'The Government is taking money away from the most vulnerable people'
Angie Williams' daughter Vincent suffers from cystic fibrosis, autism and scoliosis and says she'll be able to afford to live if her PIP payment is taken away
Vulnerable people who are claiming PIP have accused the government of targeting society's most vulnerable by stopping benefits as part of the new Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill.
This is despite Department of Works and Pensions (DWP) confirmation that benefit claimants affected by proposed changes to PIP will have their payments protected for a 13 week transitional period.
Existing claimants affected by changes to the PIP daily living component, including those who lose their eligibility to Carers' Allowance and the carers' element of Universal Credit, who will receive the additional protection, feel it is nowhere near enough.
Vincent Williams , from Hartlepool has cystic fibrosis, autism and scoliosis and is a history student at Nottingham University. Her mum Angie also has multiple health conditions, including cancer, and her dad is retired.
Vincent, 20, says: 'PIP is my lifeline. If it's taken away I'll have no income except student finance – I won't be able to buy groceries and other basic essentials. I won't be able to afford to live.
'I've been applying for summer jobs – I have the relevant experience ,but I'm not even getting a response. The government says they want people on PIP in work, but how are they going to facilitate this?
'Businesses are less willing to hire people with medical problems. I had a job in 2023 and I told them about my medical issues when they hired me. But on the days when I was ill and needed to go to hospital there was no understanding. They made it clear I was 'inconvenient' and the workplace was not supportive.
'The changes to the point scoring system will affect me as I don't score four in any category – yet my chest problems affect me to the point that some days I can't breathe at all.
'I am really upset with the Government. People voted for change and voted for a party they thought would be different, but what Labour is doing is going against their own party values.'
Vincent's mum Angie Williams, 56, says: 'Vincent has been looking for work but when people find out about her cystic fibrosis and autism they are not interested.
'There is a lot of discrimination. She is going into her third year and wants to do teaching but who will take her on? Keir Starmer has no idea. How is Vincent supposed to live if PIP is taken off her? The Government is taking money away from the most vulnerable people and I think there will be suicides.''
A new 13-week transitional period before payments are stopped has been revealed as part of the new Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill, released today.
The additional protection will apply to existing claimants affected by changes to the PIP daily living component, including those who their lose eligibility to Carers Allowance and the carer's element of Universal Credit.
The DWP says this transitional cover is more than three times the length of protection provided from the switch to Disability Living Allowance (DLA) to PIP.
DLA used to be the main disability benefit in the UK until it was largely replaced by PIP. Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall first announced proposals to change PIP in the House of Commons in March this year, as part of wider measures to reduce the benefits bill by billions of pounds.
Today Ms Kendall, the work and pensions secretary, published the government's universal credit and personal independence payment bill, claiming it represents 'a new social contract' and that it will bring claimants 'peace of mind') She also claimed the three-month transitional payment for people who are losing Pip is 'one of the most generous' transitional payments ever offered as part of a benefit change.
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