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Hello! In this month’s PIP/Disability Newsletter, we highlight the campaign #OurEssentials, give you all the info on the upcoming Disability Expo in London and answer your questions on Benefit Fraud.

Also, check out the Deaths by Welfare podcast. Now accessible with transcript, BSL translation and captions.

THIS MONTH'S UPDATES

On Disability Benefits News

UK benefits short of minimum living cost

The Guardian recently reported on research showing that the universal credit allowance falls far below the necessary costs for “food, energy and essentials” by as much as £140 a month.

“The Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) and the food bank network the Trussell Trust said inadequate benefits were the main driver of the explosion in destitution and food bank use in recent months, and urged the government to formally bring universal credit rates into line with minimum living costs.”

Paul Kissack, the JRF chief executive, has said that the government’s welfare safety net is entirely detached from the reality of people’s current living situation, telling the Guardian: “With millions of low-income households going without essentials like food and heating, and food bank use at record levels, it is plain the system is failing.”

The two charities further explain that the cost of living crisis has exposed the disastrous effects of the long-term erosion in benefits by a series of freezes and cuts, leaving its value at a 40-year low.

“It is time to build a system that is needs-tested – where the support people get is linked to the actual costs of essentials. A system where every family has enough money to get by, and as a nation we confine to history the scourge of people having to skip meals or switch off essential appliances just to get by.”

#OurEssentials

The Trussell Trust and Joseph Rowntree Foundation are teaming up as Universal Credit is not providing enough to cover all the essentials, which would be £120 per week at the lowest.

They are calling on the UK Government to guarantee that the basic rate of Universal Credit will at least cover #OurEssentials.

“The basic rate of Universal Credit should at least cover the cost of essentials like food, household bills and travel costs, but it is not currently set according to any objective assessment of what people need.

Right now, this is only £85 a week for a single adult. That means there’s a significant shortfall between people’s living costs and their income, which is forcing many to skip meals, switch off essential appliances such as fridges, and unable to pay essential bills.

That’s why we’re working with the Joseph Rowntree Foundation to call for an Essentials Guarantee within Universal Credit, which means the basic rate at least covers life’s essentials and that support can never be pulled below that level.”

Important Read:

PIP News and Updates

“Additional Jobcentre Support” Scheme put in place for Universal Credit

Disguised as help to move into work, the new scheme will mean that claimants are forced to attend mandatory appointments at their job centre 10 times over a two-week period, with any missed leading to a penalty.

Jobcentre's workers are being offered an incentive of a £250 voucher if their office reaches the top of a league table.

“Our members will see through this pilot for what it is – a government hellbent on making it more difficult for people to claim benefits and which will increase the risk of poverty for those customers who fall foul of this pilot. Asking more customers to travel more often into jobcentres does nothing to help our staff or their workloads and does nothing to help the customers find the work that they need.” - Martin Cavanagh, PCS DWP Group President

Despite backlash from the DWP staff union, the scheme which had been tested in 4 jobcentres will now be rolled out in another 60 across England and Scotland.

Important Read:

460% rise in PIP claims stopped due to failure to return review form

Disability Rights UK reports that new figures, released by Tom Pursglove, the Minister for Disabled People, have shown that the number of claimants who were “disallowed” PIP has seen an increase of 461% between 2017 and 2021, from 7,500 to 42,100 claims, due to a failure of returning the AR1 award review form.

“Claimants with serious mental health, or cognitive conditions who have difficulty communicating or engaging with the process, are marked as Additional Support (AS). This group are not classed as vulnerable; however, the DWP recognises that safeguards are needed to prevent claims falling out of payment so these claimants will automatically progress to the provider for an assessment, whether they complete a review form or not, and will not be disallowed pre-assessment,” the minister has stated.

However, Ken Butler, DR UK’s Welfare Rights and Policy Adviser, has questioned the minister’s response to the report.

"DR UK supports the call for an urgent investigation into this huge rise in disallowed PIP claims. How many of the affected 42,000 claimants made successful appeals? Despite the reassurance of the Minister, how many claimants may have failed to return their review form because of the effects of a physical or mental health condition and had their benefit stopped? How effective are the DWP’s systems for identifying those who need additional support? These are all issues that need answers."

Waiting years: Delays for Scottish disability benefits

Earlier this year, it was reported that some decisions for Scottish disability payments are taking longer than intended, yet still are ahead of the two and a half years some PIP claimants have been waiting.

BenefitsandWork reports that:

“Child Disability Payment (CDP) and Adult Disability Payments (ADP) have replaced DLA for children and PIP respectively, in Scotland. However, the Scottish government says that decisions are taking longer to make than they hoped. The majority of claimants receive their decision within four months, but some claimants are waiting six months or more.”

And further that:

“Unlike PIP, decisions on ADP are made without an assessment wherever possible. However, this does mean there is a greater reliance on supporting evidence and it is difficulties and delays with obtaining this that is causing problems.”

Social Security Scotland has introduced several measures, such as online submissions, to speed up the processing times.

Meanwhile, some PIP claimants in England and Wales are facing waiting times of up to over 30 months (as of October 2022).

Upcoming Events/Workshops

Events

• Disability Expo

  Date: Thurs, 6 Jul (9:00) - Fri, 7 Jul (17:00)

  Location: Excel London Hall N4 London E16 1XL

  Access: [email protected]

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