So they want to replace PIP/DLA money with vouchers?

[moneyinthebinthatsmrtim]

I don't understand it. It is really worrying me.

This payment helps pay for so many things. I doubt these vouchers would cover that, or give the freedom to shop or buy from where you want or need to.

I included DLA because it's really just the child's version of PIP. Eventually, my profoundly disabled child will be an adult and will have to be on PIP

Is there really any truth in this? I can't see any articles directly quoting Labour or Conservative. I might just be in such a worry that I have missed that bit

Apologies if there is another thread on this too. I am happy to get this one taken off if that's the case

www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/pip-disability-benefits-plan-rishi-government-critics-b2537209.html

They won’t win the election so you don’t need to worry about it.

PIP is very abused system in my opinion though.

How so? Most people can't get it and so many have to go to tribunal

It depends where the vouchers can be spent.

receiving food vouchers when you’re peg fed is no use to you.

my sons DLA is spent on weekly speech therapy at £72 a week, would they give me a speech therapy voucher?

What is it the vouchers can be spent on? And what is it you spend the money on now?

I do think it's a bit weird taking away a payment to help people with their independence and then saying noooo not THAT independent- have a voucher

PIP is notoriously hard to obtain so in what way do you believe it is abused?

@MaryMaryVeryContrary

PIP is very abused system in my opinion though.

Have you got anything to substantiate that claim?

You can't spend your PIP on whatever the fuck you like. It's not anyone's business.

Vouchers will never happen, it's a disgrace to even consider this.

You can spend it on whatever you like I was asking what OP spent it on that they were worried it wouldn't cover. There's 3 issues as far as I can tell:

1. Will the voucher cover whatever it is people used the money for (doubt it).
2. Why use a voucher - it's just removing the independence and forcing people to make sure their purchases meet the government's requirements which is treating them like children.
3. We don't need a voucher - we have a voucher it's called "Cash"

Stats and figures to back this up please.

I think it's dehumanising

I am already a physically abused (if we're being honest cos that's what happens when you have a profoundly disabled child who can hurt), I am already surviving on 3/4 hours sleep a night at best. I am already cleaning faeces off walls and bedding each day, washing loads. I am already fighting for support from other areas, various admin tasks, following up appointments, chasing things

I don't need this. I can't do this. If it happened, I will become a shell. I don't think I can say goodbye to my son, and leave him in residential. He's better home for now

I do not have the head space or time, the ability to add more worry that something else will be approved in the form of vouchers

But there will be many who do decide that this is now too much. It's time for residential care. - and it costs millions, per child

So good luck to them. They can all fuck off, how evil of them. To come down on the vulnerable and disabled

@moneyinthebinthatsmrtim I agree. It's so "othering". "Here have some pretend money".

It is a very abusive system. The new system of harsh assessments and appeals hasn't saved a penny, in fact it costs more to deprive the most vulnerable in society of the money they desperately need to survive than to trust the opinions of the healthcare professionals who understand their disabilities and administer to their needs on a regular basis.

www.bigissue.com/news/social-justice/dwp-disability-benefit-fraud-pip/#:~:text=PIP%20fraud%20is%20now%20the,ending%202023%2C%20a%20significant%20decrease.

Nope not abused at all

@fancysleep it is. It just feels so dehumanising. I already feel less 'human' a lot of the time

That money means we have the freedom to provide a half decent quality of life. That won't be the case if this happens, at least not without crippling admin for me

I am just so done. It is all a shit show. My son gets some respite hours but guess what? Not enough carers to do the hours granted most of the time

I really is just a living nightmare and there is no chance of escape. This is what my life looks like, what my son's life looks like

What so many others lives look like

It's like they're saying 'Disabled? Haha! You must be a thicko. A Carer? Haha! You must love drugs and ciggies. Take the voucher and move on!'

Like a Dickins novel of sleep deprived carers in a line, waiting for a crust. Except in that line they're constantly providing 24/7 supervision to an unpredictable family member

I despair.

@MaryMaryVeryContrary

'PIP is very abused system in my opinion though.'

Your opinion is not based on facts.

The DWP own figures/report published in 2024 ('Fraud and error in the benefits system annual report') show that PIP fraud is literally ZERO.

You need to distinguish being the political rhetoric and actual facts and evidence.

Of course Sunak has never apologised to the people with disabilities and long term health conditions that he demonised when the evidence clearly shows that there is no issues with fraud and PIP...

When was the existing government planning to change to vouchers. Is it just a suggestion. There doesn't appear to be a laid out plan These things take ages and lots of debate before implementing.

Also are existing government going to be reelected. Hopefully people this affects will vote for another party then

I don’t for a second think it would happen but even the fact they are considering it is scary!

some of DS DLA is used to pay for classes that are great for him, they are run by a very small independent business. How would that work? Would I have to find another way of funding them? Would she have an admin hassle to cash them?

it just makes no sense!

When I was on PIP I used the money for cleaners, taxis and someone to strim the grass in the summertime.
All the things I couldn't manage because of my conditions basically. That is what it is for.

I doubt any voucher system would cover those kinds of things.
It's a ridiculous idea.

There is a consultation running on this which started before the election was announced. I'm still planning to respond to it as whoever is in power can then see how people feel.

IME in many cases it's not spent directly on items or services but supplements the household budget to compensate for the extra caring hours and costs, cleaning, special foods etc none of which would work with vouchers. If they went to a claim things back with receipts system that would be at a huge administrative cost.

@Sirzy my son too. It's a music class where he just loves listening to the woman's voice and emptying out the containers of instruments, it's great for his wellbeing. But that too is a small independent woman with some volunteers. How is that being paid for? Who's doing the admin? Oh yes, already underpaid, underfunded carers and the social care sector

Cannot deal with the stupidity

@MaryMaryVeryContrary your opinion is incorrect, I hope you're keeping up here and as a result have a rethink of that opinion

This should not happen even if the vouchers can be used everywhere. Why should the OP have to use benefits vouchers rather than the same currency as everyone else? It's just trying to make spending it humiliating to reduce people using it when they don't absolutely have to.

Our government would probably design the scheme so badly that it would actually cost more. Give the contract to a big company (Tory donor, ofc) who takes a massive slice of the funds then make the vouchers extremely hard to use. Total mismanagement of the system is their specialty. I hope they will be gone on July 4, so this ‘reform’ never happens.

Have you seen the libdems proposals OP? Ed Davey is a carer himself and gets it. I don't think they will be in power but if more people vote for them, their voices on this issue might be heard.