If you claim Personal Independence Payments and do not qualify when the criteria are tightened, then you are likely to be hardest hit. Some 370,000 people are expected to lose their entitlement altogether, and others will receive less than they expected. The average loss is £4,500 a year
This is the average (not mode or median) so some individuals will lose more. Up to half or more of their monthly income. Even then the average, due to a change in eligibility rather than need is insane. No other groups are expected to take
such a cut. Winter fuel allowance is a pittance in comparison. If there was a plan to cut in work benefits by an average of £4,500 per year there would be an outcry.
These are not under 22 with mild anxiety and depression as the criteria are so strict that those eligible for PIP will likely to continue to score at least 4 points in engaging with people face to face or planning and following journeys as long as psychological distress to the claimant remains a factor - even with underscoring.
The cuts will fall on people with physiological conditions who will retain mobility allowance but whose daily living allowance was made up by 2 points in multiple areas. Who relied on carers to do the basics and prompt. They will be the ones losing daily living support and top up from support group if unable to work and their family supporters who
may have had to give up work will be losing carers allowance and need not to seek work.
The proposed cuts will not target those new claimants the government are concerned are increasing because PIP was never paid for short lived mild anxiety and depression but those with longstanding claims for severe physical disability without severe daily need. So people with severe mobility need also to have severe daily living as this is the gateway to other benefits. The reverse is not the case.
PIP is based on need rather than diagnosis. So government couldn’t exclude mental ill heath diagnoses and therefore targeted severity in daily living despite the cost to the physically disabled.
This is so wrong.