Why welfare reforms don't need to happen
More than two-thirds (67%) of people seeking advice from a CAB have a disability or long-term health condition. This comes at significant cost, especially for those in remote and rural communities. People don't have enough to live on, many are grappling with debt and destitution, and physical and mental health is getting worse. Poverty is a consequence and cause of disability and ill health, meaning the need for social security has grown alongside poverty rates.
One of the proposals seeks to radically narrow eligibility criteria for the Personal Independence Payment (PIP) so that fewer people can receive this. PIP and its equivalent in Scotland, Adult Disability Payment (ADP), are enabling payments. They exist to cover the additional costs of disability or ill health. They're not means-tested or linked to the ability to work.
Narrowing the criteria to access the daily living component of PIP – which includes support for preparing food or managing incontinence – will remove payments that enable many people to work. More than a quarter (27%) of those seeking ADP advice from our network are in employment. Removing people from the work force, which will happen if these proposals go head, is completely senseless.
It's unclear what impact the reforms will have on devolved social security in Scotland. Alongside a dramatically reduced budget, complexity could be added to the system, making it more difficult for people to claim payments they're entitled to. It is imperative the UK Government works closely with the Scottish Government to avoid this. People urgently need reassurance, as is clear from the CEO of Glasgow Northwest CAB: "We've already seen a spike in demand from people asking what this is going to mean. People are so worried – I don't know how much more they can take. Or our advisers. How do we tell even more people who are cold and hungry, facing mounting debts and deteriorating health there's nothing else we can do to increase their incomes? This will be devastating for all of us."
There's a choice to be made; improving the circumstances of sick and disabled people should not be a difficult one. It's clear for us when we hear the worry in the voices of our advisers and the thousands who visit our CABs, our leaders need to listen too – these reforms do not need to go ahead.
Emma Jackson is head of Social Justice at Citizens Advice Scotland
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Sun
3 hours ago
- The Sun
We're left scrapping for benefits in UK's ‘PIP city' while jobless kids claims £100s thanks to TikTok ‘sickfluencers'
BATTLING heart issues and a crumbling spine that has left her reliant on a mobility scooter, Beryl Davis faces a daily fight to survive on her meagre disability benefits. But, she says, life in the town dubbed 'PIP city' comes with an extra gut-punch - as hard-up pensioners like her watch young, jobless chancers game the UK's broken welfare system, inspired by so-called TikTok 'sickfluencers'. 8 8 The troubling scenes in Hartlepool - where in some areas nearly one in four adults claim Personal Independence Payments (PIP) - have created a bitter divide between hard-grifting older folk with genuine illnesses and what they see as work-shy younger generations shamelessly exploiting legal loopholes. It is a schism that shines a light on a wider debate gripping Britain, where - despite there being many young people legitimately claiming benefits - vulnerable pensioners living on minimal support fear they are being left in the lurch in favour of unscrupulous claimants. Beryl, 71, reveals: 'One person I know claimed it for acne, another for OCD. It's far too easy to get hold of these days. 'I have a genuine disability. I don't understand how some people are getting it so easily when people like me have to fight for it. 'I know someone in his twenties, diabetic, and yes, he has some health issues, but he's just been awarded the full whack and he's pulling in about £1,600 a month. "He could work. He chooses not to." Famous for its shipyards and steelmaking that were once at the centre of Britain's industrial revolution, Hartlepool has a proud history built off the back of its tireless work force. But during The Sun's visit, fed-up residents say what was meant to be a safety net for those too ill or disabled to work has become a cushion for the lazy, especially among the under-40s. The northern town, in Co Durham, now has one of the highest rates of disability benefit claimants in the entire country, with 22.3 per cent of working age adults receiving PIP across six of its central wards. A Sun analysis of official data reveals 6,737 of 30,154 working-age adults here are now receiving the benefit, with more than 2,000 people aged between 16 and 64 claiming PIP for anxiety and depression. Stop handing out new cars for FOOD INTOLERANCE says Kemi Badenoch as she demands Labour cut ballooning benefits bill Among them is a 24-year-old who told us, on condition of anonymity, how he used TikTok guides to secure a successful mental health claim. It comes after we revealed how brazen "sickfluencers" are gaining thousands of followers on social media by explaining how to game PIP application forms and ramp up the scoring criteria. Shocking recent figures revealed how claims across the UK are at a record high, with 16 to 19-year-olds now making up 16.5 per cent of all PIP cases - up from 14.6 per cent in 2019. The unemployed lad told us how he used tips posted by one influencer to explain how his ability to carry out tasks was affected by social anxiety - despite not having a formal medical diagnosis. By Ryan Sabey and Noa Hoffman FACE-TO-FACE welfare claim assessments are needed to stop taxpayers' money being used to fund cars for people with minor conditions like food intolerances, Kemi Badenoch says. The Tory leader called for a crackdown — with the health and disability benefits outlay set to spiral to £100billion by the end of the decade. She wants to stop flagrant abuse of the taxpayer-subsidised Motability scheme, which was designed to provide cars for the disabled — and also to target online 'sickinfluencers' who tell claimants what to say in interviews to play the system. Ms Badenoch said in a speech the number of in-person checks has slipped because of the pandemic, being replaced with cheaper phone interviews. She said: ' Approval rates have soared, and we now have online 'sickfluencers' selling people scripts to maximise their scores on an assessment. "We need to build in proper medical evidence to the system. And go back to face-to-face assessments which never recovered after Covid. "Food intolerances are a medical fact, but they're not something we should be handing out new cars for. "That is not a joke. This actually happens.' Stats show around £600million went on Motability last year from the Department for Work and Pensions, and 589,000 claimants had cars as of April. Ms Badenoch said it needed to go as it was a 'perfect example' of a welfare system out of control. She said: 'People are qualifying with conditions like drug misuse, ADHD and obesity. 'The assessment system surely can't have been designed with that intention. And we can't allow it to continue for a moment longer.' He said: "The TikTok videos basically told me which questions to answer and what to say to have the best chance of being approved. "I had a phone call from an assessor which basically lasted for 30 minutes and they agreed that I couldn't work. "I'm now getting £74 a week." Asked if he was genuinely anxious to the point of being unable to work, the youngster said: "I used to work in a supermarket but I found it too much to interact with people. Maybe if there was a job I could do from home, it would be okay." He denied gaming the system, despite shopping among crowds in the town centre, "because there's no jobs around here, anyway". PIP hotspot Across six central wards in Hartlepool, a staggering one in five working-age adults is now on PIP. For many, the ire is pointed at drug users and street drinkers we saw congregating by a community centre. One, seen leaving a corner shop, with a carrier bag filled with beer, said he had "mental health" and "was stressed". 8 8 At a sandwich shop in the town centre, Claire Jarvis, 43, revealed how her husband had not been able to secure PIP despite being diagnosed with prostate cancer and undergoing gruelling radiation therapy. She said: 'I understand that some people genuinely need benefits - I'm not against that. But I think the wrong people are getting the help while people who really need it are being left with nothing. 'My husband was diagnosed with prostate cancer last year. "He went through radiotherapy, he still suffers now - he's got burns all over his back, his bowels are damaged, and he's had to go to work because he's scared he'll lose his job. "And yet when we applied for PIP, he scored zero on the assessment. 8 8 "Meanwhile, there are people who are playing the system, claiming for mental health or back pain without any proper diagnosis, and they're getting everything. "People say there are no jobs but that's nonsense. If you wanted a job, you could go out and get a job. "It's galling to work hard while other people are in the beer garden spending their benefits." Mrs Jarvis' co-worker Charlie Williamson, 26, missed out on support for her five-year-old daughter who has epilepsy. She told how she comes to work despite suffering from anxiety and the stresses of caring for her young child. The wrong people are getting the help while people who really need it are being left with nothing. Claire Jarvis, 43 Ms Williamson said: "I was just in this dark place where I just had no motivation to do anything. I was just getting myself in a dark place. "I was scared to work because of the anxiety, but then at the same time, I wanted to work. "I'm glad that I do work. I absolutely see the importance of it and I look forward to it now." A Taxpayers Alliance analysis suggested there were 187 PIP claimants for every 1,000 Hartlepool residents, the second highest rate in England behind the Merseyside constituency of Knowsley. They are among 12 local authorities in England and Wales where the proportion on PIP exceeds one in six. Anyone with a long-term physical or mental health condition or disability that affects their day-to-day life can get PIP, including adults in full-time employment. PIP is split into two parts and claimants can be eligible for both. The daily living part goes to adults needing help with everyday tasks, whereas the mobility part is doled out to those who require assistance getting around. Applicants are assessed on a points-based system, scoring between zero and 12 depending on how much difficulty they have with basic day-to-day activities - such as preparing and eating food. At present, anyone who scores between eight and 11 points qualifies for the standard rate of the daily living component, currently worth £73.90 a week. Those awarded 12 points or more receive the enhanced rate, paying £110.40 a week. Under existing rules, applicants must reach at least eight points - across any combination of tasks - to receive the lowest level of support. 'Genuinely needy overlooked' Paula Spence, 70, was forced to retire aged 55 and has been reliant on PIP since. She said: 'I've worked since I was 16 - I was a hairdresser, then later a lollipop lady, which I loved. "But the cold weather and standing for hours ruined my joints. I was laid off at 55 on medical advice, and I've never worked since. I'm on PIP now because I genuinely need it. 'I'll be honest - there are some people around here who just don't want to work. Some are lazy. They're on the dole, they claim PIP for things that don't stop them working, and it's wrong. I'm not saying that's everyone, but it does happen. "Meanwhile, there are genuine cases where people are really struggling, and they're the ones being made to jump through hoops.' 8 Figures show nearly a third of working-age adults in some parts of England are now claiming PIP, with more than 3.6 million people receiving it as of January - up from just over two million three years ago. Critics say the spiralling £143billion welfare bill should serve as a wake-up call to ministers after the Government was forced into a U-turn on proposed welfare reforms following pressure from over 120 MPs. The original plans, designed to save five billion by tightening eligibility for PIP, were shelved. A spokesperson for the Taxpayers Alliance said: "Many PIP assessments are now done remotely, with as little as two to four per cent of disability assessments happening in person. "Fewer in-person checks, less scrutiny, and rising appeal success rates suggest a system that's being outpaced and, in some cases, outmaneuvered.'
STV News
7 hours ago
- STV News
The Scottish Government has 'failed' stroke survivors, says charity
The Scottish Government has failed stroke survivors for the seventh straight year in a row, a charity has said. Figures released by Public Health Scotland on Tuesday show that the country is falling 'unacceptably short' of its own targets for stroke patients. Chest Heart and Stroke Scotland said just over half of the 11,341 Scots (53%) who had a stroke last year got access to a care bundle, which includes aspirin, access to a specialised unit, brain imaging, and a swallow screening. That's short of the Government's own target of 80%. Even fewer stroke patients (2.2%) received a thrombectomy, which is a procedure to remove a blood clot from a blood vessel. It's a potentially life-changing operation, according to the charity, and the Scottish figures are 'well below' other comparable nations. 'This government has failed stroke survivors and is failing our NHS colleagues who are doing the absolute best they can with the inadequate resources they're currently being given,' Allan Cowie, chief operating officer at the charity, said. 'Scotland is also falling further behind similar-sized nations, such as the Republic of Ireland, in the delivery of potentially life-changing thrombectomy procedures.' He said 10.8% of stroke patients in the Republic of Ireland received a thrombectomy in 2024, compared to NHS Scotland figures, and the Scottish Government's own target of 10%. 'While Scotland's rate has improved marginally, the disparity remains stark. This is unacceptable,' Mr Cowie said. It's a procedure that two-time stroke survivor Michael Macdonald called a 'game-changer'. Mr Macdonald received a thrombectomy after his first stroke at 33-years-old in 2023. He said he feels 'lucky'. 'I didn't realise this procedure is only available 9-5, Monday to Friday,' he said. 'I got to hospital at 4.30 in the afternoon, and I was lucky that the stroke team decided I needed to be treated right away, and they all stayed to do that. 'Now, knowing the difference thrombectomy can make in recovery, I think it's essential that this procedure is available to everyone, no matter where you live or what time you are admitted to hospital. It's a gamechanger where stroke recovery is concerned.' Chest Heart and Stroke Scotland said stroke is one of the biggest causes of long-term adult disability in Scotland, and it said the quality of care is crucial for recovery. The charity is urging the Scottish Government to make stroke care an urgent priority, and it is demanding widespread improvements for the delivery of thrombectomy. Scottish health secretary Neil Gray said: 'I want to do everything we possibly can in government to ensure we're making improvements to stroke care. 'That's why I'm pleased to see we have made improvements in the number of people getting access to thrombectomy services, but we know there is more to do.' In the vast majority of stroke cases, Gray said thrombectomy procedures are 'absolutely critical'. That's why he said the Scottish Government has invested £50m into NHS services. 'We need to do more so we can continue to save lives and give people the best opportunity of being able to live well after having a stroke,' Gray said. Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
The Herald Scotland
10 hours ago
- The Herald Scotland
Scottish housing study exposes 'unequal' adaptations scheme
As Scotland's population continues to age, it is expected that the number of homes containing adaptations will rise from 342,448 in 2022 to 396,267 by 2040. The total cost of these adaptations could reach £76m in the same time frame. The report states: 'Insights from key stakeholders across Scotland show an adaptations system that is often slow, inconsistent, and hard to navigate. There is a great deal of positive and impactful delivery happening across Scotland, often in extremely challenging environments. 'However, stakeholders consistently highlight systemic barriers, ranging from funding pressures to fragmented governance, that are making the delivery of adaptations increasingly difficult to sustain.' The report calls on the Scottish Government to increase funding for local authorities carrying out the adaptations. According to the report, delayed adaptations contribute directly to 'increased falls, avoidable hospital admissions, and delayed discharge from acute care.' These incidents exert further pressure on an already stretched health service. Reflecting on the report, Scottish Federation of Housing Associations (SFHA) Chief Executive Sally Thomas said: 'The current adaptations system is unfit for our ageing population and places too much emphasis on whether someone rents or owns their home, where they live, and what funding they can access instead of people's needs. 'Housing associations are at the forefront of helping people live well and for longer in their homes and already support tenants by installing everything from grabrails and stairlifts, to larger-scale adaptations such as wet rooms. 'However, the system not only needs more funding, but also to be simplified so everyone can access the adaptations they need irrespective of where they live and whether they rent or own their home.' Read more: Scottish Government fails to meet stroke care benchmark - for 7th year in a row Why the UK government must scrap harmful NDAs in sexual harassment cases 'We want to be the solution': charity to build three social housing villages Ashley Campbell, policy and practice manager at the Chartered Institute of Housing (CHI) Scotland, added: 'The message is clear – we know that investing in adaptations saves money for health and social care partners and improves people's lives. But this isn't just about the funding, the system can be complex, time consuming and inconsistent. 'We need the Scottish Government to fulfil its commitment to review the adaptations system and remove barriers to accessing support.'
