The Problem with PIP…

…is that there are so many problems with PIP it is difficult to know where to start. An update on the Personal Independence Payment.

The Problem with PIP…

…is that there are so many problems with PIP it is difficult to know where to start. The scale of inaccurate assessments, indicated by the latest stats from the Tribunals Service showing the current rate for PIP decisions over-turned on appeal is a staggering 65%, and evidence of assessment reports bearing little or no relation to what actually went on in the assessment prompted the Work & Pensions Select Committee to invite a number of organisations to submit evidence on what can be done to tackle this problem. Inclusion London was one of those organisations and we received an unprecedented volume of responses to our call out for your experiences of the PIP assessment process.

One of the issues covered within our submission is a concern exposed earlier this year thanks to campaigner and founder of Disabled Survivors Unite, Alice Kirby, who brought to public attention the disturbing fact that Disabled people with suicidal tendencies are routinely asked in PIP assessments why they haven’t killed themselves yet. After speaking out about her own experience of this insensitive and clinically unsound manner of questioning, Alice was contacted by hundreds of Disabled people who had been through similar. Such was the horrified public reaction to the story that it made the national media.

Before election fever started, PIP was also making headlines due to the Government’s decision to cut eligibility through emergency legislation bypassing the scrutiny of Parliament. The Government’s own equality analysis estimated that 164,000 Disabled people will be impacted by this change, primarily those with mental health support needs. Responding to this move, researcher and campaigner Jenny Morris has observed that the government has decided there are simply “too many disabled people”: https://jennymorrisnet.blogspot.co.uk/2017/04/personal-independence-payment-why-has.html

One of Theresa May’s final pronouncements before the pre-election ban on ministerial  statements came into force was that Disabled people can now keep their specially adapted Motability vehicles for up to six months if they are denied PIP. Many Disabled people consider this too little too late and a new petition has been launched against the removal of Motability cars: https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/stop-motability-taking-our-vehicles.

 

Links:

Our PIP submission: Written evidence on the PIP assessment process submitted by Inclusion London to the Work and Pensions Select Committee

Changes to the PIP Regulations – Inclusion London Briefing

Our evidence on PIP from September 2016

 

Other news about PIP:

Alice Kirby speaking to Victoria Derbyshire on BBC TV, with a headline reading 'Row Over Disability Benefits'

Alice Kirby, Debbie Abrahams and Sophie Corlett on Victoria Derbyshire talking about the PIP changes

Recent Disability News Service stories on PIP:

PIP investigation: MPs warn of ‘broken’ system and distressed claimants

Disabled peer says Mordaunt was ‘spinning like crazy’ over PIP cuts

PIP investigation: MPs warn of ‘broken’ system and distressed claimants

 

Tweets from the debate in the Lords on PIP on 27 March:

 

Related articles