Government proposals for disability benefits branded ‘cruel’ by charities

Health organisations and charities have condemned new Government proposals to overhaul the disability benefits system with the aim of moving away from a fixed cash benefit system towards tailored support.

The Green Paper, Modernising Support for Independent Living, outlines the current government’s proposals for changes to the Personal Independence Payment (PIP) as well as the current eligibility criteria and assessments.

PIP was introduced in 2013 to replace Disability Living Allowance for people of working age to help with extra living costs caused by long-term disabilities or ill health.

The Government says monthly awards for PIP have doubled from 2,200 to 5,300 since 2019 fuelled by the rise in people receiving PIP for mental health conditions such as mixed anxiety and depressive disorders.

It wants to explore alternative approaches to ensure people are given the right help to fulfil their potential and live independently. Although the UK has used a fixed cash transfer system since the 1970s, it says there are a number of international systems that look at the specific extra costs people have and provide more tailored support instead.

Taking away benefits will not fix anything

Mental health charity, Mind, however said taking away crucial financial support from people with mental health problems is not going fix anything, it will make things worse.

Dr Sarah Hughes, Chief Executive of Mind, said: “This country is facing complex problems. Millions of people are struggling because of years of underinvestment in mental health services, rising poverty and the ongoing cost-of-living crisis, while 1.9 million people sit on waiting lists for mental health support.

“We will not allow the government to paint people with mental health problems who are not well enough to work as somehow taking the easy route. And we will not allow people with mental health problems to carry the can for failures of the system. If the government was serious about supporting people with mental health problems back to work, it would prioritise investment in our overstretched mental health service.”

A consultation has now been launched to explore how the welfare system could be redesigned to ensure people with disabilities and long-term health conditions get the support they need to achieve the best outcomes, with an approach that focuses support on those with the greatest needs and extra costs.

The Government says that there are now 2.6 million people of working age claiming PIP and Disability Living Allowance – with 33,000 new awards for PIP each month which is more than double the rate before the pandemic. This is expected to cost the taxpayer £28 billion a year by 2028/29 – a 110% increase in spending since 2019.

Suggestion is that benefits are being ‘too readily’ handed out

National disability charity Sense said that this narrative around disability benefits lately has been divisive and deeply damaging, suggesting benefits are being ‘too readily’ handed out.

Tom Marsland, Policy Manager, added: “We’ve already heard from disabled people who feel sick with worry that they might lose their PIP, which gives them a vital financial lifeline.

“For most disabled people, disability benefits aren’t covering their costs as it stands – Sense research has found nearly half of disabled people found it difficult to afford costs related to their condition. Disabled people desperately need more support, not rhetoric that casts them as undeserving.

“Disability benefits are a good thing. They help disabled people to live full, happy lives. We should be proud as a country of having a system in place that provides disabled people with a safety net, not demonising those who need to use it.”

The Green Paper sets out proposals across three key priorities to fundamentally reform the system:

• Providing the right support to the people who need it most.
• Targeting our resources most effectively.
• Supporting disabled people to reach their full potential and live independently.

These include looking at whether evidence of a formal diagnosis by a medical expert should be a requirement to be assessed as eligible for PIP. This will make it easier and quicker for people with severe or terminal conditions to get the vital support they need.

The government says it is also considering options including one-off grants to better help people with significant costs such as home adaptations or expensive equipment, as well as giving vouchers to contribute towards specific costs, or reimbursing claimants who provide receipts for purchases of aids, appliances or services. Also whether some people receiving PIP who have lower, or no extra costs, may have better outcomes from improved access to treatment and support than from a cash payment.

Dr Andrew Molodynski, mental health lead at the British Medical Association, said: “If the Government wants to see fewer people unable to work due to poor mental health, the answer is not to blame individuals and strip away the support they need. This approach is as cruel as it is ineffective. The Government would be better placed properly funding the critical health and social services that keep people healthy, and tackling the record levels of poverty this country is facing. ”

It is unlikely that any changes will be imposed before this year’s general election.