PIP "Vouchers to replace money"

[QueenAnn]

Just read the latest crazy idea from Rishi in his quest to persecute the mentally ill and disabled and am horrified to learn he wants to replace PIP money with vouchers for therapy or home improvements. This idea hasn't been given the go ahead yet but is going to be discussed in July apparently. My dh has severe mental health issues, psychosis, GAD, depression etc and he's under the care of the local CMHT. He's also been assessed by the council Social Care Assessment team as needing assistance and respite care, however I've been told there isn't the funding locally to cover everything he's been assessed as needing. It's a good thing he has me as his full time carer but I wonder how carers are going to be affected if this voucher scheme goes ahead as I, and many others, rely on carers allowance to compensate for the hours we can't work due to caring for someone. It honestly feels as if there is some terrible news for the disabled and vulnerable coming from Rishi every day now.

Our son had to come back tonight from life skills college as an emergency from 30 miles away so an expensive taxi journey. Vouchers don’t solve it.

There is no indication it will happen.

Just seen in the news that this is going to be discussed by the DWP and the government on the 7th October. Hopefully, we will know more after that.

I sincerely hope it does not change to vouchers.
I had to give up work 3 years ago due to my disabilities which include sight loss. No employer would take me on now. I downsized my home to the smallest I an cope with, and am currently managing by drawing monthlyvfrom the equity I realised on the sale of the family home. That supplements my PIP and a very small occupational pension.
If I was receiving vouchers instead of PIP I couldn't manage. I am currently hoping the equity funds I am gradually using up will last until I receive my state pension in 18 months time. It is a precarious balancing strategy which could collapse at any time. I suppose if I could use vouchers to pay my utility bills that would be OK but can't imagine that would be allowed.

@Oneblindmouse I can't imagine what type of vouchers they are considering giving us. There are so many people with different conditions claiming PIP, it would be a nightmare of a job to work out who is getting a voucher for what etc Also, if they are going to give vouchers for food, gas, electric etc I can't understand how that will save the government any money?

Exactly@QueenAnn . I appreciate that they want to get as many people back in work as possible. Many of those on PIP wouldn't ever be given a job though.

It's also beginning to look like stopping the WFA for pensioners who don't get pension credit is not going to save as much as the government imagined due to more pensioners starting to claim pension credit so as to retain the WFA, so will end up being paid more rather than less. Not well thought out.

Exactly.
If someone is on PIP because they suffer psychological distress during an unplanned journey, what voucher is going to help with that?
Someone who can't leave the house without their partner.... what voucher will help with that?
Someone with agoraphobia who spends more because everything has to be ordered in.. what voucher will they be getting?

It is ridiculous, and the admin that a voucher system will need would more than likely cost more that the money that is it meant to save.

It also seems like people on PIP for MH issues will be disproportionality affected, as they don't have equipment or aides etc. But we all know the government (whatever party) things anyone with MH issues is a slacker anyway. How would vouchers for therapy work? And what would be the time frame on it?

What exactly does need to be ordered in ? You can get a food delivery delivered weekly for a couple of quid at off peak times. Amazon prime is something like £60 a year. What do those with psychological distress spend hundreds of pounds a month of PIP payments on. Are they spending them on carers to accompany them out ? Genuinely interested to know what things people spend the money on.

I don't know. That is why I asked what the vouchers would be for.

I had a friend with agoraphobia who spent a lot of her money on craft supplies to keep her busy at home. And being home all day, every day, means you have extra utility costs too.

Yeah the problem seems to be that SOME selfish people are expectant that disabled sit at home and twiddle their thumbs all day, that they're not ALLOWED to have money to do anything since they don't work, even though it's NOT A CHOICE. Why don't we just start putting ppl in zoos if some ppl gonna take that stance.

Yep, indeed.

If you are disabled, you can't have Netflix (why should the taxpayer subsidise your entertainment?), you can't have a pet, you can never go out for a meal, go on holiday, you can't even have a flatscreen TV (they are the only TV you can get FFS).

And you have to live in filth with everything second hand and falling apart, because if you go and buy a new mattress/sofa/fridge then you are clearly being given too much benefits. I look around my home, and see that I have subscribed to that idea myself... which really saddens me.

I hope for everyone that it gets thrown out. I get basic PIP and esa. I can manage if my pip was vouchers for a supermarket cos it just means we can use dh’s wages to buy what we would normally use the PIP for, but not everyone has that privilege.

The logistics of it would be impossible. The vouchers would need to be redeemable everywhere it would cost so much to organise

Anyone heard any news on these vouchers? It was supposed to be being discussed today.

It wasn't discussed at all and we now have to wait for the end of the month to find out what Labour are going to do with PIP.

If it wasn't discussed at all, then surely that is a good sign?

@XenoBitch Hopefully it's a good sign! I got that information from the Benefits and Work website.

How very wrong you were

@Whitecat57 What do you mean?

Anyone heard any news on this? I'm a bit concerned after previous poster's comment!

Nothing at all. I have seen the transcript for the discussion on the 7th, and like you said, it was not mentioned at all.

@XenoBitch Thanks that's reassuring as I thought that too, that it wasn't even discussed, which I'm taking as a good sign!

Benefits and Work are pretty on the ball when it comes to stuff like this.

There is the White Paper due out later this month, so it might get mentioned.

I have called the pip line it is still money payments not vouchers

My son spends his pip money on English lessons in the hope that he will one day get a clerical job. He has language disorder and he needs constant reminders prompts to write properly and we hope to get they ingrained with repetition.

He also uses it to fund the expenses of his PA eg going out for a meal or a museum trip.

He also uses it for sports lessons as he has motor coordination disorder severe.

it will also help towards hair treatment as at the age of 21 he has almost lost most of his hair on top and that adds to his Psychological distress.

2 weeks ago he had to come home from life skills as he was agitated and expressing a desire to die - so it paid for that Uber to get him home - 30 miles.

We also have to buy ‘ingredients’ for him to try to cook and lots go in the bin.

Also there are just more day to day expenses all the time. He breaks things more easily eg his laptop or his bedroom lamp etc.

He would love to work but would need heavily scaffolded employment that will be costly to provide . It would have to be an agreement between employer and government.