Beaten up for claiming benefits

Claiming benefits has become so stigmatised that hundreds of thousands of claimants have been physically and verbally abused, research reveals today.

Many also reported difficulty in renting a home, opening a bank account and even getting paid employment because of attitudes towards people on benefits.

In a poll carried out by YouGov for the Who Benefits? campaign, 15% said they had experienced verbal abuse for claiming benefits, while 4% said they'd been physically abused.

One in six said a landlord or letting agent had refused to let them rent a property, and nearly a fifth said they'd been treated less favourably by a potential employer or had difficulty accessing a bank account or financial services because they were claiming benefits.

Campaigners say that programmes such as Benefits Street and political rhetoric about "scroungers" have unfairly stigmatised benefit claimants.

"We need to change the way we talk about benefits. Until we do, hundreds of thousands of people will continue to face abuse and be denied essentials, whether it's a bank account or a roof over their heads, simply because they receive some extra support to make ends meet," says Katharine Sacks-Jones from Who Benefits?.

"Until we change the debate and acknowledge the real reasons that people need support – be it low pay, disability, illness, homelessness or mental health problems – decent people will continue to suffer."

The group highlights people like Andrea (not her real name), who became homeless with her two children after her relationship with her abusive husband ended.

"I wanted to live in an area close to my family, where most houses are privately rented. I had countless experiences of calling letting agents only to be told that their landlords did not accept tenants on benefits, whilst other adverts simply stated 'NO DSS'," she says.

"I found myself desperately pleading with letting agent staff that I was not a bad person and I would look after the house, trying to justify my request for a home. I felt very judged and it was possibly the hardest and most desperate time of my life."

Many people on benefits are in work, and when asked about the change that would most improve their situation, the most popular answer was higher pay.

The campaigners are calling for an end to shaming benefits claimants and instead focussing on the reasons that they need help, whether that's low wages, unemployment or the housing shortage.

"Our benefits system should help people when they fall on difficult times and support them to live with dignity," says Sacks-Jones. "Instead, many find themselves isolated and excluded from society."

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