DWP says PIP offers claimants £1000’s a month
By Yolanda Barker
By Yolanda Barker
“PIP claimants receive £1000’s a month” says DWP Mel Stride.
In an interview on BBC Breakfast yesterday Mel Stride MP and Secretary of State for the Department of Work and Pensions. (DWP) misled the viewers by claiming that Personal Independence Payment (PIP) claimants receive £1000’s a month often when they only need a grab rail in the bathroom.
For clarity, the maximum possible claim is £737.20 a month and only if a claimant is deemed to need an Enhanced rate of Daily Living and Enhanced rate Mobility. There are standard rates for each component.
Daily Living Component:
Lower rate: £72.65 per week
Higher rate: £108.55 per week
Mobility Component:
Lower rate: £28.70 per week
Higher rate: £75.75 per week
Personal Independence payments can be claimed by some disabled people to assist within certain activities assigned by the government. If your disability affects your life outside of these areas, you get nothing.
There are currently approximately 3.3 million people in receipt of the PIP benefit. The amount received varies, although 33% of claimants receive the highest level for both mobility and daily living. Whilst another 29% receive one component at the enhanced rate according to the latest figures provided by gov.uk.
Comments made during this interview made me question whether Mr Stride has ever seen or listened to disabled people. Yes, a grab rail is a small item needed. But what is the reason they need that rail? Are they at risk of falling, having mobility issues, brain injuries or sight conditions for example? Are they living in suitable accommodation for their needs? Are they safe? Their PIP payment could enable them to stay safe. What is the alternative: We pay to put all disabled people in full-time care home facilities and segregate them away from any meaningful value to society. At what cost would this be? A care home costs approx. £6000 a month depending on location.
“Without the support of PIP, I would be stuck. I would have no car, no money, no life. I couldn’t see anyone, or do anything. It just wouldn’t be worth living” said a claimant who doesn’t wish to be identified. I asked him why he felt PIP was so integral to his independence. He said “I am young. I have a family. I already feel like a burden but getting PIP allows me to still drive my family about, go to school events, visit the park and be a Dad to my children. I get enhanced mobility and standard daily living. I can have support in place to help me so that my wife doesn’t have to give up her job to assist me.”
People receiving Enhanced rate mobility may consider using their full allowance to spend on a vehicle OR wheelchair/scooter through the charity Motability. Thus, enabling them to potentially work, get to appointments, and volunteer whilst having a suitable vehicle to fit their needs and equipment. To use this the claimant will often have to pay a downpayment for the leased vehicle of approximately £4K depending on their needs. They may prefer to use this payment towards transport costs. Accessible Taxis are not easily available in many areas and public transport can range from ok to non-existent. Even then, you may not be able to get on a bus if there is another wheelchair user on board. Therefore, having to wait another hour or more for the next bus could lead to being late for work, missed appointments and negative thoughts through frustration.
The Daily Living component can help cover some of the extra costs associated with living independently with a disability or health condition. This could include expenses related to personal care or managing therapies amongst other daily tasks. These are costly areas to get help with and financial support is vital.
Mr Stride also inferred that people who need mental health support will get it. Anyone who has tried to access these services knows that the waiting lists to gain actual psychological assessments are years. Even to get talking therapy on the NHS is difficult with only a short number of sessions. Not everyone can just ‘go to work to get over their mental health issues” as Mr Stride said.
The comments he made during this interview were destructive. The average person listening will have believed what he said without realising he was not telling the truth. They are very demoralising sweeping statements that ensure the demonisation of disabled people.
Why did he not know how much claimants receive as he was quoting figures left, right and centre? Were any of them true?
To state that he wants to support people with progressive conditions is poppycock. Speaking to groups of people with progressive conditions and I have found out that most are fearful to say their condition has worsened for fear that the PIP they were getting will be stopped.
Maria, 42 from Kent said “I now have to buy incontinent pads due to my bladder and bowel situation. I have to do more washing because of soiled clothing and bedding.” She told me that her partner worked full time but they could not afford to pay for the care she needed and they were not entitled to other support. Even alterations to the home to create a wet room were going to involve huge costs that they could not pay for. Maria told me she gets a standard rate of daily living for her condition which this is one of her symptoms.
Whilst the number of applications has increased and the predicted numbers are set to be rising at an unsustainable rate it is interesting to point out that Long Covid is now in the Top 100 of Listed Main Disabling conditions with 5224 claims in 2022. It is important to remember that Long Covid may be listed as a secondary illness thus contributing to disability. As we still do not know the long-term effects of this condition we do not know how long people will be affected and who else may fall foul of the aftereffects of the worldwide pandemic.
At the end of the day — all that most disabled people want is to have the same options as they would have without disabilities. Taking PIP away won’t make that any step closer.
The public consultation is now open and can be viewed and commented on here: Modernising support for independent living: the health and disability green paper.
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