PIP isn't fit for purpose

[Ljcrow]

I made this comment on another thread and thought I'd start a separate thread purely on this topic. This is all from my own personal experience rather than from reading/hearing anything, I'm only going off what I see day to day.
The people I know who claim PIP do not need it financially. One works full time and earns more than me (and I'm not at imminent risk of homelessness or starvation) and the young people I know literally tell me things like their PIP's come in so they're off to get a new tattoo, which they then do. They appear to have much more disposable income than me.
These are all people who can function in society by the way and as far as I can see, all PIP does is give them extra spending money, which I'm sure we'd all like.

I'm aware this won't be the case for everyone who recieves PIP but it is for the people I come into regular contact with. Which is why it needs reloooking at so it only goes to those who actually need the money for a specific purpose related to their disability.

We're not in a position as a society where we can afford to give people money who do not actually need it.
Things like this should be means tested, both in terms of whether people have enough income to live a decent life without additional benefits and in terms of what the money is actually going to be used for.
PIP is not fit for purpose and needs scrapping or totally changing.

Fair,
it just gives them permission to say well i wasn't talking about people like you iyswim.

No. It gives me another viewpoint, which I'm interested in.

The cost of the state pension (and public sector pensions) is another spiralling cost which the UK needs to get a grip on.

There is policy to reduce the impact of this - the rising state pension age, the closure or reduced size of DB schemes, the probable change of triple
to double lock, the introduction of auto-enrolment etc.

There is much debate about the future of the state pension given our growing ageing population. I assume it will not exist in its current form in 20 years.

I totally agree with you I know someone personally who's been able to buy a house at 24 years old also works full time while getting pip .The system is so broken .

What is wrong with that, they work, they can afford to buy. If they weren’t disabled would you have a problem with this, or is it just that you don’t want someone disabled to thrive?

Just for a bit of balance. I will defend to the hilt those less fortunate in society that need and deserve help. I don’t punch down. I don’t think one section is “better” than the other. We all have to work together. Some people will always have more than others. Some people will fall on hard times whoever they are. I do need to add this though. Neighbour (mid 40s) suddenly resigned from job. Is using a stick and a mobility scooter. Has been allocated new housing for new needs. Last evening in the dark was heaving wheelie bins about leaping up and down concrete steps. That’s when I feel that the system is having the piss ripped out of it.

I think thats an excellent use of pip. A lot of people with disabilities end up giving up work earlier than other people, meaning they have income for fewer years, smaller pensions etc. Being able to buy a house young and therefore be secure and have something for the future is an excellent idea.

You used to be able to save up tax credits and buy a house, then the taxpayer no longer needed to pay your rent. Now you can’t have savings, so the taxpayer payer is paying people’s rent for their entire lives. It costs the taxpayer more in the end.

Because that is not important to them. Just putting it out there that there are loads of people swinging the lead, getting PIP is. These types of threads are always popping up. The author of the threads is usually not interested in hearing about the reality of disabled people's lives, so there we are, unfortunately.

Just because you can't see it doesn't mean it doesn't exist

I always wonder how people know so much about their neighbours health and money

Fair play, when I usually say about state pension I get back "so? I worked for it!" So I appreciate someone actually being honest and truthful about it for once. State pension is definitely one that the country cannot afford to prop up much longer.. let alone attendance allowance. Its a given as you age you will become disabled (well most will) and there needs to be something done about both as the eldery population are one of the true reasons the welfare bill is spirialing.

What everyone would be better spending their time and money on is changing the system so there is meaningful and supportive work for disabled people and carers.
That would take some effort though, better to accuse disabled people of being fake and do nothing.

DH should be getting PIP but he is put off by the paperwork. Really one of his many many consultants should be able to sign it off for him and stop wasting money on administration and ‘assessors’. If you have a life long issue like you’ve lost your legs, you should get it for life and save money reassessing you. That would save a lot of money.

They don't. It's just made up to make their point.

Here we go again. 🙄 These idle benefit bashes are so damaging for genuine PIP claimants (i.e. the majority) who really need that money. (Not on PIP myself btw, just capable of empathy.)

Disagreeing with it isn’t the same as it not being fit for purpose. The purpose as I understand it is to cover the extra costs associated with their condition so they’re in the same financial position as they would be if they didn’t have those costs.

Actually they do do this its called a ten year light touch. Once they deem someone never to improve i.e severe learning disability or something like that they put you on it and its just a check in to make sure nothings changed.

DLA was lifelong. It was changed because people were apparently getting better and not informing the DWP. Yet the majority will have lifelong incurable disabilities that won't change

Does it seem likely that 10% of the population and around 1 in 7 of the working age population, are so disabled they need additional financial support?

Does it seem likely that 20% of all working age residents in some constituencies are so disabled they need to claim additional financial support?

These seem like rather high figures.

For those defending in favour there’s nothing wrong with the current system - do these figures seem about right to you?

I've literally responded to that post and am taking on everyone's opinions. I can't personally respond to every single post as there are too many.
I know it might be comforting to categorise me as a narrow minded bigot who is out to bash disabled people simply because I have a different point of view to yours, but it's not actually the case.

It's interesting that your complaint is not that they are lying about being disabled. It's that they can afford things such as tattoos. So you feel that disabled people should live in poverty.

I receive PIP. I don't have an adapted car. Before PIP I likely have a greater amount to spend than many due to DH's income
What you also might see is my non-adapted car (it's new, but not a mobility car) in a blue badge space. I will get out walking normally and go into a local shop/supermarket.
What you don't see is that the car self-drives and has adaptive cruise control. I only drive very locally when necessary.

I have a life limiting condition (you're welcome to it if you want the huge amount PIP gives me).
I'm linked to a drip (via a j tube that is under my clothing) for eighteen hours a day. I get out of bed for maybe four hours three times a week.
I've been accosted in that blue badge space more times than I can count.
I'd give PIP up in a heartbeat to be able to go back to work (yes I know it's not an out of work benefit), even a minimum wage job pays far more than the top level of PIP.
You are basing your opinion on what you think you know, you're wrong.

I only know the groups exist because I was told by a colleague that's what his partner used. She is totally scamming the system. He even said that they coach you how to scam it.
That's why she used them.

But of course real life conversations with real life people don't exist in the Pollyanna world of MN.

The problem with pip from my perspective is that it’s a gateway benefit.

i’m disabled. I use a wheelchair. I wanted an adapted car.

if you want one that is custom adapted for you then you pretty much have to go through motability because they are the only people that will co-ordinate it.

so you have to apply for pip to get access to the adapted car.

if you just need a standard car you can go out and buy one.

the process of claiming pip is quite difficult, you need to collect all your medical evidence (letters, hospital admissions records etc). I submitted a 100 page bundle of medical evidence.

it’s a lovely car through and helps keep me mobile.

Many disabled people can thrive without handouts.

Was it Becki autism coach by interest?

Not being able to afford tattoos doesn't mean living in poverty.