Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall wants to reform PIP

johnron

picking on disabled again will it ever end :(

DWP PIP to be overhauled with voucher system not ruled out

Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall wants to reform PIP - and did not say the voucher proposal was off the table

Rosie_Scope

Hi @johnron, I have read a bit about this today. While she didn't confirm or deny that the voucher system would still be an option, it did sound like she was talking to people and trying to make an informed choice about what happens next.

She also mentioned she was "very struck, particularly by the comments people made around shifting support to vouchers, where many organisations said their real concern was that it took away people's autonomy - particularly when services are so stretched and tight"

Unfortunately it's a bit longer to wait before we hear, but hopefully we'll learn more over the next few months.

Ironside1990

I don't get Liz Kendall. Most of the time she comes off as cold, but there is rare instances where the ice melts and she shows some compassion.

I hope this means she realises that taking away cash payments for PIP, would take away the independence of claimants.

Like @Nightcity says, she's temperamental.

johnron

like the rest of group prob. i feel they dont care how mutch hurt and worry its causing people

IndignantPigeon

I reckon it comes down to whether they think they can get away with it as a means of saving money. If we kick up enough fuss, they'll look heartless and hopefully back down. They've already shown they can be ruthless with the 2-child benefit cap + the winter fuel payments for pensioners. So we need to take this seriously. Reeves said in her budget speech that they had inherited Tory Stride's plans for benefit "reform" (for "reform" read "cost-cutting") and intended to implement them in their entirety.

They are "Labour" in name only, they are more concerned with keeping in with business, especially big-business and investors, just as Blair was. If they don't change, they'll be voted out in 5 years + replaced with Tories and / or Reform, who took over 50% of the vote between them this time round. So we need to put a stop to this now, or it'll be much worse in future.

Albus_Scope

I think thanks to previous governments, reform has become a bit of a dirty word, when it really shouldn't be. We have no idea what's going to happen, but I think our views have all been tarnished by previous parties. Best to just wait and see and try not to get too stressed about it. The current government have been having meetings with many charities and it actually sounds like they're listening.

Amaya_Ringo

I think the problem is many of us fell foul of the last lot of changes, at least first of all. All those lifelong DLA awards that led to PIP refusals and fights and appeals and traumatic tribunal experiences don't just go away because time has moved on.

It worries me that Kendall also backs the assisted dying bill. I am not going to get into the pros and cons of something so controversial on a site like this, I am sure people have their own views, but the fact the person in charge of reforming disability benefits intends to support it is a little concerning for me.

I don't think they will do vouchers for the simple reason that the administrative costs will outreach the benefits. I think the government is trying not to be tied to any one philosophy, so they can change things right up till they release their white paper, but I agree, they have no concept of how the uncertainty is affecting people.

Maybe if they understood that the stress is more likely to make more people unwell and unable to work, they'd listen more clearly.

Ironside1990

I don't think they'll try again with the prospect of vouchers instead of cash. The feedback from the green paper was mostly negative and many disability charities including Scope, spoke out against this.

The thing about cash payments is that you are able to assess your own needs and buy equipment that is right for you. Vouchers just tell you that you can only spend X amount on a piece of equipment that might not be right for that individual. It's about having autonomy.

The Tories only saw disabled people as numbers and not human beings. It'It's good to hear less hostile language towards disabled people when talking about things like this.

Plus the admin and printing costs will be through the roof.