That desperate people have to look online for help with disability and sickness benefits is what should truly upset us
Have you heard of the “sickfluencers”? I admit the phenomenon had passed me by until this week. “Sickfluencer” sounds like a term to describe the world’s least aspirational Instagrammer, where instead of trips to Bali and fine jewellery, brands send codeine and incontinence pads. #gifted #bestlife
In fact, it’s about the disability benefits system. But then what isn’t, nowadays? Just a week after the government published its unemployment white paper, Channel 4’s Dispatches: Britain’s Benefits Scandal reported that disabled and chronically ill social media users – dubbed “sickfluencers” – are using platforms such as YouTube and TikTok to share advice on securing disability benefits. Some are publishing template answers that followers can use to fill out their own forms. Others are sharing tips on Facebook and Reddit.
Frances Ryan is a Guardian columnist
