Personal Independence Payment: is it fit for purpose?

From the outset, this reform has had a ‘savings first, support second’ approach with an upfront commitment to reduce spend on disability benefits by 20 per cent.

The Government has now estimated that over 600,000 fewer people will qualify for PIP by May 2018 than would have qualified for DLA. This in fact looks more like a cut of 28 per cent – and as a result will strip away the very support that enables many disabled people to be independent and in work. This, and the lack of support for carers, is likely to lead to increased pressure on already over-stretched social care budgets and the NHS.

PIP have been developed using the medical model, which defines the problem of disability as the individual, the impairment (or condition) they have, and the things they can’t do. In contrast, the more inclusive social model of disability recognises that the lack of accessible technology, public transport or services is what limits/prevents disabled people from fully participating in society – not their impairment. For example, a wheelchair user who cannot access a building because it has steps is not ‘disabled’ by their impairment but rather the lack of a ramp.

Disabled people have already taken more than their ‘fair’ share of cuts – more than any other group. Within the next few years, over 600,000 fewer disabled people will get the support they need from disability benefits and risk plunging their households into poverty as a result.

Read more about the PIP assessment and the impact that it will have on advice services in my blog this week. For information and advice on PIP visit CAB Advice Guide