An interim review of Personal Independence Payments (Pip) in England and Wales has found it to be “not fit for purpose”. The report suggests a sweeping overhaul of the assessment system is needed.
It also highlights the steep increase in the number of Pip recipients in recent years and the forecast rise in spending on the benefit.
Pip is a benefit people with long-term illnesses and disabilities can claim if they need help with extra costs associated with living, work and care. Eligibility is determined through an assessment.
Under the current system, claimants are scored on a zero to 12 scale by a health professional on everyday tasks such as washing, getting dressed and preparing food.
People applying for the benefit said the process was “dehumanising” and a barrier to work.
The disability minister Sir Stephen Timms, who is leading the review, said his final report due out later this year was not expected to make “crude proposals” on payment changes. But with the cost of Pip expected to rise to more than £41bn by 2030, the sustainability of this would “be a concern as we reach these decisions”, he said.
You can read the full article here. (BBC website)
You can also read the full interim report here. (gov.uk website)
Source: BBC News
