cross-posted from: https://lemm.ee/post/8048406

The Department for Work and Pensions [DWP] has confirmed that it will be making major changes to PIP, Universal Credit and Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) assessments from 2024. They said sickness and disability benefits will be assessed by the same provider in any given area of the UK.

The new service will be rolled out nationally from 2029, reports Birmingham Live. It follows criticism of the current assessments for PIP during a debate triggered by a number of petitions. One petition called for a “complete overhaul” of PIP, and called the process “inhumane and degrading.”

  • ᴇᴍᴘᴇʀᴏʀ 帝OPA
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    1 year ago

    My Dad volunteered at a local advocacy group helping people with their PIP appeals - in one case a woman had been assessed as being able to walk 10m unaided when she couldn’t get out of her chair without help. Turns out the assessor hadn’t even visited her.

    • Blake [he/him]
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      1 year ago

      That’s good of your dad to do that. I got help from an advocate when I was having problems getting the help I needed from the NHS, and even having someone who could do little things like looking into how to get treatment plan organised by your GP etc. really helps relieve some of the pressure. When you’re disabled and working it’s like having at least three full-time jobs - caring for yourself, trying to figure out how to get help and actually getting it, and working all at the same time. I honestly can’t imagine how much harder it is to have kids to look after on top of all that. You can’t just say, “fuck it I can’t be bothered making dinner today” when you’ve got kids :/

      • ᴇᴍᴘᴇʀᴏʀ 帝OPA
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        1 year ago

        That’s good of your dad to do that. I got help from an advocate when I was having problems getting the help I needed from the NHS, and even having someone who could do little things like looking into how to get treatment plan organised by your GP etc. really helps relieve some of the pressure.

        Oh indeed…Just having someone who will spend the time on the phone waiting and then explaining all the ways they’d messed up frees up so much time, if you can even do that in the first place and some.of his clients couldn’t. It feels like the system partly relies on making things just difficult enough that a good percentage of people give up.

        I honestly can’t imagine how much harder it is to have kids to look after on top of all that. You can’t just say, “fuck it I can’t be bothered making dinner today” when you’ve got kids :/

        Yes, no days off there.