MPs debate implications of review of Personal Independence Payments 21 January 9.30am

UKParliament

Our goal is to post up information on work undertaken in the House of Commons that has a consumer focus which may not be highlighted elsewhere.

We have posted this on the Disability & Dosh Board because we thought that some of you might be interested in this topic. We encourage discussion and comments concerning the topic or content of this thread.

Implications of the independent review of Personal Independence Payments - Westminster Hall debate

Due to take place 9.30 – 11am on Wednesday 21 January

This debate is to be moved by Teresa Pearce, MP for Erith and Thamesmead.

How to watch:

The debate can be viewed on Parliament TV Player (Silverlight or Windows Media Player required to stream Parliament TV).

Transcripts of proceedings in the House of Commons Chamber are available three hours after they happen in Today’s Commons Debates.

What are Westminster Hall debates?

Debates that take place in Westminster Hall on Tuesdays and Wednesdays give MPs an opportunity to raise local or national issues and receive a response from a government minister.

The longer debates are intended for broader subjects where a number of MPs will want to speak. The shorter debates can focus on an issue that an MP may want to raise about their constituency.

Related content:

• The House of Commons Library has produced a briefing note on the Introduction of Personal Independence Payment (January 2015).

We hope this is of interest?

Thanks
DOT

UKParliament

The Westminster Hall debate on the implications of the independent review of Personal Independence Payments that took place on Wednesday 21 January 2015 is now available to watch and read online for those who are interested.

Teresa Pearce, Labour MP for Erith and Thamesmead, moved the debate. The Minister for Disabled People, Mr Mark Harper, responded on behalf of the Government.

To read the full debate please go to Commons Hansard: Personal Independence Payments.

The debate is available to watch on Parliament TV: Silverlight or Windows Media Player required to stream TV).

We hope this is useful.

Thanks
DOT

dori2o

Well I've just read through thr Hansard and it was a complete and utter waste of MP's time that debate.

What is the point in trying to debate with this Government.

There were plenty of examples put forward and questions asked by the MP's and yet the guy who is supposed to be fighting the corner for the disabled claims that everything is fine and dandy.

Why not just admit they have mucked it up and still have significant backlogs.

There are stories online, in the press, on social media of people still to this day waiting in excess of 9/12/15 months for a decision on PIP.

There is absolutely no way they can open up transfer from DLA to PIP to all area's in October this year. They simply won't be able to cope and as per usual it will be those of us who claim the benefit and rely on it in order to function daily, and in many cases enable people to remain in work, who will suffer due to this Governments complete and utter lack of ability to get anything right.

But then again who cares. It's only the disabled who are affected....

You can bet your bottom dollar that if this was a policy that affected only the Governments rich mates that it wouldn't be run in such a shambolic way....

Heads should roll for the mess that has been created, starting with IDS and Mark Harper.

nannytone_2

'winders' (windows?) media player?
come on House of Commons Rep .... sort yourself out!

UKParliament

Thanks for pointing that out nannytone. We have corrected the post.

rogerblack

dori2o wrote: »

There is absolutely no way they can open up transfer from DLA to PIP to all area's in October this year. They simply won't be able to cope and as per usual it will be those of us who claim the benefit and rely on it in order to function daily, and in many cases enable people to remain in work, who will suffer due to this Governments complete and utter lack of ability to get anything right.

October is not in principle ridiculous.
At current rates of PIP assessment - the PIP assessment queue will be down to 'reasonable' levels - 1-2 months in October.
At this point, they can start migrating the bulk of the caseload, and if they continue to go as fast as they have been in the last 3 months then the whole DLA working-age caseload is moved over in 2019.

dori2o

rogerblack wrote: »

October is not in principle ridiculous.
At current rates of PIP assessment - the PIP assessment queue will be down to 'reasonable' levels - 1-2 months in October.
At this point, they can start migrating the bulk of the caseload, and if they continue to go as fast as they have been in the last 3 months then the whole DLA working-age caseload is moved over in 2019.

The problem is whilst the backlog is supposedly reducing, how many of those claims are being awarded correctly? How many are being refused out of hand without being looked at properly just to get them out of the way, similarly how many are being awarded with the benefit at the wrong rates just to get them out of the way?

We're still seeing people being forced to medicals at centres miles and miles away from their homes, were still getting stories daily of 9/12/15/18 month claims without decisions.

We're being told that the backlog is coming down, but is it and are people being treated fairly?

rogerblack

dori2o wrote: »

The problem is whilst the backlog is supposedly reducing, how many of those claims are being awarded correctly? How many are being refused out of hand without being looked at properly just to get them out of the way, similarly how many are being awarded with the benefit at the wrong rates just to get them out of the way?

We're still seeing people being forced to medicals at centres miles and miles away from their homes, were still getting stories daily of 9/12/15/18 month claims without decisions.

We're being told that the backlog is coming down, but is it and are people being treated fairly?

On the simplest figures - the rates of people getting various levels of award seem to have stayed static.
This does not quite answer the question posed.
There is insufficient data on how reconsiderations are working - the delays and such to reasonably grasp that.

This is on top of the 'focusing care on those who need it most' - by removing 20% of awards.