How likely are PIP vouchers now labour are in?

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Just as the title says really.

It doesn't affect me as I don't claim any benefits and work full time however my son and mother are on PIP and I'm not sure how vouchers would work for them and I'm a little bit worried.

I know there is previous threads on this but I can't see any being mentioned now labour is in.

Is it worth worrying about or is it a wait and see what happens situation?

Thanks all.

That's because the consultation launched under the Tories is still open. None of it is Labour policy suggestions as yet, given they have only been in power less than a week!

I think Labour will kick the consultation into.the long grass.

PIP has nothing to do with work. And many can only work because they get pip. (Car through Motability, etc)

Well they need to rethink inclusivity than as the current system is very hit and and miss
My son has very complex disabilities and has gone to a special school since he was in reception. ,he's in year 9 now thees absolutely no way he could have been managed in a mainstream school and nor would I have wanted him in one
We are luckier than most LEA,s as we have four special needs schools ,two primary and two secondary and several ASD hubs
But it's not enough .

I’m not sure that the benefits system was actually that tight under the Tories, it’s the cost of living that just took more away than was given. But if you lived in certain difficulties, benefits were not exactly hard to obtain under the previous government either (though the PIP system has shown itself to be horrific for some, I do not disagree).

Labour have said that their plan is to help people get better so they can work if they are able to. There are a lot of sick and mentally unwell people out there who are unable to work because of long NHS waiting lists. And because the Tories have dismantled mental health support (because in their eyes it's for weak people).

I don't like forced inclusion of disabled children into mainstream - I was against it under New Labour too because it often looked like the child being physically in the classroom but not true inclusion. It is not appropriate unless the resources are there to support the children.

I know that it’s not means tested, but there are people who work less or not at all due to disability (and I’m not saying that in a negative way). The Tories had started upping expectations of working hours and reducing benefit output. I don’t believe that Labour will put that aside.

That's ESA or UC. Nothing to do with PIP

I’m not sure what point you’re trying to make. Do you believe that Labour are not going to reduce PIP payments/replace it with another type of scheme in trying to discourage people from claiming it?

The irony is that Labour started the dismantling of mental health seevice under the last Labour government, twice I was redeployed due cuts under in a 12 month period, during 2005-2006 in the huge mental health Trust that i worked for

I think though this should make you appreciate the scale of the dependency on benefits in this country, rather than simply assuming any party who doesn’t want to extend them are ableist. Labour are inherently a party of the welfare state, if they’re rowing back on it then you know there is a major issue. I don’t get why posters can’t see this? The figures are frankly scary.

Before 2010, everyone got awarded DLA. PIP was brought in and designed to be incredibly difficult to get for 'working age' people. Children still get DLA.

I don't see Labour cutting PIP or replacing it.

This wasn't the Tories' first attempt at screwing over PIP recipients. The idea of providing one-off awards of items such as perching stools, bath boards, toilet frames etc. was floated a few years back and was incredibly unpopular with disability support groups (I had the 'pleasure' of working on PIP at the time).
I sincerely hope that Labour don't continue this nonsense voucher idea. How dare anyone try to dictate how a person spends their entitlement, as if they know better what people need. Bastards.

I think though this should make you appreciate the scale of the dependency on benefits in this country, rather than simply assuming any party who doesn’t want to extend them are ableist. Labour are inherently a party of the welfare state, if they’re rowing back on it then you know there is a major issue. I don’t get why posters can’t see this? The figures are frankly scary.

But, AGAIN. PIP is very hard to get, so why are there so many genuine claimants? Answer - because the Tories stopped funding the NHS.

Those figures can be as scary as anything, unfortunately as a parent of at least one child who will rely on benefits and social care for the rest of their lives the fact is some people do need it. And the government won’t invest in social care, so familial carers like me need to also rely on benefits to live. It’s a knock on effect and people like us are stuck whichever way we look.

Yep. There was massive uproar and Osborne had to row back.

Highly unlikely I'd say. They won't want the headlines about distressed disabled people taking the shine off.

In part yes but also because there has been an explosion in diagnoses of mental health or neurodivergence diagnoses which have lead to more claims. Particularly in young adults

If means testing for winter fuel payments would be too costly how on earth would any government manage a voucher scheme or reimbursement scheme?

I've participated in a PIP reform consultation focus group via RNIB and the overwhelming response is that any reform should look at making more PIP fit for purpose than it is now.
This includes

• reducing the need for mandatory reconsideration and tribunals (which are costly and majority end in PIP being awarded)
• bringing in light touch reassessments for progressive or lifelong conditions or reinstatement of lifetime awards (avoiding cost of pointless reassessment)
• binning off vouchers idea as cost to administer would outweigh any savings plus unworkable as such diversity of increased costs due to disability

I am hoping that the new government will review the feedback from the consultation and any actions will improve how PIP works. The major issue that the Tory government were trying to stir up public outrage about was the increasing numbers seeking PIP due to mental health problems, presumably the underlying assumption was that many shouldn't be eligible. That's a much broader issue than PIP and tackling the poor mental health that many live with will be a tough challenge with no easy answers.

The firzt reform PIP needs is an overhaul of the overuse the appeal system because of basic failings by the DWP

So many people who are entitled to it are declined despite then going on to win at appeal (without needing to submit any further evidence).

My daughter’s claim had evidence from two consultants, an OT and a specialist nurse. All are well versed in PIP so their details were about the impact on her life and the limitations. The DWP declined her application based on the assessment of an OT she saw through them who literally googled her condition in front of us as she’d never heard of it! Unsurprisingly she was granted it on appeal.

in the centre we went to for the appeal there was something like 15 rooms. All had a lawyer and doctor on the panel. Many also had a disability rights advisor. All independent and no doubt very expensive. They are so busy her appeal took 11 months. The vast majority of people who appeal win. The cost of that must absolutely astronomical!!

Sorting that out would be a very simple way to save the country a lot of money!

In part yes but also because there has been an explosion in diagnoses of mental health or neurodivergence diagnoses which have lead to more claims. Particularly in young adults

So what? They are not faking their disabilities FFS

Also this is the third time in 10 years my DD has had to go to appeal. Shes won every time on her original evidence. And her condition is lifelong and unchanging. So it’s a phenomenal waste of money in situation like hers

Disabled people are massively at risk of even further inequality and poverty if they just wait and see what happens.

Wes Streeting is very open about wanting more privatisation of the NHS, Labour have plans for extending PFIs, and they have repeatedly used the exact same rhetoric as Conservatives (i.e. needing to encourage disabled people into work, reduce the welfare bill, improve access to healthcare instead of cash handouts etc etc).

This is all very worrying - "improving access to healthcare" AS AN ALTERNATIVE to cash handouts shows a) that there is money they could spend on healthcare that they will only spend if they can cut it from disabled people and b) that they see no problem with a situation in which you may need to be on PIP to get the quickest access to treatment for your long term health condition.

Continuing the rhetoric of encouraging disabled people back into work is allowing the stigmatisation of people who overwhelmingly say they'd love to be able to work and that the reason they can't is usually because there are no jobs that suit their abilities, because the demands of working make them sicker or because employers do not allow any flexibility or actively discriminate against them. Imagine competing with healthy applicants with excellent health records if you've had 10 days absence in the last year, have hospital appointments a couple of times per month and need reasonable adjustments in your new role.

I would urge anyone who is disabled, knows anyone disabled or who cares about disabled people to fill out the consultation survey before it runs out on 22 July and to remember that vouchers/catalogues will place severe limits on what disabled people can actually buy, which will benefit nobody but the companies chosen to supply those catalogues/accept those vouchers. It's also very expensive to administer those schemes, so the only way it would save money is if they also massively reduce the number of people eligible for PIP in the first place.

There is more to be said about how research on benefits of work for sick/disabled people talks about how work is only beneficial for disabled people if it is the right type of work, safe, accommodating, and within a disabled person's capabilities, none of which is ever taken into account when these kinds of changes are made.

Hopefully the link will work (see below). If not, search for "Modernising Support for Independent Living The Health and Disability Green Paper" and then go to the "How to Respond" section for the link.

www.gov.uk/government/consultations/modernising-support-for-independent-living-the-health-and-disability-green-paper/modernising-support-for-independent-living-the-health-and-disability-green-paper#how-to-respond

So, it’s a financial rather than moral issue. We can’t afford to pay millions and millions of people out of work or disability benefits. Surely you understand the concept of money?!

Really? I think ‘we’ can afford it. If governments spend money wisely on public services instead of giving massive tax breaks to the rich and funding vanity projects. We are not a developing country. Honestly, this nonsense is like the emporer’s new clothes.

Under the first four years of the 2010 coalition, the richest in society quadrupled their wealth. That should not be at the expense of disabled people.