Anyone else feeling sick waiting to see what the PIP cuts will be?

[Somethingthecatdraggedin7]

Wondering if I will still be able to pay for the numerous services and things my disabilities necessitate.
I think, given I have such severe issues, that I may be one of the “lucky” ones as from what I have read so far I would still have enough pip points plus I am older and have stage 4 cancer (separate to my other significant disability) but who knows.
Even if I escape the cull I am sad and scared for others who may lose their award.

I get it. It's the difference between going hungry because you have ingredients but don't have the spoons to cook from scratch and being able pay more per meal for microwave meals that need fewer spoons to deal with.

Or being able to pay for a wash and blowdry at the salon if your joints are playing up and you cannot wash your own hair this week.

I have heard from a reliable source that although you are going to require more points, those points will be easier to get in the first place because the assessment criteria is changing.

Also, there is a suggestion that all assessments will be filmed. This is a good idea as it will stop assessors from telling lies. And that the outcome at the first stage will be fairer with fewer people having to go to appeal (which also costs the state resources).

Hi all,
Just to remind everyone on this thread that they haven't just stumbled onto the Chat board - this is a place for MNers with Special Needs primarily and it isn't incumbent upon them to explain either the benefits system or the conditions that have brought them into contact with it. We would ask you to please post with compassion and understanding uppermost, especially right now.

Understanding and compassion. Hmm. Not a thing on MN atm. People want blood.

It is awful.

The people benefit bashing on a thread on the mumsnetters with disabilities board are especially despicable.

@GreatAuntMaude In reality this is time limited - DS1 had weekly tutors for GCSEs in art, English lit and Lang, history and maths plus weekly 1 hour sessions with SALT, OT and community psychiatric workers when his specialist school placement failed and SOS!SEN started JR proceedings and his EHCP was active.

It all stopped with COVID and was never restarted. Now he’s 24 and it’s too late. The momentum was lost. Even if they tried (which they won’t) he would not be able to leave the house to meet a work coach. They would have to come to our home and try to talk to him through a locked door for months and even then it would never lead to him being able to work.

I imagine there would be sanctions for ‘failure’ to engage that do not consider that disability means some people are unable to engage and are unable to work so disabled people who are unable to work are reliant only on PIP (ironically an in work benefit) and don’t qualify for ESA (which is going to be phased out anyway) and only qualify for low rate UC which will primarily become a benefit to those in work or temporarily unemployed.

Absolutely I want my son to be as independent as possible. But sometimes this will be enabled by adequate state support when all else currently available has failed. Reducing state support will reduce his ability to afford to be as independent as possible.

{mention:Lyannaa}@Lb@Lyannaacan you elaborate at all on how the criteria is going to change so that it's easier to get 4 points please? Apologies I'm having terrible issues with tagging people on this new app.

I’m pretty sure that isn’t confirmed. I think that the criteria was something they were going to consult on so no details at the moment.

{mention:JoyousEagle}the@JoyousEaglethe 4 point thing isn't up for consultation apparently, it's a definite.

Sorry yes the 4 points isn’t up for consultation, but the changes to the points criteria is

{mention:JoyousEagle}Thanks@JoyousEagleThanks I hadn't realised that the descriptors could possibly be changing. I thought the only change to PIP was that you now had to get 4 points for at least one of the descriptors to get PIP. Let's hope it becomes easier to get awarded 4 points but somehow I doubt it.

I cannot see how it could be easier to be awarded 4 points in one category. They want to decrease the amount of claimants that they give the benefit to, not increase it.

Last night I had a migraine so strong I lost my sight and was physically sick. DH came up to me after putting DC to bed and said this isn't a coincidence this has happened as they've announced the pip reforms. You've been so worried about it you've been physically sick. He then made note in his DW illness diary as evidence for my pip review.. which is in 2 years so I don't know why I'm so stressed about it.
The reforms suggested are the first stage. We can only hope either the most thoughtless are shot down by the house of lords, or that the rumours about the pip reviews being videoed or 'body doubled' are true. Because going through the upheaval of a pip review is stressful enough as it is, without wondering if we are being believed.

I feel for everyone else affected by these. The suggestion of the reduced lcwra element will take £200 pcm off a claimant.
The only good suggestion in these reforms is aligning the UC assessment with the pip assessment because it makes no sense to have the same conversation twice. But that's about it.

I agree completely. My own DC was in a very similar position. After their social care assessment they had a job coach but that person was very young and whilst very nice, my DC couldn't speak with them at all. Their PA had to play computer games with my DC for 6 months before DC could speak to her. Now when the PA is off sick or whatever we don't have a substitute as DC wouldn't cope.

However we are seeing some green shoots with the non judgemental help of a very consistent PA who just keeps on turning up whether or not DC is able to speak with them or engage at all.

It's the specialist nature of the support needed which is imo the biggest barrier for this population. I used to think my DC would never be able to work. Now I think they might - not enough to earn a living from, but I think a few hours a week might be possible, in the right sort of job.

Diagnostic criteria for many health conditions have widened substantially in the last 20 years, classifying a huge bucket of people as "disabled" who would previously have been considered to be within the range of normal mental health.

Its not a good thing. There's a finite amount of support available because a vanishingly small "healthy" workforce can only carry so many "disabled" who do not contribute. Widening criteria means what support there can be is spread too thinly, and fails to do enough for those with more severe needs.

Added to this, for many mental health conditions, worklessness exacerbates the issues. Within the current pool of pip recipients are people who could work. They might find it hard. They might not enjoy it. It might reduce the energy they have available for other pursuits. They might be limited to part time or lower paid, lower responsibility work that they feel isnt representative of their capabilities. But this is life. These things are true for us all to some degree!

But these people could work.

We do not have enough people working to keep things afloat.

Any changes to the pip criteria will only be to restrict who meet them. We need a massive reduction in the volume of people eligible.

As a society we already have to support children and the elderly. Plus we have students who often don't work much either and trainees/apprentices who's contribution is limited.We cannot support a huge wedge of the working age population to not work.

Just bumping this post from Hope, as I feel at least one recent poster may not have seen it

I was awarded 8 points,although I thought this was very low I didn't have the energy to fight it,when I have my reassessment I will lose my pip and lcwra and be made to look for work,I have chronic depression and Autism,nothing I claim is fraudulent.
I've already been thinking that suicide may be the only way forward as I'm in such a spin,but I have 19 and 12yr old dds.Im fucked,but according to you I'm a fraud!!!!

Tbh I am no clearer about what they intend to do with the PIP. I must have missed something. Wanders off to ask the neighbours!

I think this is at the crux of everything tbh. Why don't Labour work on making people well enough to be able to work?

The other thing that is desperately needed IMO is to find a way to support people that are ND in the workplace. DS's experience is that a lot pay lip service to is and make sure they tick the (not very helpful) boxes required to say they are disability confident - but the support and understanding isn't really there.

This!

I can no longer wash my own hair. My PIP is an alternative to cutting it all off, which I was seriously considering. Instead, I get a wash and blowdry once a week.

Do you have a partner, relative, or friend who could help you wash your hair?

My friend asked a relative when she broke her arm.

I made the choice to cut my hair short, and that is how it is now, due to the difficulties with hair washing. It is a personal choice, and has made my life easier in that respect. Obviously it is up to a person how they choose to spend their money, and it is not acceptable for people to question that.

Where is your evidence that diagnostic criteria for a lot of conditions has changed? You can’t just pretend your opinion is factual when it isn’t.

Yes, if it is your money rather than taxpayers money. There are more deserving cases and it would be terrible if they lost out due to beauty appointments.