Latest news with #PersonalIndependentPayment
Daily Mirror
15-05-2025
- Business
- Daily Mirror
Keir Starmer doubles down on benefit shakeup despite Labour rebellion
Keir Starmer ruled out softening disability benefit cuts when asked if rebel Labour MPs should 'lump it' as he faces a huge Commons rebellion over welfare changes Keir Starmer has ruled out softening controversial welfare cuts following a furious backlash from his own MPs. Asked whether Labour rebels will have to "lump it", the PM insisted he will push ahead with reforms in spite of criticism. He faces a wave of backbench anger, with around 100 MPs raising concerns about the measures. In a defiant message to his critics he vowed to get on and reform the benefit system to slash billions of pounds from the welfare bill. Pressed on whether he might water down the Government's proposals - which will see eligibility for the Personal Independent Payment (PIP) restricted - Mr Starmer said: "To start from the fundamentals, the system as it is is not working. Therefore it needs to be reformed. "It is not complying with the three principles I have set out many times: support those who need support; ensure that those who can get into work are supported into work; and that those who can work should work. That's the approach I've taken so far, it's the approach I'll continue to take to this." Under the plans, which are expected to go to a vote in the Commons next month, ministers will plough around £1billion into employment support for disabled people. But around £5billion will be saved by making hundreds of thousands of people ineligible for PIP. The PM continued: The argument for reform is overwhelming and that's why we will get on and we will reform." Asked a second time whether disgruntled MPs would have to lump it, he said: "We have to get on and reform this system, it's not working for anybody and therefore we have to reform it." A group of 42 MPs warned the PM last week that the plans were "impossible to support". They called on the Government to delay a vote until the autumn so a full assessment of the cuts can be made. A separate letter signed by as many as 80 MPs is also understood to be calling for a delay. Earlier this week disability minister Sir Stephen Timms told The Mirror there would be no such pause - saying reform was "urgent". Sir Stephen said: "I think the reform is urgent. We do need to get on with this." Grim Government analysis suggested around 250,000 extra people, including 50,000 children, could be dragged into poverty due to the proposed changes. But Sir Stephen said surveys showed 200,000 people who are currently out of work on health and disability grounds want to get a job if the right support was available.
Wales Online
11-05-2025
- Business
- Wales Online
Will I lose my DWP PIP payments? 10 things you could have to prove to avoid losing support
Will I lose my DWP PIP payments? 10 things you could have to prove to avoid losing support The government has not said how many people will lose their PIP payments but it is presenting the DWP reform as a major change that will save billions The UK government has set out plans to significantly reduce the number of people entitled to the Personal Independent Payment pip from the DWP because of disability. At the moment the enhanced daily living component of PIP £110.40 per week and the standard rate to £73.90. The enhanced mobility component will be £77.05 per week, and the standard rate £29.20 People qualify for the payment by taking a series of tests on their ability to perform basic tasks like feeding themselves, dressing themselves or washing themselves. They are scored on the extent to which their condition prevents them from carrying out those tasks. Currently, people can qualify for a PIP payment by having a relatively low level of impairment across a lot of the different tests. However in future, they will have to have a more significant impairment on at least one of the tests and score at least four points on one of the tests. The government says that it has been a decade since PIP was introduced and it needs modernising. There are over 3m people in the UK currently in receipt of PIP at a cost of £21.8bn. The government says that if this continues to grow at the current rate, in four years there will be 4.2m people receiving PIP at a cost of £34.1bn and this is "unsustainable" and is growing faster than the prevalence of disability. Article continues below It says: "It is over a decade since PIP was introduced, during which time there have been significant shifts in the nature of long-term conditions and disability, as well as changes in wider society and the workplace. People reporting mental health or neurodiverse conditions as their primary condition have increased more rapidly than those reporting other conditions, and increases in disability have been more marked among younger adults than older people, although older working-age people are still more likely to be disabled." To be entitled to a PIP payment in future, people will have to show a higher level of impairment in at least one category meaning they score at least four points. The below are examples of what would enable you to qualify for the personal independent payments (PIP) by category. Preparing food Being unable to prepare a meal in an oven but able to use a microwave scores two points so will no longer, on its own, qualify a person for a PIP payment. Instead they will need to be able to show they "need supervision or assistance to either prepare or cook a simple meal" Eating and drinking Needs including having to have supervision, needing help to cut up food, or having to use an aid to take in nutrition will no longer score highly enough to qualify for PIP. Instead a person would have to show they "need prompting to be able to take nutrition" or, in a more severe case, be unable to "convey food or drink to their mouth". Managing therapy or monitoring a health condition To score four points, a person would have to show they "need supervision, prompting, or assistance to be able to manage therapy that takes more than three and a half hours a week but no more than seven hours a week" Washing and bathing Needing supervision to wash or bathe scores only two points on a PIP test as does needing help to wash hair or body below the waist. Needing help to get in our out of a bath or shower also only scores three points. To score four points, a person would have to show they "needs assistance to be able to wash their body between the shoulders and waist" Managing toilet needs or incontinence Needing supervision to use the loo, two points, will no longer qualify a person alone for PIP. Instead, they will have to show they need help (four points). Dressing and undressing A person who needs to be told to dress or needs help putting on trousers or a skirt (two points) will no longer qualify. Instead a person will have to show they need help to dress or undress their upper body. Communicating verbally Using a hearing aid only scores two points. To score four, a person would need to show they "need communication support to be able to express or understand complex verbal information" Reading To score four points, a person would have to show they need prompting to be able to read or understand basic written information or cannot read or understand signs at all. Engaging with others face to face Needing prompting to be able to engage with others only scores two points. Instead someone would need to show they "need social support to be able to engage with other people" Making budgeting decisions Needing help with complex budgeting will no longer be enough (two points). Instead to score four points, someone would have to show they need "prompting or assistance to be able to make simple budgeting decisions" If people find they no longer qualify for PIP, the government is consulting on how best to support them. Article continues below The benefits green paper says: "We want to ensure that anyone in receipt of PIP now who would lose entitlement when they are reassessed under the new eligibility criteria, has their health and eligible care needs met "Everyone should have their healthcare needs met by the NHS which is why we are investing almost £26 billion to fix the health and care system and we are investing an additional £889 million in General Practice in 2025/26 to reinforce the front door of the NHS and bring back the family doctor "DWP will work with DHSC to ensure that existing people who claim PIP who may no longer be entitled to the benefit following an award review under new eligibility rules have their health and eligible care needs met, in addition to being able to access our support conversation and employment support if they want to."
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
DWP claimants face '50-week' wait over benefit worth £441 a month
Benefit claimants are being affected by horrendous delays, as Personal Independent Payment (PIP) applicants now face a staggering 50-week wait for assessments, as disclosed by Ruth Curtice, chief executive of the Resolution Foundation. The alarm was heralded in front of the work and pensions select committee with calls for immediate action, reports PIP, which supports those struggling with illness, disability or mental health issues in daily tasks, has been chucked into the spotlight following Labour's recent proposal to reform its contentious assessment procedures. READ MORE: Almost half of pensioners born before this date facing stealth tax raid Get breaking news on BirminghamLive WhatsApp, click the link to join At the committee, Ms Curtice aired her concerns, saying: "The waiting time for a PIP assessment is 50 weeks. So from the day your assessment was meant to happen, you wait almost a year until it actually happens." She spoke of systemic flaws that disadvantage both taxpayers and claimants: "There's clearly elements of the system that are not working, either for the government in terms of keeping the right people in the system, or claimants that are suffering delays." Curtice touched at root causes behind this sluggish pace: "The slowing seems to be due to fewer assessments and fewer reassessments. It may also be due to stretched job centres being able to provide less support." PIP is worth worth £441.60 every four weeks at the higher daily living rate, while at the lower rate it is worth £295.60 every four weeks. Contrastingly, a Department for Work & Pensions spokesperson refuted these alarming statistics to Yahoo News, claiming the current average period for a PIP verdict remains at 16 weeks, while new applicants typically anticipate nine weeks for their assessment. They remarked: "We support millions of people through our welfare system every year and it is a priority people receive the benefits they are entitled to as quickly as possible.." "We have hired more staff to respond to an increased volume of claims and have special rules in place so that people nearing the end of their life are guaranteed a fast-tracked PIP award. On the rare occasion this does not happen, we will investigate to understand what went wrong." Personal Independence Payment (PIP) has two elements, a daily living rate and a mobility rate, and claimants may be entitled to either one or both components. Claimants currently need to score between eight and 11 points to receive the standard rate daily living component. There will be no changes to the mobility component scoring system or the expedited claim process for individuals nearing the end of life. Individuals with 12 months or less to live who receive or are eligible for PIP can still claim the enhanced daily living component rate through the fast-track process. Scoring 12 points or more makes claimants eligible for the enhanced rate daily living component. But under Labour's plans, from November 2026, claimants will need a minimum of four points for at least one activity to qualify for the daily living component of PIP.
The Herald Scotland
29-04-2025
- Business
- The Herald Scotland
Disabled children 'plunged into poverty by damaging UK cuts'
Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced stricter tests for Personal Independent Payment (PIP), making it harder to qualify for the daily living component, which starts at £72.65 per week. Incapacity benefits issued under Universal Credit will be halved to £50 for new claimants, while the existing rate will be frozen in cash terms at £97 per week. While the Scottish Government is currently in the process of replacing PIP with Adult Disability Payment, UK welfare cuts would mean Scotland receives a smaller amount from the UK Government in Barnett consequentials. Under 22's will also be blocked from claiming the incapacity benefit top up to Universal Credit once the reforms are introduced. Fiona Collie, head of public affairs at Carers Scotland, said carers with a disabled child were significantly more likely to be in poverty. A third (33%) were struggling to make ends meet - five percentage points higher than all of carer groups, while 24% were in debt and 9% were in housing arrears. Ms Collie told The Herald: 'The impact to changes to disability benefits, changes to Universal Credit and the carer element in particular is likely to have a disproportionate impact on families with a child. 'No child should be hungry. It's time for action to eradicate child poverty' Wake up call: Extreme child poverty in Scotland is now higher than 1990s I'm a single dad and I've been forced to rely on food banks – it's traumatising 'The impacts on households with children are going to be very significant. 'We're deeply worried about these cuts. It's the group that can least afford it, households with a disability and particularly those households with children. 'From our perspective, unpaid carers provide £15.9 billion of care every year in Scotland and actually any move to remove support from these households is deeply damaging.' In Scotland, an estimated 90,000 children under the age of 18 were identified as disabled in 2023, while 17% of children had a long-term condition or illness. Official UK government analysis suggests that families impacted by the welfare reforms will lose an average of £1,720 each year. READ MORE: Nappies, food and clothes for newborn babies: Inside Scotland's busiest food banks Rebecca McCurdy: I was ashamed of growing up poor – but I am proud of it now Scotland's social justice secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville described the cuts as "irresponsible and damaging," amid estimations a further 50,000 children could be plunged into poverty. One parent, who has been supported by Action for Children in Scotland, was forced to give up her job in a dental practice to care for her ill daughter. She said: "We went from a decent wage to Universal Credit which is basically £1,600 for the month. "A third of that you're paying on rent and council tax and the rest of it you're buying shopping for four people and electricity so you can't do anything else. 'We'd try to go to shops where you can go to self-scan or using your phone. You're putting the prices in the calculator, so you know the cost at the checkout - you know your budget and don't go above that.' Carers Scotland also warned there is dismay at unpaid carers being labelled "economically inactive" despite estimations they save the social care sector around £15.9bn per year. Ms Collie said: "Unpaid carers contribute to our society and the idea that paid work is the only way that you can contribute to society, that it's the thing that places value on you, it actually is a challenge for people to hear some of the narrative that they're almost undeserving of support". A UK Government spokesperson said: 'We have set out a sweeping package of reforms to health and disability benefits that genuinely supports people back into work, while putting the welfare system on a more sustainable footing so that the safety net is always there to protect those who need it most. 'We're boosting the main rate of Universal Credit permanently above inflation, while our £1bn employment support package will unlock work and help move people out of poverty as part of our Plan for Change, alongside increasing the Living Wage, and introducing a Fair Repayment Rate to help more than a million low-income households on Universal Credit.'
Daily Mirror
29-04-2025
- Business
- Daily Mirror
PIP claimants issued 50-week warning ahead of major benefits shake-up
There has been much conversation around PIP in recent weeks after Labour announced plans to introduce controversial changes to its assessment criteria Personal Independent Payment (PIP) claimants are 'suffering delays' of 50 weeks before they are assessed, a leading think tank has warned. Ruth Curtice, chief executive of the Resolution Foundation think tank, issued the warning at the work and pensions select committee last week. PIP is a disability benefit that is awarded to people who need help with everyday tasks due to an illness, disability or mental health condition. There has been much conversation around this benefit in recent weeks after Labour announced plans to introduce controversial changes to its assessment criteria. Ms Curtice told the committee: "The waiting time for a PIP assessment is 50 weeks. So from the day your assessment was meant to happen, you wait almost a year until it actually happens. "There's clearly elements of the system that are not working, either for the government in terms of keeping the right people in the system, or claimants that are suffering delays." She added: "The slowing seems to be due to fewer assessments and fewer reassessments. It may also be due to stretched job centres being able to provide less support." A DWP spokesperson told Yahoo News that it does not recognise these figures, and said clearance times from a decision for PIP is currently 16 weeks, with new PIP claimants waiting nine weeks for their assessment. They added: "We support millions of people through our welfare system every year and it is a priority people receive the benefits they are entitled to as quickly as possible. "We have hired more staff to respond to an increased volume of claims and have special rules in place so that people nearing the end of their life are guaranteed a fast-tracked PIP award. On the rare occasion this does not happen, we will investigate to understand what went wrong." PIP comes in two parts - there is a daily living rate and a mobility rate - and you can be entitled to just one, or both of these elements. To get the standard rate of the daily living part of PIP, you currently need between eight and 11 points. If you score 12 points or more, you are eligible for the higher daily living rate. But under changes being considered by Labour, from November 2026, you would also need a minimum of four points in at least one activity to get the daily living part of PIP. The point system for the mobility part of PIP is not changing, while people who are approaching the end of their life will also see no changes to how they claim PIP. People who claim, or an in receipt of PIP and are nearing the end of their life with 12 months or less to live, will continue to be able to access the enhanced rate of the daily living component of PIP by a fast tracked system.
