Delayed decisions

judie

Apparently, the government have decided to wait until spring 2025 before announcing changes to PIP. The White paper will concentrate on UC and job centre reforms. Talk about kicked into the long grass. The I has a long article about it.

poppy123456

Do you have a link to where you read this please? I like to read things for myself. Thank you.

judie

I don't know how to post a link, sorry Poppy. It's the i, columnist Chloe Chaplain. Today's date. I'll keep trying for link

apple85

https://inews.co.uk/news/politics/pip-claimants-limbo-reforms-delayed-3316538

judie

Well done apple85

apple85

this is beyond cruel if true

Some disabled are able to shelve things and not worry till they happen

But many thousands of disabled are being psychologically crippled by knowing there are announcements likely to hugely impact their lives (and most disabled know reforms aren’t likely to be all ‘sunshine and roses’) but the wait is destroying them internally and increasing mental health issues

It’s also basically another 6 months in limbo for many

Future welfare reforms sounds like they could be very large (and impact many disabled ppl - whether in a positive or negative way) too large to plan around without knowing any solid details (little things like knowing like what extra money is coming in, in the long term such as still qualifying for a pip award……….as change to qualifying criteria such as conditions covered and means testing could be life changing in a bad or even good way for many disabled) and if labour had any respect for disabled ppl and any understanding of human empathy they’d realise that some announcements (not necessarily all but addressing well known concerns such as ruling out pip vouchers or making pip means tested) needed to be done yesterday.

Prehaps Labour leadership is oblivious to the worry and anxiety they’ve directly triggered in many disabled or prehaps they just don’t care about the repercussions but it’s unacceptable - either way and Labour & dwp need to start viewing disabled as human beings and not inconveniences on society!

On a personal note I feel like regardless on whether I’m ready personal health & state of mind way I can’t make any serious moves ‘officially’ towards work until I know whether pip is staying means tested, it stays cash based and I continue to qualify for a pip award criteria both condition wise and regardless of taking up suitable work. Bottom line is that I personal can’t even consider working without that pip financial safety net (partly bcos if I did work it couldn’t be for more than 20-25hrs a week and for my mental health I need to drop esa/uc and housing award asap as the distress of being on means tested welfare has cause me over the years but not being in the financial position to end my claim feels like I’ve been hanging from an ever tightening noose & that I have little say or control over my own life) - I don’t know if others on scope feel this way but the weight of all the dwp stuff(dealing with assessments, appeals, fear of losing money and award, left feeling like a scrounger and criminal and that effect on self worth) on top of daily disablity symptoms & challenges, I feel so crippled and paralysed in fear 24/7 I have daily trouble motivating myself and just generally functioning. Every year politicians & the dwp get crueler and less empathetic and I feel myself becoming more ‘zombie’ like and detached to society & life in general

I wish politicians would try something new and reduce the pressures on the disabled (claimants) and see if that produces some of the results on disabled employment and welfare book balancing Labour clearly want!

Nightcity

getting bored to tears with this government and their silly bloody games.

If true (it probably is with all the quotes) I will however take it in a positive way of six months breathing space THEN a long legislative process afterwards.

apples

This will be torture, it’s been bad enough the past couple of months worrying, now the worry has to continue, unbelievable

Ironside1990

I have mixed feelings about this. On the one hand, it's a few more months of normality and on the other hand, it's more months of uncertainty to many people with anxiety, who want answers now.

They are dragging this out now and it's not fair. Many people are made to feel like a condemned person, waiting for the gallows to be built.

Meg24

I'm still angry that they took the consultation on, imo it was only written as an election tool, to give the right wing press soundbites about them 'cracking down on disability fraudsters' with the added bonus of sadistically scaring the hell out of us - their last chance before they inevitably lost power.

Mel Stride is unashamedly out for our blood, never cared for people who need help, never should have been put in charge of the DWP, and this consultation was his brainchild.

There was not a single proposal in it that wouldn't cause immense harm and distress and Labour should have disowned it and publicly scrapped it as soon as they took office. The fact that they have decided to even consider any of the proposals casts them in firm opposition to every disabled person in the country.

There are an awful lot of us, if they're looking for a second term in office they might want to think about that a bit more. We also have friends and family who vote, if they go ahead with any of these shocking proposals they are going to find themselves back on the opposition benches sooner than they think.

Zipz

I felt quite a mixture of emotion when I read the piece from the “I” newspaper.

There’s a sense that the government has looked back on its first few months in office and realised that it has made some huge mistakes concerning issues considerably smaller than PIP. The deprivation of the WFA from the majority of pensioners was not thought through. Here’s an analysis from Sky News:

But we’re no wiser as to the plans for PIP. Like others, I’ve had to put major decisions on hold lest it become a means-tested benefit. I feel confident that the voucher/ receipt/ catalogue options mentioned in the Green Paper will be shelved. The Sky report hints that means-testing is not on the cards. I feel that PIP will become increasingly difficult to get. I think there may be a return to a DLA approach and the three-tier care component.

Nobody voted for fear of austerity and the guarantee of sleaze that Labour have delivered so far. They could easily lose any by-election that crops up. At local level, this could mean the loss of council control.

https://news.sky.com/story/keir-starmers-first-100-days-in-office-the-verdict-is-in-and-it-isnt-good-13232181

Nightcity

mel stride is vermin. sorry to be brutal but he is.

Labour isn't true labour anymore and for everything so far, they are akso (mostly) vermin.

But it does seem they are starting to worry about backlashes and reigning their necks in, Which can only be a good thing. Obviously that's because they care about the next election,by elections, votes of no confidence etc rather than our health but it still works to our advantage and a few more months of restful nights sleep.

Ralph

Doglover2

I don't know where this will all end. But the fact we are constant targets is enough to drive us to distraction.

I'm already there,in fact, and have been since my last pip assessment in 2022. Dear God it almost ended me. I'm health conditions have got worse with others now on top. I'm as fragile as I could possibly be. I'm going through a procedure on Monday evening and I'm terrified. It's an exploratory and though it should be over in half an hour it's consuming me. I feel like death warmed up. I have been at my worse the past three years, 13 conditions and numerous medications.

I just hope for the best for us all. We didn't want to be sick or disabled ,we didn't ask for it, yet we are punished repeatedly, as if our lives aren't punishment enough.

Meg24

Exactly, nobody would choose to be sick & as someone with severe MH issues I would choose almost any other life than this.

They might be unhappy at work but at least they get to go home at the end of the day, I have to live with my brain 24/7, I don't get a break from it.