Rather then cut certain benefits why not means test them?

[cadooyahoo]

I know someone who imo does not get enough support for their disability (they are blind) & am aware many disabled people live in poverty so I don't think we should cut benefits. Wouldn't it make more sense to means test PIP, DLA & AA?

Yup, and government has none of the things you mention. Unfortunately.

Yeah, and net zero was obviously a longer goal, so it does happen, but by and large short term sticking plasters seem to be more common than deep, decades long reform.

What is it with people trying to find ways to cut PIP today ??

It isn’t easy to get PIP . There are so many who need PIP who are turned down …

lets focus on how we can help the most vulnerable people in society . 🤷‍♂️

Because the purpose of DLA and PIP are to help people who have disabilities have an equal quality of life to people who don't by covering the extra costs that come with being disabled.

Why should a disabled person earning a good salary live a considerably poorer lifestyle than a non-disabled person doing the same job, because they have to pay for extra costs that come with being disabled?

This is exactly the problem. My family is already penalised by my inability to work full- time anymore. This way we would be double penalised because the only benefit we claim is PIP which funds mobility aids and sexy items like neurophysio.

I think carrot and stick will be needed to sort out the welfare budget.
Forget means testing, just make Mobility and PIP only accessible when you're earning £17, 582 a year. (30 hours per week, 48 weeks)
Claiming benefits due to MH you lose your driving license and have to retest to get it back.
Reduce housing benefit to a maximum of £500 a month across the country

I missed this before. I would time limit benefits for anxiety and depression especially in 18-21 year olds but hand in hand I would make fully funded therapy and coaching a national priority for these young people, alongside funded apprentice schemes in shortage areas like plumbing, electrician and health care.

That seems like all stick and no carrot.

If PIP was only accessible if you earned £17k, then what happens to the people who are not earning that. What about children on DLA? Or a teen that has just switched over to PIP at the age of 16? What about those that are unable to work?
A great many would be stuck in their homes, not able to have any sort of life whatsoever. Their care needs wont be being met. How is that acceptable?
You also seemed to miss that part that being disabled is expensive.

I lost my license due to my MH, but that is not the case for everyone at all. It is done on a case by case basis. A blanket ban is discriminatory.

£500 wont even get you a house share in a lot of places. A lot of people on UC that claim the housing element have to top up rents from the rest of their money because even what UC pays you is not enough.

Adequately funding CAMHS might significantly reduce the number of young adults who are unable to work for mental health reasons. Many teenagers are waiting years and years or even aging out before they get any support at all. My 15yo has been in the system for nearly 3 years and has only been sent on an 8 week group course during that time. She's still nowhere near the top for individual therapy despite supposedly being in the priority group.

What happens if you become disabled, are unable to work for over a year whilst waiting for various operations and first employer's pay, then SSP, stop? So you have £0 income, and are wholly reliant on UC (including LCWRA) and PIP?

They don't care, because they think it will never happen to them.

Well that should be allowed then just as a UC claimant has an hours requirement or AET.

I really think this government like the last wants to use the sick and disabled as emotional blackmail whilst simultaneously trying to kill them off. Much like during covid how they were used to blackmail us into staying home to protect them but they were drawing up plans to make the disabled the first to be denied ventilators and care if demand outstripped what was available. Targeting the weak and misleading the gullible public.

The problem is the cost of administering the system, be it for means testing or for genuine needs/medical testing.

I am sure some people don't get enough support for genuine needs whereas others get lots of support when they really have no or little need.
The integrity of people is the real problem, just want to take ... not from the government but tge genuinely needy and the tax payer ... me, for starters.

You have no idea. Some are disabled, many are far from it.

You can't get PIP if you are not disabled.

Exactly. Also the rich are leaving in their droves, sick of paying taxes to fund those with 'anxiety' who can't get out of bed in the morning and go to work.

How do you get PIP without having a disability (and evidence of the disability)?

If there was fully funded and timely access to therapy anyway then the people claiming would most likely fall naturally anyway, but there isn’t

Would you means test on a household basis like universal credit or on an individual basis like child benefit?

pip/dla is a gateway benefit which qualifies the recipient for other things, eg. A blue badge if get higher rate mobility element- what would happen regarding these things for higher earners no longer entitled to pip.

Point well made about CB unfairness. That needs resolving, it's madness.

I do think state pension will be means tested eventually.

The whole benefits system needs overhauling. Drug addicts getting PIP, people with millions getting carers and attendance allowance. People putting houses in trust to avoid care costs - who are on pension credit (all real examples).

Our household would reduce hours in order to remain under the child DLA threshold, thus paying less into the Treasury coffers. Creating big increases in marginal tax rates at certain income points is seldom a good idea.