether we had a touch of it ourselves.

Yet all of this creates an obvious conflict. Once you have shelled out hundreds of pounds to see someone for an assessment, it’s unlikely they’ll say you don’t have it – especially if you’ve come prepared and know how to answer their questions.

BUT ADHD is more complex. Research suggests many may have other issues instead, from psychological problems to emotional issues and substance abuse. Yet a diagnosis of ADHD offers a protective shield to shelter behind. It offers dispensation not to work or allowances made at work. No one can any longer criticise your behaviour: only a heartless person, after all, would expect you to change.

But this indulgence of the merest of personality quirks helps no one, certainly not those who could otherwise enjoy fulfilling jobs that provide a sense of worth, something which cannot be achieved through prescription medication.

And worst of all, if anyone can effectively buy their own diagnosis from social media it fails everyone genuinely struggling with the burden of mental illness.