Attacks on the welfare state | Raising awareness against chronically ill people

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson was also one of the welcome guests at the right-wing think tank Policy Exchange. Photo: imago/i images There is a trend in the European conservative press: there is an increasing number of reports about “sickfluencers” accusing them of inciting social fraud. Recently, an article entitled “How it became cool to have a disability” appeared in the British daily newspaper “The Telegraph”, which is part of the Springer Group. In it, the author Poppy Coburn, deputy opinion editor of the paper, claims that a trend has emerged, especially among young women, to attribute themselves to having a disability or a chronic illness. Diseases such as fatigue syndrome ME/CFS and the nervous system dysfunction POTS are mentioned. The number of cases of these serious chronic diseases has increased worldwide since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, and the majority of them affect women. Coburn writes that for many, these illnesses are "no longer a challenge to be overcome, but a social identity, similar to sexuality, gender or race."

“Sickfluencers” are people who report on their illnesses and offer help on social media channels such as Tik-Tok or Instagram. This is an important source of information for many affected people, who are often confronted with prejudice or misinformation from doctors or authorities. But Coburn writes, "Young women are turning chronic illness into a lifestyle trend and reinforcing a culture of economic inactivity."

Such publications also exist in other countries: In Austria, the conservative daily newspaper "Kurier" had the headline: "'Sickfluencer': What social fraud can look like on the Internet." The article refers to a study by the London-based think tank Policy Exchange on online communities of chronically ill people. As the report states, these were aimed at “maximizing the use of the health and social system.”

Policy Exchange plays the role of right-wing keyword provider. The think tank has traditionally had strong ties to the British Tories, but has recently been increasingly working with the ultra-right Reform UK party. The think tank is part of the global Atlas Network, which is financed by the fossil fuel oil and gas lobby. Policy Exchange drafted a bill to help the British government more repressively combat actions by the climate group Extinction Rebellion and developed positions to push queer and trans people out of public spaces. Another focus is on the topic of “workfare”, i.e. linking the right to social benefits with the ability to do wage work.

The study used by the “Kurier” as a source is entitled: “Sickfluencers and AI – how technology is changing the health and social benefits system for people with disabilities.” It is preceded by declarations of support from British politicians such as the conservative MP and former minister Robert Jenrick. In 2026 he switched to the Reform UK party and is now its fiscal policy spokesman. He rails against "inflated welfare costs that will drive the country into bankruptcy" if the government does nothing. The present study is so important because it shows “how people with the support of social media influencers exploit the system.” The think tank calls for new measures to bring patients with chronic illnesses such as ME/CFS into the labor market. If they refuse, their social benefits should be stopped.

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