The last conservative Government published the Modernising Support for Independent Living Green Paper outlining reforms that could be made to the PIP system, including looking at the PIP assessment. These ideas included removing the PIP assessment for people with certain long-term health conditions or disabilities and, in doing so, reduce bureaucracy for those most in need of support. This came alongside an ambition to reform the current assessment to link it more closely to a person’s condition.
It is clear that the disability benefits system isn’t working in the way it was intended and it needs reform to make it sustainable for the future. The UK’s health landscape has changed, exploring such reforms can help us design a welfare system that is fit for the future, fair to the taxpayer and not over-bureaucratised for those in need of support.
Future changes to Personal Independent Payment Assessment and disability benefits more generally are now the responsibility of the current Government.
As the Government has just released its concessions for the Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill, I will be taking time to scrutinise their proposals and consider their implications.
It is my intention to push for changes in the PIP that are measured and fair and encourage people into work who are able to do so. I am also committed to ensuring that there is a fair safety net which provides peace of mind and dignity to those who are unable to work. I don’t want to see people in genuine need having the rug pulled from under them and losing the entirety of their PIP when they are legitimately in need.
Kieran