Anyone else worried about losing PIP if the government switch to vouchers?

[ThinkSkint]

I'm renting and my pip is counted towards my eligibility.

I can't rely on any goodwill from my landlord as they are also medically retired and living off help such as PIP to pay their own bills, so will likely have to sell and lose their own home too.

I realise PIP is meant to be just for help with living with the disability rather than paying actual living costs but this is what it's come to at such financially difficult times with the cost of living. When I was divorced the judge said pip has to be counted as my income like everyone else, even though the government website clearly states otherwise.

But won't this be typical of many households up and down the country? And if that is the case, what's going to happen? I'm actually quite afraid for everyone, not least myself.

yes i feel that to and also think what ever they are thinking would be easier to start with new claims imo

I'm terrified of any reforms to PIP, UC is a nightmare. I'm being forced to change to UC now from ESA and it means 5 weeks with no money even with the ESA run on for two weeks it leaves us £850 short but somehow we'll still have to pay the same bills. I don't see how it's possible.

sounds like we are the same im esa support and have to switch to uc by 31st october,i have heard you can get a loan and you just pay it off your uc over time

does that mean we get an esa payment 2 weeks after stopping the esa claim over to uc?

It does sound like you're on the managed migration too. We do get a run on of an extra two weeks ESA payment and of course supposedly we won't be worse off or have to go through another assessment.
We should be able to request an advance but it has to be paid back so I'm reluctant to use it as it just means being slightly short for a number of months.
I had to switch by the 13th october so left it as long as I felt I could.

same leaving it to the last 10 days before applying,yes ive been doing abit more shopping like coffee/washing powder etc to make things a bit easier and paying a few things in advance as im the same i dont want to take an advance

I don't understand this managed migration thing? My dh gets PIP, ESA Support group and also Universal credit. Will he have to migrate and if so, to what? We haven't had any letters or heard anything.

tbh i have no idea i didnt think you could be on uc and esa at the same time unless esa is contribution based,im sure someone who knows will come along

@imtryingtoleave Thanks, he is on contribution based ESA.

The ESA will be taken from the UC. No one is getting double payments for everything.

ah i thinks thats why then,so i think he stays on that and as he is already on UC that part stays like that

there was talk that those on esa income based with NO Tax credit claim would be the last to migrate till 2028/29

I just can't see it happening. It would cost more to manage and admin than they currently pay out surely?

Yep. By quite a considerable amount.

Of course they could employ and pay us all to administer ourselves. Win win.

Lots of people support means testing, they only think the threshold should perhaps be higher.

They can't do it. Not without loads of consultation and research and it will be massively unpopular to the point I can't see it happening.
There's no evidence to suggest that's what the government are even proposing it I don't think at this point?
If they even give me a whiff of it then naturally I'll never vote labour again. I'm sure many people would feel the same way. It would be absolutely disastrous optics for the new government.

I'm conflicted about this, my neighbour who has a severe physical disability and gets a max PIP award has to spend all her PIP and even more on a part time carer, taxis, oxygen equipment and excessive energy costs whilst my partner gets the same amount of PIP for Schizophrenia and has no extra costs associated with his condition resulting in me just buying stuff so he has no excessive savings (he cannot manage money or care for himself). Part of me finds it unfair that my neighbour is in dire poverty whilst we have more money than we need to spend. I don't agree with vouchers but I do think that since PIP was designed for disability expenses then maybe assessing the financial needs of claimants might be a fairer way to do it. Give all eligible people a base amount of PIP like maybe £200 a month and then increase it based on expenses.

I personally think the government will likely just change the assessments to make them harder for people with mental health disorders to claim, so that only people with extreme mental conditions will get it like Bipolar etc or just make the process harder for everyone.

I can guarantee one thing, there will be changes made to PIP whether it be vouchers, stricter criteria or an official diagnosis being required. It is costing so much money and more claimants than ever before, it is inevitable. With the upcoming changes to the WCA being based on PIP it incentivises even more people to claim in order not to lose money so with Labour ranting about getting the Disabled into work it absolutely certain there will be changes.

@Kerrybemmy No one is forcing your partner to claim it. If he doesn't financially need it and you feel so conflicted about it, then why doesn't he just stop claiming it?