PIP could be ‘replaced' as consultation begins on new benefit
Work has begun on plans to completely replace the Personal Independence Payment (PIP) with a brand new benefit designed to make the system more 'fair and dignified'.
The Commission on Social Security has announced that it is launching a consultation to introduce a new 'Additional Costs Disability Payment' in place of PIP. They have opened the scheme to all people with experience of the system through an online survey and a series of upcoming focus groups.
Funded by the Trust for London, the Commission says it is run by 'experts with lived experience of the UK social security system.' It has been working on proposals to improve the UK benefit system since 2018, and is now running the new consultation after a hiatus in 2023/24.
They said: 'Like the rest of the Commission's work, we are putting forward proposals for a reimagined social security system that is designed by and works for those of who rely on it. It would be vastly different to the current system.'
Claimed by 3.6 million people, PIP is one of the main health or disability-related benefits that can be accessed in the UK. It is designed to help with extra living costs for those who have a long-term physical or mental illness that affects their ability to do everyday tasks or get around.
It is not the same as Employment Support Allowance (ESA), which is an out-of-work benefit claimed by 1.5 million people. PIP can be claimed whether someone is regularly working or not, and it is not means-tested.
At the moment, PIP is paid based on two parts – daily living and mobility – at a higher or lower rate dependent on severity. This means there are four possible weekly payment levels ranging from £28.70 to £184.30.
The Commission said in its 2022 'Plan for a decent social security system' that it would like to see these rates overhauled and simplified to three levels: £83.70 for claimants who don't need much support, £152.15 for claimants who need more support, and £230.77 for claimants who need a lot of support.
The plan also expands the eligibility criteria for PIP to look in more detail at the kind of support claimants need. This could be with things like personal care, staying safe, running their home, going out and socialising, moving around, and more.
Finally, it specifies that assessors should 'work with' claimants 'to see what [they] need,' as opposed to looking for grounds to deny the benefit. PIP should then also be granted 'for the rest of [their] life if necessary' and not subject to regular reassessment.
Results from the consultation will shape the proposals that the Commission puts forward to the DWP later this year. The group explains that it 'covers key areas such as eligibility criteria, assessment processes, and the structure of advocacy and support services.
'It also explains some of the wider systemic changes we might need to see to make the new system a reality, like the creation of a National Independent Living Service.'
The consultation comes ahead of green paper due to be released by the DWP in Spring which will reveal Labour's plans to 'overhaul' the health and disability benefit system. Details have not yet been confirmed, but the government has committed to matching the £3 billion in welfare savings pencilled in by the previous Conservative administration.
Earlier in February, the department also confirmed it was pressing ahead with changes to PIP under a separate programme launched by the previous government. These will 'transform' the entire service, social security minister Sir Stephen Timms said, with changes to eligibility, decisions and payments all in scope.
Ken Butler, welfare rights and policy adviser at Disability Rights UK said: 'DR UK would encourage Disabled people and their organisations to take part in the Commission's survey.
It's a very welcome and timely antidote the DWP's forthcoming Green Paper aimed a making £3 billion of cuts to disability and health benefits expenditure.
As the Commission says, the results of the consultation can be a building block to secure 'fair, dignified, and holistic support' to Disabled people, addressing the additional costs and systemic barriers that they face and ensure it reflects the needs and realities of those it seeks to support.'
The DWP has been approached for comment.
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