More than 16,000 people responded to an online consultation proposing changes to PIP and other benefits. The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has said that proposed changes to Personal Independence Payment (PIP) outlined in a recent consultation have been met with “mixed” and for some, “consistently negative” responses by the pubic. The latest figures from the DWP show that claims for PIP are now at an all-time high, with over 3.
6 million people across Great Britain receiving financial support of up to £737.20 every month. In a question submitted to the DWP, the SNP’s Chris Law asked whether the UK Government plans to implement proposals in the ‘Modernising support for independent living: the health and disability green paper’, which was put forward by the then Conservative government in April.
The accompanying consultation proposed welfare reforms such as swapping cash PIP payments for a range of other support, including vouchers, one-off grants, a receipt-based scheme or choosing support aids from a catalogue. Other proposals include amending eligibility for PIP , reviewing the assessment process and passing PIP costs on to the NHS and local authorities. In a written reply to the Dundee Central MP earlier this week, Minister for Social Security and Disabilities, Sir Stephen Timms MP, explained how more than 16,000 responses were received during the 12-week consultation period which closed on July 22.
He continued: “This demonstrates the depth of feeling about the previous Government’s proposals. I thank the British public, as well as the numerous charities and organisations who responded on behalf of their members, for the time and effort taken to share their thoughts and views. “Whilst engaging with responses, I can confirm that responses to the set of proposals on the reform of Personal Independence Payments was mixed and for some proposals consistently negative.
” Mr Timms added: “We will be setting out our own plans for social security in due course and will fulfil our continued commitment to work with disabled people so that their views and voices are at the heart of all that we do.” Parliament is in recess until Monday, October 7 due to party conference season, however, that is also the date scheduled for the next DWP oral questions session in the House of Lords. This will be the first time the new ministerial team, led by Liz Kendall, will face questions from opposition benches - and could provide millions of PIP claimants with an update on the proposals within the Green Paper.
The Green Paper explains if DWP were to consider other ways of supporting people with disabilities and long-term health conditions - apart from providing regular cash payments - it could continue to contribute to people’s extra costs through alternative models. These include: The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) estimates that the planned changes to the Work Capability Assessment would mean 424,000 people with serious mobility or mental health issues would be denied extra Universal Credit worth over £400 a month and protection from sanctions. The OBR estimates that just three per cent of these people would be expected to move into work in the subsequent four years.
It’s important to be aware that the proposed changes will not affect 173,000 people in Scotland currently on PIP or Disability Living Allowance (DLA) as they will be moving to Adult Disability Payment (ADP) or Scottish Adult DLA (SADLA .before the end of next year. Join the conversation on our Money Saving Scotland Facebook group for money-saving tips, the latest benefits news, energy bill advice and cost of living updates.
Sign up to our Record Money newsletter and get the top stories sent to your inbox daily from Monday to Friday with a special cost of living edition every Thursday - sign up here . You can also follow us on X (formerly Twitter) @Recordmoney_ for regular updates throughout the day or et money news alerts on your phone by joining our Daily Record Money WhatsApp community ..
