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.

No. PIP doesn't affect these. It does affect blue badge and bus passes though.

No. PIP is not an out of work or means tested benefit.

Housing and council tax are not dependent on PIP.

There is no ‘screening’ test for autism. Hopefully, there will eventually be a screening test for bigots. I know which I’d prefer 🤣

It isn’t as simple as saying rent and council aren’t dependent on PIP.

PIP isn’t an out of work benefit but unless you are exempt from the benefit cap for another reason not being eligible for PIP will mean you are subject to the benefit cap which may mean things like UC (which can include a housing element for rent) are capped.

And losing PIP can affect council tax. Unless they qualify in some other way, it can mean someone wouldn’t be exempt under the SMI rules.

Yeah because those vouchers are for one (1) service type - child care.

Now imagine vouchers for tens of thousands of different goods and services.

A disabled person losing PIP will also affect some carers who are disregarded for council tax purposes.

there is actually a brain test for autism, there are physical differences and different parts of the brain light up when questions are asked. it’s too expensive to implement over the assessments that are currently done, but with the amount claiming they have autism, it may be better financially to start doing brain scans

Yes, the post you quoted show that there are a whole load of people making ignorant, bold statements which to those of us who actually have expertise and knowledge, we can see are actual horse shit.

I think eyes and teeth should be covered by the NHS.
But with the state of it now and Wes Streeting slashing tens of thousands of NHS jobs and budgets by up to 60%, the NHS will be doing even less very soon.

Most of the points in that article are answered in the one I shared.

For example in your article: "after a 1 percent increase in Norway’s wealth tax, many high-net-worth individuals left the country"

In response:

"Of 236,000 millionaires and billionaires in Norway, the relocation of 30 ... amounts to a mere 0.01% of Norway’s millionaire and billionaire population.

The lost revenue from the leaving millionaires comprises a small percentage of the revenue gained from the increase.

For any substantial cost to the economy to occur, academics Arun Advani and Andy Summers, have estimated that the migration response would have to be more than 15 times larger than this."

Moreover, the organisation you quote appears to consist primarily of corporate sponsored individuals from the US with minimal academic research qualifications. Whereas support for wealth taxes is endorsed by highly respected organisations such as the LSE. You'll have to try harder I'm afraid.

Academics mean able to read and write, which is at least as important as being able to walk and talk. Your child is blind, should not PIP fund tutors in braille? Your child is deaf, should not PIP fund a tutor in BSL? Your child is severely dyslexic, should not PIP fund a tutor in cognitive training for reading & writing?

Bullshit. No there isn’t. Stop spreading your nasty agenda. You clearly don’t know anything about it and certainly you don’t have autistic children yourself.

You’re not making sense.
PIP has no impact on your rent or housing.
PIP has no impact on council tax.

No it won’t. Council tax is based on number of adults living at the property. Does not matter if one is claiming PIP and the other CA.

There is a council tax discount if an adult is severely mentally disabled but this is NOT linked to PIP at all and is done by a separate process that does not require PIP to have been awarded.

Obviously there’s an apetite
Not many people are millionaires. Those who won’t be affected will be happy to tax those that will.
Much like benefit threads
Much like the loss of the wfa
Just like the tax on education

If you’re not affected the vast majority of people are happy for others to pay.
That doesn’t mean any of these areas are good for the country long term

Shit, sorry replace PIP with DLA

@SugarandSpiceandAllThingsNaice it is not as simple as saying PIP doesn’t affect council tax or rent. It makes sense if you understand the system.

PIP is one way of being exempt from the benefit cap. Universal Credit, which includes a housing element for those who rent, is included in the benefit cap. So, losing PIP means being subject to the benefit cap unless you are exempt for some other reason. That means UC, which includes a housing element for those who rent, may be capped. It won’t apply everyone but it will some. More information about the benefit cap here.

PIP can have an effect on council tax. Some people are exempt from council tax under the SMI criteria. One of the ways of meeting part of the criteria is by being in receipt of PIP. Although not all in receipt of PIP meet the other parts of the SMI criteria. More information on the SMI criteria here.

Some carers caring for some people on PIP are eligible to be disregarded for council tax purposes. For those who are eligible, the disabled person losing PIP would mean the carer was no longer disregarded. Again, it won’t apply to all, but it does some. More information here.

Funny you mention LSE. Look at this article regarding Norwegian Wealth Taxes by a visiting professor there:

https://www.brusselsreport.eu/2024/09/11/the-failure-of-norways-wealth-tax-hike-as-a-warning-signal/

It doesn't paint quite the same picture as you would like to depict.

@SugarandSpiceandAllThingsNaice council tax is based on the number of eligible adults in the household. Some people are exempt and some are disregarded.

Some carers can be disregarded. You are wrong in saying PIP is irrelevant to this. One way of meeting one part of the test is by the disabled person being cared for being in receipt of PIP.

Some with SMI can be exempt. You are wrong in saying PIP isn’t related to this. It is one way of meeting one part of the criteria.

Read the links I posted.

• Here receiving PIP does not exempt the claimant from the cap, it’s just that PIP income is not a benefit that is counted towards the benefit cap.
• Here PIP has nothing to do with getting the council tax discount for severe mental incapacity, it is a wholly separate process that doesnt use PIP as a factor or gateway to applying.
• Here there is no council tax disregard or discount if an occupant is a carer

I understand the system for my area, but I acknowledge that different councils may do otherwise.

Sure for your council. Im going by mine.

Does anyone know how these changes will affect adults still on DLA? I'm not but I know someone who is. They never got transferred over to pip.

I do this day in, day out across the country.

The rules for the benefit cap are the same in every area in England. The first link in my previous post explains the governments rules and it applies to all areas.

“You’re also not affected by the cap if you, your partner or any children under 18 living with you gets:

• Adult Disability Payment (ADP)
• Armed Forces Compensation Scheme
• Armed Forces Independence Payment
• Attendance Allowance
• Carer’s Allowance
• Carer Support Payment
• Child Disability Payment
• Disability Living Allowance (DLA)
• Employment and Support Allowance (if you get the support component)
• Guardian’s Allowance
• Industrial Injuries Benefits (and equivalent payments as part of a War Disablement Pension or the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme)
• Pension Age Disability Payment
• Personal Independence Payment (PIP)
• War pensions
• War Widow’s or War Widower’s Pension”

The rules for the carer disregard is the same in all areas in England.

From the third link in my pp from Carers UK.

“If you’re a carer, you won’t be counted for Council Tax purposes if all the following apply:

• you provide at least 35 hours of care a week
• you live with the person you care for
• you’re not the spouse or partner of the person you care for, or their parent if they’re under 18
• the person you care for receives certain disability benefits.”

One of the disability benefits the person being cared can receive is PIP. So PIP is not irrelevant.

If this then means there is only one other person eligible to pay council tax, you can receive a 25% discount. It is means there is no other person eligible to pay council tax, you can receive a 50% discount.

The rules fro SMI are the same in all areas of England. The second link in my pp is from the money saving expert.

“Who can get the SMI Council Tax discount?
There are two criteria that must be met by someone who's severely mentally impaired in order to qualify for this Council Tax discount:

1. They've been medically certified as being 'severely mentally impaired'. For example, this may be the case if they have dementia (including Alzheimer's), Parkinson's, severe learning difficulties, multiple sclerosis, complications from cerebral palsy or have had a stroke.

It will depend on each person's individual case though and simply having been diagnosed with one of these conditions doesn't automatically mean they qualify for the discount – a doctor must also certify they are 'severely mentally impaired'.

GPs are not allowed to charge you for this certification.

They’re receiving at least one of the following benefits (in Scotland, being eligible for but not actually receiving the benefit can be enough):

1. Incapacity benefit
2. Attendance allowance
3. Severe disablement allowance
4. Disability living allowance (higher or middle-rate care component)
5. Increase in disablement pension (due to constant attendance being needed)
6. Unemployability supplement or allowance
7. Constant attendance allowance
8. Income support (which includes a disability premium)
9. Personal independence payment (standard or enhanced daily living component)
10. Armed forces independence payment”

This means the person is exempt. What discount depends on who else is in the household. It can be nothing if there are 2 other adults eligible to pay council tax in the household. And it can be 100% if for example the person with SMI lives alone.