Halt 'dangerous' disability benefit changes, charities say

Leading disability charities have urged the government to pause Conservative plans for "worrying" and "dangerous" changes to disability benefits.

The previous government opened a public consultation into a major overhaul of Personal Independence Payments (PIP), which could involve replacing monthly cash payments with a vouchers system or one-off grants towards particular costs.

New Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall has not said whether she supports or opposes the thrust of her Tory predecessor’s proposals, but has kept the consultation open.

A Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) spokesperson told the BBC it would "rebuild a [welfare] system that works for everyone and fuels growth".

PIP payments, worth between £290 and £737 per month for about 2.6 million recipients, are aimed at helping with the extra costs associated with having a disability.

The payments are available to people with a long-term physical or mental health condition who have difficulty carrying out everyday tasks, even if they are working.

The Conservatives raised concerns that spending on the benefit is expected to grow by 52% from 2023-24 to £32.8bn by 2027-28, driven in part by a rise in claimants with mental health conditions.

Launching a public consultation on a proposed overhaul in April, then-Work and Pensions Secretary Mel Stride said he was concerned about PIP’s "sustainability", arguing it was unclear that it was effective and providing value for money.

His consultation suggested the reforms could involve removing cash payments for those with mental health conditions, while offering improved access to mental health treatments as an alternative.

However, charities say replacing regular cash payments would create further barriers to support, risking pushing more disabled people into poverty.

Bryony Moss, who has cerebral palsy and serious problems with her mental health, said she was "anxious" and "really nervous" that she could lose hundreds of pounds a month as a result.

The 26-year-old from Buckinghamshire, who needs help with most daily tasks, told the BBC: “I use quite a large chunk of that money to pay for my support worker to help me.

"But I also use it to help me with going to my horse riding. So I ride with Riding for the Disabled and I do that because it’s a form of physio for me, it keeps me active but it’s also a safe space where I can be myself."

Bryony said her independence would be severely impacted by losing her support worker, because she would be forced to rely on her parents whenever she wanted to go anywhere.

Bryony’s mother, Sasha, 64, said ministers should also consider the reasons why a rising number of people were claiming PIP because of problems with their mental health, suggesting that it was partly down to insufficient access to early interventions, including a lack of counsellors in schools.

She recalled that her daughter had suffered with her mental health while being bullied at school for her disability, but received "very little support" from overstretched NHS services, contributing to Bryony’s struggles with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and severe depression in adulthood.

Five leading disability charities - Disablity Rights, Scope, Mencap, Sense and the National Autistic Society - have suggested to the BBC that the proposed reforms are harmful and should be paused.

Mikey Erhardt, campaigner at Disability Rights UK, said he was "shocked and frustrated that the government has not taken the opportunity to stop this consultation".

David Southgate, policy manager at Scope, said the government should scrap the "dangerous" proposals and put forward "a more positive" way of making PIP "better work" for disabled people.

A DWP spokesperson said: "Disabled people and those with health conditions deserve equal rights to live a fulfilling life just like everybody else.

"Welfare is a key part of helping those who want to work to do so which is why we will rebuild a system that works for everyone and fuels growth."

The consultation closes on 23 July.