Work and Pensions Debate tomorrow

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FeistyPigeon
FeistyPigeon Online Community Member Posts: 327 Empowering
in People power

Hi folks,

Just to remind everyone, the welfare bill will be going through it's second reading tomorrow, most likely around 12am or so. If you've got the time, you can tune into freeview channel 232 to watch it. There will be a vote at the end of the debate, if they lose, that's the end of the bill.

Also, I discovered by chance they had an announcement on the bill "concessions" in Parliament this afternoon. And guess what? MP after MP got up to attack the bill, not just opposition MPs but lots of Labour ones too. They reckon now it might just scrape through in a vote, or they might even be defeated.

A couple of things they said this afternoon that could be important:

  1. Kendall was very careful to say, anyone on PIP would not be affected by the new changes. But there was no clarity on what happens when your PIP assessment comes up for review - whether it would be reviewed by the old system or the new one. So people receiving PIP now might still lose it in future when they come up for review.

2.They are determined to bring in the 4 points rule for PIP even though they say disabled groups will be consulted on any changes. Timms is running the consultation process, which could take months apparently.

But if they are insisting on the 4 points rule anyway, will they really take the views of the disabled into account? Or will this be more of a face-saving exercise so they can claim they've consulted us, even if they dismiss our suggestions and concerns?

Fingers-crossed for tomorrow everyone - we've got a good chance to overthrow this.

Comments

  • mawempathy
    mawempathy Online Community Member Posts: 150 Empowering
    1. The DWP have now clarified that future re-assessments/reviews will be conducted using the current rules for existing claimants. Kendall misspoke earlier when answering questions in parliament.
    2. I believe the 4 point rule is still written into the bill, and so it won't be subject to the Timms review on assessments/descriptors.

    I think the vote will be very close, but that works to the government's advantage. They can secure the few extra votes they need by redirecting some money to an MP's local constituency (nudge nudge, wink wink) to help them do a few popular things to aid re-election. On the other-hand, it would be a shame if tight finances meant they had to cut the MP's local funding instead… if, for example, he ticked the wrong box tomorrow by mistake.

  • Girl_No1
    Girl_No1 Online Community Member Posts: 370 Pioneering

    Until the descriptors and scoring system are known, all the chatter in the world about securing four points is pointless.

    If we have currently secured four points in a particular category, that does not mean someone with identical needs will do so in future. That particular level of need may be deemed to only warrant 1/2/3 points, or even zero points, in Timms' myopic/agenda-driven view of the disabled world.

    The absolute desperate nature of them attempting to push this through without proper consultation/scrutiny tells us all we need to know about their future plans for sick and disabled people.

  • FeistyPigeon
    FeistyPigeon Online Community Member Posts: 327 Empowering
    https://forum.scope.org.uk/discussion/comment/1043869#Comment_1043869

    Very good point Girl_No1

  • charl1234
    charl1234 Online Community Member Posts: 299 Empowering

    So are u saying the four point rule is still a thing?

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