Benefit cuts proposal

[Charliechoosecarefully]

I just wanted it to have a specific thread:-

Kendall says government to consult on merging JSA and ESA benefits.

Kendall says WCA being scrapped, with Pip assessment process being used instead - will be scrapped in 2028.

Kendall says 'right to try' will let people on sickness benefits try work without immediately having benefits cut.

Kendall says UC payments being rebalanced, with standard rate going up, and some health top-ups frozen or cut.

Kendall says reassessments for people on universal credit with health top-ups to be beefed up

Kendall says universal credit claimants with most severe disabilities will not face reassessment

Kendall confirms Pip eligibility rules to be tightened, and assessment process to be reviewed - 4 pointed needed in one descriptor.

Kendall says under-22s could be prevented from claiming health top-up for universal credit

Sourced from the guardian.

How true !!

Could someone explain to me why means testing PIP would be a bad idea, please?

The only thing I can think of is they'd have to change the blue badge eligibility criteria. At this moment in time I'd probably support means testing PIP because getting £400 a month on crazy high amounts of money does seem insane. I have to use my PIP to pay for living, couldn't cope otherwise.

I was a disability outreach worker for many years until recently and I can vouch for the fact that it was and still is one of the hardest benefits to claim. And the success rate depends on the disability. Conditions like arthritis for example have a 70% success rate, whereas diabetes has only 27%. The last official statistics indicated that overall 40% of claims were successful at the initial application - the other 10-12% were either as a result of mandatory reconsideration or tribunal. A 40% success rate which is dependent on the type of disability the claimant has, indicates that it’s anything but easy to get.

And the above doesn’t take into account the help that claimants need in completing the application form, and the need for them to gather appropriate (and often expensive) supporting evidence. Or the fact that a high proportion of mental health claimants accept a wrong or unfair decision simply because they lack the support to challenge it. Or how stressful and demeaning the whole process is.

Maybe a new insurance policy system should be implemented that looks after individuals in their extreme times of need.

The key point is people need to know in advance what to expect and how they can take responsibility to order themselves and their loved ones. Obviously an individual can opt out but it is made crystal clear to them that assistance would not be available.

@iwentjasonwaterfalls I started a thread yesterday saying I think they should means test rather than cut as I know some disabled people who don't have another income & could do with increased benefits. But it's not popular

I wonder if there's scope for disability charities and lobbyists to get this changed e.g. score 3 in 3 activities also counts, or whatever makes sense.

And do you really think people with life long disabilities and pre existing conditions would be able to get such insurance ?

The only thing I can think of is they'd have to change the blue badge eligibility criteria.

There are other things dependent upon or partially dependent upon PIP. For example, disabled person’s rail card, SMI council tax exemption, disabled person’s bus pass, exemptions from some tolls/congestion charges, in some areas short breaks.

I totally agree with it. My neighbour has claimed benefits for years for fibromyalgia. She ‘collapsed’ over and over again and has her daughters make a big fuss of taking her to hospital each time, then to her doctors continuously - her daughters apparently have to care for her, wash her, dress her, cook for her, she had a hospital bed delivered, every bit of help you can think of. Once she got her PIP payments in place it was like a switch had gone off.
She was able to walk her dogs, go shopping, cooked meals for all her daughters, their families, care for her grandchildren, spend summer days sat outside the pub drinking all day with her husband and have several foreign holidays a year, telling me on her return that they spent most of the week pissed.

She’s claimed this for about 5 years now but she’s an actress and has a thick skin, knows exactly what to say on the forms and to the doctor. Brazen and it’s not fair to people who genuinely need it and can’t get it.

I honestly hope it’s taken away from her - when will people be reassessed? Any idea? I’ll soon know as her illness will reappear and she’ll spend a few weeks in bed….

I can’t blame them for struggling with anxiety and depression and not seeing the point in low-paid and insecure work that leaves them knackered and no better off than if they manage to get benefits.

Not seeing the point isn’t a disability, having hoards of young adults move directly from school to a life on benefits isn’t sustainable for them or for society as a whole.

My DD13 has very complex needs, it’s a fight getting her an education, planning for independence, thinking about what working life will be for her. Finding professionals who see a future for her that doesn’t rely on various benefits has been a struggle too - the assumption is that she’ll move from DLA on to PIP and maybe do a bit of voluntary work.

She is capable of more, but needs the right educational support, needs teaching beyond functional maths and English, needs. I think we finally have the right combination of professionals and services to help get her there but that in itself has been hard work and persistence on my part.

Low expectations, with an ever available safety net of a generous disability system means kids who could manage simply don’t get the opportunity to try. We need professionals to step up and be creative in their approach, but why do that when a life on benefits is an option.

No, but parents to be could take out insurance policies before the birth. Taxes could be diverted to insurance policies.

Children in care would be the exception. Implementing this would SERIOUSLY reduce claims.

Bills can be paid by post, food can be delivered by supermarkets - I have already mentioned hospital/voluntary transport services.
Disabled people can get bus/tram passes.

@Rosscameasdoody Well we’ll have to agree to disagree because she doesn’t use it to support her disability and I don’t actually think it’s unreasonable to want your taxes spent on actually providing the support that will help.

“Emily receives a Personal Independence Payment (Pip) of more than £400 a month, which is not dependent on the recipient's income. But the money mostly goes on her regular bills, rather than on the occupational therapy she thinks would really help her to establish a proper routine”

Yeah, mostly in the House of Lords though. Although the two members I know personally do at least take part.

A score of 2 or 3 in most activities means that the claimant is mostly reliant on aids and appliances rather than help from someone else. A score of 4 points indicates a higher level of need, which in turn means ongoing extra cost beyond just a simple aid. So requiring a claimant to score at least 4 points in just one activity out of 10, excluding the mobility assessment would indicate that they have a more significant condition. I don’t think that’s unreasonable to be honest. It would probably be more difficult for some to score 3 points in as many as 3 categories so the effect would be the same.

You mean all parents would take out insurance policies before birth?

Yes. Taxes go towards this.

Which insurance companies would work tirelessly to invalidate in the cases where those children were born with disabilities. It’s ludicrous.

Agree with all of this.

That makes sense, I forgot about the bus pass etc as mine is automatic with epilepsy.

Maybe something like the Nimbus Access card but the eligibility criteria is something like "would be eligible for PIP" to cover those means tested out of it?

Insurance policy paid by individual taxes. The government would oversee the policy. Ultimately this would be much more economical for the government and criteria would be scrutinised. BUT the truly needed would be looked after,

That would be my concern too.

Though in my case, my son didn't become disabled until he was 8 so I'd be one of the 'lucky' ones I imagine.

Well maybe both people need to work then?? We can’t afford to have one stay at home parent

@DodoTired someone in the ESA support group is out of work for reasons of health. Not a choice to be a SAHP

I don’t think mumsnet is proportionately representative.