Robert Fisk, battling incurable bowel cancer, argues that the UK's soaring benefits bill is not a problem of the welfare system but of inflexible employment practices. Drawing on his own chemotherapy ordeals, he contends that many people are forced onto benefits because employers cannot accommodate fluctuating health conditions.
Chemotherapy's brutal side effects
Fisk describes the severe side effects of oxaliplatin, a chemotherapy drug he is taking again after a two-year hiatus. He recounts waking up days after treatment feeling as if "millions of tiny knives were trying to burst through the skin of my legs" and his arms being controlled by a "puppet master" causing internal stabbing sensations. He also suffered from intense gum pain resembling a toothache and debilitating hiccups that shook his body and caused vomiting.
These symptoms forced him to postpone work repeatedly. He planned to write on Monday after treatment, then Tuesday, then Wednesday, and only by Thursday was he well enough to work. He notes that if his employer did not allow him to work flexible hours, he would be on Universal Credit, contributing to the benefits bill.
The real problem: work system, not benefits system
Fisk asserts that the real issue is the work system. Many people cannot hold down jobs because their symptoms are unpredictable, and employers lack flexibility. He acknowledges that allowing everyone to work "as and when they can" would disrupt essential services like baristas and power plant workers.
However, he believes employers must find ways to be more like his own, creating job systems that reduce reliance on benefits. He concludes that the solution is obvious but politically difficult, as no one wants to say that the work system needs fundamental change.
