Up early and into the House. Morning routine over, I entered the Chamber for two Urgent Questions. The first was on striking prison officers and the second on the Personal Independence Payment (PIP). Minister Sam Gyimah dealt with the first and Secretary of State Damian Green the second. In the first, the minister responded to the withdrawal of voluntary services by prison officers. The POA have campaigned consistently for their member's pay and conditions, which regrettably have led to industrial action in the past. Prison officers are not allowed to strike, for obvious reasons. I rose to intervene on this point, saying that those who become prison officers know there are joining a Service and must therefore serve. Of course, officers' concerns and complaints must be taken seriously and I have stood up for prison officers myself on several occasions. The Govn is now recruiting 2,500 more officers and they are needed. The difficulty is retention. We heard during the debate that there are a staggering 6,000 assaults on prison officers each year. A far tougher deterrent is needed and I have brought this up in the Commons on several occasions. The next Urgent Question was in regard to PIP. Below are some facts about this payment, which may be helpful:
PERSONAL INDEPENDENCE PAYMENT (PIP)
PIP is replacing Disability Living Allowance (DLA) for disabled people of working age (16-64). Children and people over 65 still claim DLA. The purpose of both benefits is to help with the extra costs of long-term illness or disability: people can claim them in or out of work, and they are not means-tested or taxed.
PIP claimants can get between £21.80 and £139.75 weekly. This is broken down into two components: daily living (which accounts for how well a person can do everyday tasks, like washing, cooking dressing, and managing money) and mobility (which accounts for a person’s ability to move around and plan and complete a journey). Each component is available at a standard and enhanced rate. What rate people gets depends on an assessment. This is a different assessment to the Work Capability Assessment (WCA), which is used to determine eligibility for ESA.
Why Replace DLA with PIP?
DLA not Fit for Purpose
- DLA was an outdated, complex benefit introduced a quarter of a century ago.
- DLA’s assessment criteria were unclear, leading to inconsistent awards.
- 71 per cent of DLA awards were indefinite, meaning that people might not have been getting the support they needed, or being overpaid.
- Around 130,000 DLA claimants had never had their claims looked at since the DLA was introduced in 1992.
- Over 11 million people report having an impairment or long-term health condition and around a third of them report not having it a year later.
- 50 per cent of DLA awards involved no face-to-face assessment.
DLA Trends
- In the 10 years to 2013, the number of people claiming DLA rose by over 31 per cent (from 2.5 million to 3.3 million).
- When DLA was introduced in 1992 there were 1.1 million people claiming, and spending was £3bn. In 2013, spending was over £13bn.
- With no reform, the total DLA claims would have risen to 3.6 million by 2018. That’s around one in every 17 people and more than three times the original number.
Advantages of PIP
- PIP better reflects today’s understanding of disability, including of mental health conditions and fluctuating conditions.
- PIP will ensure face-to-face assessment and more regular reviews, to ensure people are getting the support they need.
- PIP’s assessment criteria are fairer, giving equal weight to needs arising from mental, physical and cognitive impairment.
- Looking at a broader range of daily living tasks, including communication skills, means that the system will better recognise mental health conditions, and other hidden conditions.
- Including criteria assessing planning and following a journey will ensure that mobility awards aren’t focussed simply on physical impairments.
Passported Benefits
Receiving PIP allows disabled people and their carers to claim a range of disability premiums, exemptions and discounts on taxes and benefits (see full list). These are called ‘passported’ benefits. Concessionary travel and parking is only passported for certain PIP claimants, local authorities can make their own assessments to provide concessionary travel and other concessions, even if the person does not claim PIP.
Several MPs sought the Minister's reassurance that the assessment process would be looked at. He gave it, saying work was in progress. It needs to be as I have helped constituents who are put through hell as payments are either withdrawn, not paid or terribly delayed. I also think more emphasis should be place on home visits, with family members or friends also contributing to those judging whether a claimant meets all the criteria. Welfare areas such as this are always very emotive, understandably, and I hope the Govn has done all it can to reassure people about its intentions.