March 26th and Green Paper Mega Discussion (ITV leaks, etc)

What is Green Paper and PIP?

Alternatives to a cash transfer system

83. If DWP were to consider other ways of supporting people with disabilities and long-term health conditions apart from providing regular cash payments, it could continue to contribute to people’s extra costs through alternative models which could include:

• Catalogue/ shop scheme: in this kind of scheme, there would be an approved list from which disabled people could choose items at reduced or no cost. This would likely work better for equipment and aids rather than for services.
• Voucher scheme: in this kind of scheme, disabled people could receive vouchers to contribute towards specific costs. It could work for both equipment/aids and for services.
• A receipt-based system: this would involve claimants buying aids, appliances, or services themselves, and then providing proof of their purchase to claim back a contribution towards the cost. This could work in a similar way to Access to Work, which provides grants for equipment, adaptations, and other costs to help disabled people to start and stay in work.
• One-off grants: these could contribute towards specific, significant costs such as for home adaptations or expensive equipment. It could involve a person supplying medical evidence of their condition to demonstrate the need for equipment or adaptations.

84. While these alternative models help people with the extra costs of their disability or health condition, other forms of support including health care, social services care provision and respite are also important to help people to realise their full potential and live independently. We would like to understand 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.

85. We would also like to know whether there are specific groups of people who have a need of a greater level of support than they currently receive, and whether this support should be financial or take a different form, such as improved access to healthcare (such as mental health provision or physiotherapy) or enhanced local authority support (such as care packages, respite or home adaptations). We will further explore ways of improving people’s access to services in Chapter 4.