This advice is only for political show IMO.
From a statistical point of view, in the short term at least, suicide is good for the DWP because it is burdening the state less and reducing the figures.
It is the final market solution. That there have been so many, often vigilintly documented here, demonstrates a causal link. This response from DWP is mealy mouthed.
They are anti human scum who have no fundamental problem with people topping themselves through sheer misery and despair. In fact, sheer misery and despair are useful negative components of the modern capitalist incentive model.
I've wondered about this.
I don't believe that the DWP, as a collection of individuals, or even as an organisation, is genuinely and happily driving people to suicide as a matter of policy. For a start, that would be so controversial as to result in people at a very senior level coming out against it.
What I think they are doing is, in some ways, worse: they are behaving in a way that people are telling them is increasing the risk of suicide amongst their claimants, but refusing to believe the facts. They - at a ministerial and perhaps senior managerial level - are simply closing their minds to the idea that their actions are capable of pushing people over the suicidal edge. And when they are confronted with cases where that appears to have happened, their denial tells them that these people were already at risk of suicide anyway, and therefore they cannot be held responsible.
It's a pretty bleak outlook, but one that is not all that uncommon, especially in people who are possessed by a dogmatic belief that what they are doing is right. I think that this Government, and in particular Duncan Smith, is/are stupid enough to be able to cling onto their cherished idea that the population is essentially just like a bunch of kids who just need to be smacked hard enough to behave themselves (as if that even worked with kids). I think the mindset is "if a few of those kids are stupid enough to kill themselves because they became so discouraged by the emotional violence being meted out to them, that's their problem, not ours."
Which is horribly callous and - as I said - in my mind far worse and more dishonest than a genuine, upfront policy of eugenics which they could at least be called to account for.
And yes, the strategy for dealing with suicidal claimants probably is at least somewhat political - but then pretty much anything to do with the State is going to be. They do have to be seen to be doing something about it, and giving everybody a laminated "what to do if..." card probably feels to them like an appropriate response in the circumstances.
But I think it's a huge reach - and perhaps even rather disrespectful to those victimised by these policies - to characterise them as deliberate attempts to drive people to suicide. And, perhaps more importantly, it discredits and undermines any movement aimed at calling the Government to account for its actions in connection with claimants who have died by suicide.
That was a very worthwhile post, and I'm glad you seem to have a very supportive social worker now. I hope things get better for your friend.
