Changes to PIP

[Orangesandlemons77]

It looks like to qualify for PIP people will need 4 points in one area, see here from the Times
"In future, ministers will require applicants to score at least four points on at least one activity to qualify"
Not sure if this means in each section (care, mobility)

This would exclude quite a few people I think

Local authorities are removing them at 18 for the majority.

Direct quote from our LA EHCP officer last week.

But that has no bearing anyway on ability to claim.

@ohthatsabitshit

Exactly!

It's eugenics by any other name.

"These are some of the most vulnerable people. If their families can't afford to support them they'll end up in the residential care system somewhere at a cost of thousands. Its madness."

For that reason I think the government will have to put something in place for that group of young people.

@Willyoujustbequiet those LAs are acting unlawfully, as usual. A blanket policy of ceasing to maintain just because a young person is 18 would be unlawful. And they can’t just cease the EHCP they have to inform the parent/YP they are proposing to cease to maintain and consult on that, then issue a cease to maintain notice. You can appeal, which it is worth doing because the EHCP must be maintained until the conclusion of the appeal. Not that EHCPs are linked to benefits.

The LA tried to take my daughter’s away when she was 20 so I took them to tribunal. The LA whined about how they didn’t have the money to keep paying out for hearings.

The Chair said ‘we’re here because you took the EHCP away’.

If they try to remove them then don’t let them get away with it.

Are they really doing this? My dd has just turned 20. She seriously needs the EHCP to reach her goal of level 3 education. Surely they can’t just take it off her .

@JeremiahBullfrog hmm how could you incentivise my autistic 24 year old to leave the house? On his own with the possibility that someone might see him or, even worse, speak to him? A million pounds - not enough. There is no financial incentive. It’s OK you don’t understand this but try not to lecture.

So if someone is waiting to hear about their renewal, are they going to be assessed based on current criteria or the newer one?

No they can’t! It’s illegal. A lot of LAs think they can behave illegally. They can’t.

Yes I've just engaged a specialist solicitor and will apply to the tribunal.

It's a blanket removal at 18 in my LA supposedly . My DDs care coordinator at CAMHS said she had 6 families in clinic on the same day as us saying the same.

They are attempting to with us. Level 3 is the new cut off apparently. Regardless of failing it or not.

Will try not to.

Well done!

It's such an absolute farce. They spend more money fighting for removal than they would keeping it in place.

@SqueakyC13an yes, some LAs try to cease to maintain just based on a child being 18/19/21. That is unlawful though and can be challenged. LAs try to get away with acting unlawfully all the time.

@Willyoujustbequiet good luck. If it is purely based on age, you will be successful.

If they are the most severely disabled they will be getting £750 + every four weeks of PIP and also the standard element of UC which will be rising.

Disability Green Paper now published - summary below

This is a summary of the main current proposals shared in the Green Paper that will impact social security benefits:

• In England and Wales, there will only be a single assessment for financial support related to health and disability benefits, rather than 2. This will be based on the current PIP assessment.

• Without the WCA eligibility criteria, the additional health element in UC will no longer be linked in any way to someone’s capacity to work or their work status. Instead, eligibility to the additional UC health element will be based on whether someone is receiving any Daily Living Award in PIP.

• The work allowance and single taper rate will remain unchanged to continue to incentivise trying work. Labour will also establish in law the principle that work will not lead to a reassessment of any health related benefits.

• Labour will consult on establishing a new Unemployment Insurance that will provide a higher rate of time-limited financial support for those who have paid in by reforming contributory benefits. This would replace the current New Style ESA and JSA. The rate of financial support would be set at the current higher rate (Support Group) of New Style ESA.

• Labour plan to rebalance UC by increasing the standard allowance for over 25s by £7 a week. The rate of the UC health element will be frozen at £97 per week until 2029/2030 for current claimants. For new claims the rate of the UC health element will be reduced by £47 per week.

• Labour will introduce a new eligibility requirement to ensure that only those who score a minimum of 4 points in at least one daily living activity will be eligible for the daily living component of PIP. It will apply to new claims and for existing people who claim, future eligibility will be decided at their next award review.

• Whilst the WCA is still in place, Labour will restart reassessments as they play an important role in taking account of how changes in health conditions and disabilities affect people over time.

Yes, sorry was just outlining what had changed. The minimum points are still the same I think? 8 for standard rate daily living.

I think they should do it on medical records and actually have say for example a neurologist if it's neurological so they understand the condition. The assessors lie. I got a solicitor to do my daughter MR as she's neurodivergent, autism, adhd,ticks and turrets and I care for her. I have a very rare neurological muscle condition called dystonia the pain is always there, the medication makes you drowsy, botox only works for about 6 weeks to stop the neck twisting, sometimes for upto 2 weeks no matter how much pain relief nothing works, I do not want to wake up. I also have mental health severe but they base it all on that and ignore my physical pain. So I'll be getting a solicitor to get my medical records and sort pip out. If anything they are the scammers. Maybe if the government ploughed money into more services/support for the neurodivergent especially young adults and above as there's none. And mental health then more people would not be struggling mentally. All I've seen them do is target the old who have worked and paid and now the vulnerable. Shame on them. I'm scared for those with mental health seriously scared for those. When you know too many already have taken their little young lives and now this. I'm literally never voting again. My husband works himself into the ground we struggle now this. 4 children. Like the majority debt upto our eyes, can't get out of the rental. 3 neurodivergent children. No family outside. I'm sure I'm relating. It's very hard to scam pip. I've always been asked to supply evidence then they literally lie. It's just my opinion but why don't they go after the tight rich people who not all but alot have their own business and their people who do their books help them avoid paying alot of tax. I know alot on holiday constantly, flouting it, getting away with it. I'd love to work, broke when I physically couldn't no more. Crazy

I claimed PIP for several years, with several renewals and 4 points in 4 different areas.. until my son was born (14 weeks early), relationship broke down, renewal appointment came and I went from 16 points to 0. Basically I was able to breastfeed a newborn and keep him alive so assessor decided I didn't meet any of the descriptors. Despite my physical and mental health being the worst it has been, not eating, washing, socialising, not managing adulting eg managing finances,bills etc all energy went on keeping baby fed clean and nurtured.

My support worker helped me submit a MR with further evidence and came back again with 0 points.

Son is now 7, he has significant SEND, autistic ADHD and DCD, waiting for a specialist school placement and I've had to leave my part time employment which was extremely important for my mental health, because son is only managing a part-time timetable.

So now we've gone from having two working adult household (although my contract was 28 hours a week since 2016 after being diagnosed with an autoimmune condition that affects all areas of life). To being a single parent, single income household alongside PIP. To losing the PIP.. to now losing my income and relying on bare bones UC award to survive. Basically living in poverty struggling to afford the basics and no idea when things will improve.

I've been told to apply for DLA for my son, and I've been given fit notes for stress now because the situation is freaking stressful. I'm disheartened to see the proposed changes to PIP at a time I was considering reapplying. Anyone who has been through the assessment process will know the level of evidence required to apply and even the most disabled applicants often end up having to appeal to get what they should. How awesome it would be to be physically and mentally healthy and not have to think about applying for and relying on benefits like PIP.

Contact fight back 4 justice xxx they fight all benefit claims and win over 99% xxx

They take a cut, I wouldn't do this.

If long term UC is not enough then will l everyone eventually be on PIP. The system is ,totally mad. I won't be voting Labour again.

They charge 120 that's all. And that's only if you want them to do an mr , they took nothing from my daughter. They won, she got all backpay owed. Its 4.99 per month or 11.99 to use solicitors plus the fee. They pretty much do everything and tell you if they need anything. You can cancel your membership whenever you like and sign back up when you need. They are worth paying 11.99 if your doing you first claim because they help you fill the forms out. But I needed them because I struggle with paperwork and legal documents so it was a huge weight and stress off. It's best for people to research their own way. But for my own experience they were amazing and they didn't even get my daughters medical records because the Dr's had lost them. They came through 6 months later. So I'm armed with that now.

I wonder how this will affect people going through cancer treatment. Currently they are automatically awarded LCWRA but may not qualify for PIP especially if treatment is say for a six month period. yet there are huge additional costs- hospital transport etc.

To what extent have the right wing press pages the groundwork for this? We have had years of young snowflake and benefit culture pieces in the press and I wonder if over time this has stigmatized the disabled as freeloaders so the public as a whole feel these cruel budget cuts are palatable (or even just). Those I know who argue for the PIP reductions being up some stereotype of a gamer boy in his 20s living in the basement of their parents house and using PIP for fast food and weed.....completely unfair but I can see how the press have shaped this narrarive.

At least here we are getting the real stories of the disabled and not a traumatizing version from the press or an overly optimistic one flaunted in some of the media. .

What impact will this have on LCWRA please? Is it just that the assessment is moving from WCA to the PIP assessment? Is the latter harder to pass?