Personal Independence payments: All 1.6 million claims to be reviewed

[Deleted]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-42862904

Every person receiving Personal Independence Payments (PIP) will have their claim reviewed, the Department for Work and Pensions has said.

A total of 1.6 million of the main disability benefit claims will be reviewed, with around 220,000 people expected to receive more money.

It comes after the DWP decided not to challenge a court ruling that said changes to PIP were unfair to people with mental health conditions.

The review could cost £3.7bn by 2023.

The minister for disabled people, Sarah Newton, said the DWP was embarking on a "complex exercise and of considerable scale."

She added: "Whilst we will be working at pace to complete this exercise it is important that we get it right."

Ministers made changes to PIP in 2017 which limited the amount of support people with mental health conditions could receive.

As a result, people who were unable to travel independently on the grounds of psychological distress - as opposed to other conditions - were not entitled to the enhanced mobility rate of the benefit.

The government pressed ahead with the proposals, despite criticism from an independent tribunal in 2016.

But in December, a High Court judge ruled the alterations "blatantly discriminate" against people with psychiatric problems and were a breach of their human rights.

Last week, new Work and Pensions Secretary Esther McVey announced the government would not appeal against the judgement, despite not agreeing with certain aspects of it.

Mark Atkinson, chief executive at disability charity Scope, said more was needed to address the issues with PIP.

"While it's crucial that the government urgently identifies and pays the vast numbers of disabled people who lost out on this vital support, this will not address the root of the problem," he said.

"The fundamentally flawed PIP assessment needs a radical overhaul so it accurately identifies the extra costs disabled people face."

Hopefully this will address many current issues with PIP

[Tommi]

But this means they will be entitled to blue badges!!!

[Independent voter]

"The minister for disabled people" wow, I don't think we have one of those.

[rayvio]

only one of the many (deliberate) flaws in the benefits system. I've talked to far too many people who should qualify for PIP but who found the application, assessment and subsequent appeals (far too many claims are initially scored zero points and the majority of those which do go to appeal are successful in overturning that decision) far too stressful to cope with and so chose not to pursue their claim to appeal. it's hard not to think that it's deliberately designed for exactly that effect
the people who genuinely need the support end up not getting it while those who are playing the system tend to know the tricks to get around it anyway and can put up with all the hassles of getting through it. but so long as less money is paid out the government don't care about whether people are getting what they need or not

[Deleted]

But this means they will be entitled to blue badges!!!

Err blue badges isn't determined by PIP

[Lochton]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-42862904



Hopefully this will address many current issues with PIP

Man, the UK is going to hurt. The cost of doing this is part of what they showed they would save from leaving the EU. Though, it is good that it is finally addressed.

[Tommi]

Err blue badges isn't determined by PIP

Having mobility component does. That's how I got mines.

[Deleted]

Having mobility component does. That's how I got mines.

That's not PIP though that's mobility