New call for PIP reform as DWP scraps proposal to replace cash payments with vouchers

dailyrecord.co.uk:

Disability charity Scope is calling for urgent reform of Personal Independence Payment (PIP) after the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) confirmed that it does “not intend to publish a response to the previous Government’s consultation”.

Minister for Social Security and Disabilities, Sir Stephen Timms, gave the written response to Lib Dems Chief Whip Wendy Chamberlain, who asked if the DWP planned to respond to the consultation, published by the then Conservative government.

The 'Modernising support for independent living: the health and disability' Green Paper aimed to cut £12billion from the welfare bill each year until 2030.

Proposals in the consultation included swapping cash PIP payments of up to £737.20 every four-week payment period for a range of other support, including vouchers, one-off grants, a receipt-based scheme or choosing support aids from a catalogue.Other proposals included amending eligibility for PIP, reviewing the assessment process and passing PIP costs on to the NHS and local authorities.It’s important to be aware that the DWP has not directly ruled out the proposals, however, Sir Stephen also confirmed that over 16,000 responses to the consultation were received which were “mixed and for some proposals consistently negative”.In response to his comments, James Taylor, Director of Strategy at disability equality charity Scope said: “It’s a relief that the government is rightly scrapping these dangerous proposals.