‘Sickfluencer’, 47, defends helping people claim disability benefits

A so-called ‘sickfluencer’ who posts social media content advising people how to claim disability benefits has hit back at accusations she is helping people ‘cheat the system.’

Sara Middleton, 47, from Chesterfield, Derbyshire, has gained popularity on TikTok by sharing tips on how to access Personal Independence Payments (PIP) from the government.

There are believed to be around 4million claimants entitled to PIP – worth up to £194 a week – in England and Wales, a figure which has doubled since January 2019.

The rise is believed to have been driven by claimants citing mental health conditions, with the Daily Mail revealing that the cost of the benefits for anxiety alone rocketed from under £100million in 2019 to nearly £427million last year.

Ms Middleton is eligible for £749 per month in PIP as she suffers from chronic pain disorder fibromyalgia, as well as spinal issues, chronic fatigue syndrome, depression, anxiety and chest inflammation.

But the mother-of-one, who also works as a motor finance administrator, has been accused of helping people ‘cheat, scam or hack the system’ as public outrage grows towards the high welfare bill in Britain.

One of her videos on the ‘two big mistakes people make that cause them to fail their PIP review’ has 230,000 views, while another on how to avoid losing your PIP support after a change of circumstances has nearly 100,000.

Now, the 47-year-old has hit back at the ‘awful’ hate she receives on social media – insisting she only posts content to ‘educate, advocate and empower’.

She said: ‘I never set out to do TikTok, but now I’ve found my tribe on social media.

‘Unfortunately, there is an awful lot of hate online, especially around benefits like PIP and the Motability scheme.

‘People have this idea that you can go to a doctor, tell them you’re a bit sad to get diagnosed with depression, then get PIP and a free BMW.

‘The biggest misconception is that you can help someone cheat the system, all I’m trying to do is educate.

‘PIP is the hardest support to get, and I just try to explain to people how to communicate with the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to get benefits they are eligible for.

‘I’m just helping people to stand up for themselves and what they need – their evidence still has to back it up.

‘People forget that nobody is exempt from becoming ill – it could be them one day.’

Ms Middleton – who has been dubbed a ‘sickfluencer’ for her social media posts – believes politicians and the media are to blame for creating a false narrative around disability benefits in Britain.

Her social media account first surged in popularity after ‘ranting’ about the welfare reforms announced by the government last year, which attempted to restrict access to PIP by tightening the rules.

Sir Keir Starmer was forced to abandon the changes due to a Labour revolt, but the Prime Minister remains under pressure to get a grip on Britain’s ballooning benefits bill.

She said disabled people ‘are just trying to get through things day by day’ but are not helped by ‘politicians suggesting you can come and get a Motability car for tennis elbow, acne or constipation’.

She added: ‘And people believe it, then they come after us.’ 

Ms Middleton maintains that she is not helping people game the system, but is instead educating people and encouraging them to know their rights.

She continued: ‘With PIP, you can’t give key phrases, or say ‘if you use this word, you’ll get this’ – because you need the diagnosis letters, consultant reports, assessment outcomes and test results.

‘I teach people how to communicate their circumstances, how to paint the picture when the assessors ask for details of their situation.

‘Unfortunately the general consensus is I’m teaching people how to “win PIP”.’

But, she argued: ‘I want to educate, advocate and empower. I want people to be confident and have a fair shot.

‘But nothing I could tell someone would definitively get them a good reward with PIP – that comes down to their medical evidence.’

It comes just weeks after a report warned that the health and disability benefits system is increasingly at risk of being ‘distorted’ by sickness influencers who are gaining hordes of followers online by coaching potential new claimants.

The Daily Mail reported how thousands of users on internet forums are sharing advice on the best way to describe symptoms and what to include in claims forms, with encouragement to ‘lay it on thick’.

Researchers from the Policy Exchange found many claimants are now using AI tools, such as ChatGPT, to produce model answers and strengthen the wording of their applications even when they have no medical evidence for such claims.

The so-called ‘sickfluencers’ were found to produce ‘walkthrough guides’ on how to ace the process, detail products and services people can demand and lure people in with the suggestion they can help them ‘get up to £62k in ADHD support’.

Some posts have tens of thousands of views.

The report found that social media users could be lured into making claims after seeing the content online when they may never have considered doing so otherwise.

It added that the nature of the videos and posts has the impact of ‘normalising’ a benefits lifestyle and creates an entitlement culture.

The report, ‘Sickfluencers and AI: How technology is changing the Health and Disability Benefits System’, was endorsed by Reform UK shadow chancellor Robert Jenrick who warned in the foreword that ‘the ballooning benefits bill will bankrupt Britain unless the Government act’. 

Mr Jenrick added: ‘Those who’ve paid in and fallen on hard times deserve support.

‘But as Policy Exchange’s report shows, it’s increasingly clear people are gaming the system, spurred on by social media influencers who are taking it in at the taxpayers’ expense.

‘The authorities should be coming down on welfare scammers like a ton of bricks.

‘And we urgently need to return to in-person assessments to root out those choosing to be on benefits.’