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Unpaid carers with loved ones with severe disabilities say they are shocked and angry at the government’s plans to replace Personal Independence Payment (PIP).
Katie Stiles, 55, from Canterbury, is concerned the proposed changes will affect the amount of money her husband Mark, who has motor neurone disease (MND), receives.
Ministers are proposing a new six-tier disability benefit system with six different payment rates, which could mean many PIP recipients would receive less money than they currently receive.
Mr Styles, 55, currently receives PIP worth around £700 a month. Because his condition impairs his ability to move around and perform basic tasks, he receives maximum payout rates for both mobility and daily needs.
“I’m scared because I don’t know what level the government will promote me to,” Stiles said. I. “I don’t think anyone would think their girlfriend’s PIP benefits are safe. You can’t take anything for granted.
“I’m worried that reapplying for PIP will require a new process that’s more cumbersome and difficult. It feels like they’re disrespecting disabled people and that’s unfair.”
PIP currently consists of only two payment levels, low or high weekly payments, for both daily living and mobility components.
However, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has proposed a new system based on the Norwegian model. The system allows people to receive cash at one of six different rates, depending on the severity of their symptoms, equipment and clinical needs.
Stiles, who quit her job as a teacher 10 years ago to care for her husband, is also worried that her £81.90-a-week carer’s allowance will be at risk.
“If my husband doesn’t have PIP, he can’t receive carer’s allowance. We rely on both to survive.”
Furthermore, she added: “I don’t think the government understands how much disability can cost us. We really struggled with our utility bills. Like many others, the cost of living is putting pressure on us. ”
The changes brought in by the UK Government will affect people across England and Wales, but the Scottish Government is currently in the process of moving people on PIP to the new Adult Disability Payment (ADP).
Although the amount awarded to claimants remains the same, the disability charity said the process of assessing claims in Scotland has proven to be less stressful and more flexible. They called on Rishi Sunak’s government to follow the ADP model.
The in-person medical examination used by the DWP to assess PIP claims is used by Scottish Social Security (SSS) as a last resort for ADPs.
Latest statistics for Scotland show that 58 per cent of ADP claims are granted, of which 36 per cent are refused. In contrast, DWP statistics show that only 51 per cent of PIP claims are granted and 47 per cent are refused.
Louise Rubin, Scope’s head of policy and campaigns, said Scotland was developing a “less burdensome and less adversarial system, based on principles of trust”.
Lynne Pornolo, chief executive of Disability Equality Scotland, said: No, but it was a big step in the right direction. People can now more easily explain the complexity of the impact of their condition. ”
Mr Sunak on Monday insisted there was a “moral basis” for reforming the PIPs system and warned that costs were rising.
Mel Stride, the Work and Pensions Secretary, suggested the proposed overhaul could mean people with “mild mental health conditions” would be left without financial support. He said talk therapy could be used as an alternative to cash.
The government’s Green Paper on PIP replacements does not specify which conditions will need to be reassessed or which will be deemed worthy of the highest tier of financial support.
Rob Gershon, 51, a full-time carer who lives near Southampton, is worried about the impact the proposed changes will have on his wife Kelly.
This 61-year-old man has secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (MS) and is currently receiving a large amount of PIP for both daily living and mobility, totaling around £700 worth a month. there is.
Gershon said: I He was “shocked and angry” by the government’s proposals. “I don’t have confidence that it’s going to be okay. I’d like to think that people like Kelly who clearly need support will still get it. But I never thought the bedroom tax would hit us hard,” she said. And so it happened.
“I don’t see how you can do this without evaluating everyone again. What if the government decides to put different types of MS in different tiers? Just because the government wants to save money? There are many different situations that can be affected.”
Disability charities have warned that some people with severe physical disabilities or mental health conditions could be caught out by the changes, potentially losing their eligibility or receiving less money.
Ceri Smith, head of policy at the MS Society, said the announcement was “causing undue stress and anxiety across a wide range of conditions, including MS”.
“Currently, the vast majority of people with MS have the highest rates of PIP. We believe that creating all sorts of new and different tiers could prevent people from receiving the right kind of financial support. I am concerned about that.”
Disability Rights UK spokesperson Michael Erhardt warned that the changes could “impact on a wide range of conditions”. He claimed the measure was “a cynical way to reduce the number of people receiving support and the amount of money they receive”.
A DWP spokesperson said: “Fairness and compassion are at the heart of our welfare system. That’s why we want to update PIP’s ‘one size fits all’ approach, recognizing that people’s needs are different.
“This consultation will explore how PIP can be modernized to better protect those most affected and provide tailored support to help people with disability live full and independent lives. We will consider whether it is possible.”