Good morning. Welcome back to Survival Guide. I’m Isabella McRae, social justice reporter at the Big Issue.

The government is planning to make it harder to get disability and sickness benefits. Rishi Sunak is worried about benefits “becoming a lifestyle choice”.

When you know the reality of the benefits system, this is deeply worrying. It’s a struggle to believe that a lifetime of traumatic assessments where you are repeatedly asked to prove your illness, alongside the constant worry that your only source of income might be stripped away, is something many people would choose.

I’ve spoken to benefits claimants who have faced horrific experiences at the hands of the system through my reporting, and hundreds more have written to us to share their stories. Many have been pushed to mental health crises and driven further away from work.

In this week’s newsletter, we hear just one of those stories. Pauline had schizophrenia and multiple physical disabilities but was denied benefits and faced poverty – until she was diagnosed with terminal cancer. She died shortly after.

And if that’s not enough of the government penalising the vulnerable, they are also pushing ahead with their plans to criminalise homelessness. The Big Issue’s deputy digital editor Liam Geraghty spoke to a whistleblower within the government who said he has never been so ashamed to call himself a civil servant. 

Read about all of this and more below…

If you have a story to share, we want to listen. Get in touch at isabella.mcrae@bigissue.com or share your story here.

Pauline's story: 'It's evil what they are doing'

Pauline spent years worrying that her disability benefits would be seized. Then it happened.

She had schizophrenia, diabetes, osteoporosis, a hiatus hernia and a permanently-damaged shoulder, but she was denied personal independence payment (PIP), a benefit to help people with long-term mental and physical health conditions cover extra living expenses.

In the last months of her life, during the height of the pandemic in 2020, Pauline faced poverty.

“It’s evil what they are doing,” she said before her death. “Evil. If you’ve got any kind of mental illness, you’re not recognised in this country anymore. You’re told that you’re surplus to requirements. You don’t have the right to be human anymore.”

Pauline was awarded PIP but only after she was diagnosed with cancer. She died four months later aged 57 in a shock to all of her family. 

Read Pauline’s story – and more about the people with schizophrenia and mental illness denied PIP.

In case you missed it

Sunak's call to end 'sick note culture' and reform benefits is 'demonising' disabled and sick people. The PM said he worries about 'benefits becoming a lifestyle choice'. Charities warn it's part of an ongoing campaign of hostility. Read about it.

London mayor Sadiq Khan: 'What would I do if I saw someone stealing nappies? Take my wallet out and pay'. Sadiq Khan gave an exclusive interview to the Big Issue, answering questions submitted by vendors and readers. Read more.

No-fault evictions will be scrapped 'in name only' under Tory renting reforms, campaigners warn. Renters groups say their concerns about the Renters Reform Bill have not been listened to as the bill is set for its final stages in the Commons. Get the story.

DWP risks repeat of Post Office scandal with plan to snoop on claimants' bank accounts, MPs warn. A bill is set to compel banks and building societies to give the DWP data to search for fraud and error. Here's the latest.

Ultra-processed food is often blamed for obesity – but we should be looking at government policy. Mark Game, chief executive of food charity the Bread and Butter Thing, calls for the government to do more to tackle poor diets in the UK. Read his thoughts.

Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby: 'We need to end short-termism to fix the housing crisis'. The Church of England has unveiled a long-term vision to fix England’s housing crisis. Read more.

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Home Office whistleblower reveals 'shame' of working on 'crackpot Tory' plan to criminalise homelessness

Civil servants tasked with delivering the government’s plans to criminalise homelessness have “low morale” and are tired of “crackpot Tory ideas”, a government insider working on the Criminal Justice Bill has told the Big Issue.

The controversial bill is due to replace the Vagrancy Act, which has outlawed rough sleeping and begging for 200 years. But it has faced opposition from Conservative MPs and frontline homelessness groups over measures that could see rough sleepers face jail or a fine up to £2,500 for an “excessive smell”.

Speaking exclusively to the Big Issue, the insider said they were “ashamed” at having to work on the bill and the experience left them looking to leave the civil service.

The government insider said: “I have never been so ashamed to call myself a civil servant. The code requires us to work on whatever the government wants us to, but after years of crackpot Tory ideas, I can’t take it anymore. Criminalising homelessness has been the straw that has broken the camel’s back.”

Read the story.

Saving those coins: How to get money off water bills

Water bills have gone in April, at a time when household budgets cannot afford to be squeezed much more.

The average water bill has risen by 6% in England and Wales, up from £445 to £473 each year, according to industry body Water UK. But you could be paying more or less, depending on your supplier and where you live.

In Scotland, they have gone up by 8.8%. That's a rise of £36 on average each year.

Even just a small increase in bills can be difficult for households. That’s why it’s so important to claim the support you are entitled to. Here, we’ve rounded up places where you can go to get help to pay your water bill and other cost of living support.