“Hundreds losing disability benefits in Personal Independence Payments shake-up” – Echo
Hundreds losing disability benefits in Personal Independence Payments shake-up
Will Frampton WFrampton_Echo
HUNDREDS of disabled people in Dorset lost their benefits when they were reassessed for a new government payment, a move which campaigners have called a ‘scandal’.
The government is gradually replacing Disability Living Allowance (DLA) with Personal Independence Payment (PIP). These benefits help people pay for disability-related living costs, such as personal carers or mobility aids.In total, 800 people in Bournemouth and 400 in Poole/Mid Dorset receiving DLA had their benefits stopped when they reapplied for the new scheme between April 2013 and October 2017.
Ken Butler, welfare rights advisor at Disability Rights UK, said: “The Government’s stated aim with PIP was to reduce the disability benefit expenditure by 20 per cent, around £1.5 billion a year.
“It was designed to exclude many disabled people from getting help with the extra costs of their disability, including vital help with mobility. That around a quarter of disabled people have lost all their benefit entitlement is a scandal but no surprise.
“Unsurprisingly, many disabled people now have no confidence in the PIP reassessment process.
“Disability Rights UK want to see an in-house assessment process rather than one ruled by discredited private contractors, but PIP itself needs a fundamental redesign so it becomes a benefit to enable disabled people to lead full, active and independent lives.”
The latest figures show 5,609 people across the Bournemouth East and West constituency areas were receiving DLA in November 2017. A further 5,399 people were receiving PIP.
Across the Poole and Mid Dorset and North Poole constituencies, 4,271 people were receiving DLA, and 3,496 were receiving PIP.
Figures from the Department for Work and Pensions show 24 per cent of people in Great Britain who received DLA failed to match the new criteria for PIP. The criteria for PIP are stricter, and claims are reassessed on a more regular basis.
The assessment process, which is carried out by private contractors such as Capita, came under fire after a 2017 review revealed that 65 per cent of those who challenged DWP decisions had them overturned in court.
James Taylor, head of policy and public affairs at disability charity Scope, said: “It’s alarming that a quarter of DLA claimants have lost all support through the move to PIP.
“Scope analysis shows disabled people face extra costs of £570 a month on average.
“The hundreds of thousands of disabled people who have lost out on vital financial support didn’t suddenly see an end to these additional costs.
“Financial support helps to level the playing field between disabled people and non-disabled people, but the current assessment for PIP does not accurately reflect the extra costs disabled people face. It needs a radical overhaul.”
source: http://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/news/16254931.Hundreds_losing_disability_benefits_in_Personal_Independence_Payments_shake-up/?action=success#comments-feedback-anchor
comments:
Vanquisher
Meanwhile there are many on benefits who abuse the system. I know of one woman who uses her neighbours benefits paid for car as her own. Just because she takes the old disabled lady next door to the doctors and shopping now and then. I also know of another who works cash in hand, gets a car, free prescriptions, no council tax, and 1200 a month. So its not all bad as there are still those abusing the system.
oapnopension
I too know some people who somehow get benefits when they dont need them, however i also have friends that are being denied benefits or have go through hoops when its quite obvious their medical condition will not get any better. Its about time the government sorted the system, no government that i recall has ever done this, they all say they will but dont.
pedanticaVanquisher wrote: Meanwhile there are many on benefits who abuse the system. I know of one woman who uses her neighbours benefits paid for car as her own. Just because she takes the old disabled lady next door to the doctors and shopping now and then. I also know of another who works cash in hand, gets a car, free prescriptions, no council tax, and 1200 a month. So its not all bad as there are still those abusing the system.
Report them for investigation using https://www.gov.uk/report-benefit-fraud
Mr Christchurch
Didnt you know that the government keeps more in unclaimed benefit money than it pays out to benefit cheats?
Of course there are those who cheat the system, there always are, just look at the corporate tax avoiders, but dont judge the majority by the acts of the minority
Of course there are those who cheat the system, there always are, just look at the corporate tax avoiders, but dont judge the majority by the acts of the minority
FumbleBuzz
If Atos/Capita were fined for every PIP case that was later won at tribunal we’d likely see a fairer system.
jaffajoe
i was changed from DLA to PIP in 2o13, but retained my level of payment. at the end of 2015, i was assessed by phone, and was awarded a lower payment which meant my motability vehicle had to be returned. we appealed and i was reinstated at the high level for 3 yrs. However, at the end of 2 yrs I was to be reassessed, Once again the vehicle had to be returned, so we asked for mandatory reconsideration. They took my complete care allowance as well, I take a cocktail of up to 18 different medications each day, I can only walk because i am taking 5 different painkillers at max dose per day incl morphine and tramadol. I have hospital appts at Bournemouth, Poole, Blandford and Weymouth. I have to rely on family to take me. The ATOS assessors are obviously given targets to hit to get disabled off behefit. My assessor Heidi Hill xx took no notice of certain statements i made regarding taking meds and walking ability.
I am now waiting to go to appeal, but till then, i am struggling with daily life due to a number of co-morbidity illnesses.
The callous attitude of the assessors is just cold and demeaning to disabled. They will get their comeupance.
I am now waiting to go to appeal, but till then, i am struggling with daily life due to a number of co-morbidity illnesses.
The callous attitude of the assessors is just cold and demeaning to disabled. They will get their comeupance.
butlincat2 I reported an ATOS medical assessor in 2016 for making dishonest statements in his report – I complained and 2 years later the CDHA found in my favour with a written apology and an ex-gratia payment of 150 which is being given to charity. But that was the start of my problems with the DWP at the Bournemouth central Jobcentre location – I still am not allowed on the premises at all, except for a closed segregated unit used for violent criminals etc, and all communications to this location are completely ignored eg letters sent by recorded delivery are ignored and phone calls made whereby I was promised faithfully time after time that I would be called back but never was – everything is ignored wholesale, and a lot more too. It doesn’t do to report dishonesty as your payback is being ganged up on and bullied even when you’ve done nothing – it’s truly disgraceful what goes on – and that’s just a small part of the hell that continues to this day. One employee there alone was helpful during my time there, and even he couldn’t get anyone to respond to me – it was uncanny.
related:
The DWP is in court again and it could ‘open the floodgates’ for countless disabled people – the Canary
The DWP has been caught trying to ‘coerce’ GPs into saying their patients are fit-for-work
https://butlincat.blogspot.co.uk/2018/05/the-dwp-is-in-court-again-and-it-could.html?spref=tw
VICTIMS OF THE STATE 
DISGRACEFUL: The DWP left one man so ‘destitute’ that the police had to step in to help him – the Canary +
‘Suicidal’ man with anorexia told he can no longer receive disability benefits + ATOS + DAVID CLAPSON + more 07 Jan. 2018
https://butlincat.blogspot.co.uk/2018/05/disgraceful-dwp-left-one-man-so.html?spref=tw
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