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Labour spins out PIP voucher anxiety as it looks at consultation responses

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Labour is leaving millions of claimants in a state of anxiety as it reveals that it is looking at the responses to the Conservative’s green paper on PIP which suggested, amongst other things, the possibility of paying the benefit as vouchers rather than cash.

The Conservatives published a Green Paper on the future of PIP in April 2024.  Amongst the proposals were suggestions that instead of regular cash payments, PIP could be replaced with:

  • A catalogue/shop scheme
  • A voucher scheme
  • A receipt based system
  • One-off grants

The consultation period for the Green Paper ended on 22 July and we know that many of our readers took part and are desperate to know the outcome.

Liberal Democrat peer Baroness Thomas of Winchester tabled a question for the DWP in the House of Lords:

“To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have any plans to change the personal independence payment assessment.”

Yesterday, the answer came from Baroness Sherlock, the DWP minister in the House of Lords:

“We will be engaging with the responses people have made to the previous government's consultation on Personal Independence Payment, which closed on Monday 22 July.

“We want to thank the many people who invested their time in responding.

“We will be considering our own approach to social security in due course.”

The response by Baroness Sherlock makes it seem unlikely that there will be any official statement on PIP changes before the parliamentary summer recess, which lasts from 30 July until 2 September.

However, the House of Commons goes into recess again for the party conference season from 13 September until 6 October.

So, there is a real possibility that PIP claimants will be left without any news for several months.

Written questions by MPs to the secretary of state about the PIP consultation and about WCA changes have yet to receive answers.  We suspect that any responses will simply be stalling ones, but we’ll keep readers posted if we learn anything more.

 

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  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    Mark
    · 3 months ago
    Where can we vote against this crap always pick on the sick and vulnerable 
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    Debbie
    · 3 months ago
    I am disabled due to poliomyelitis when l was a baby I have worked all my life now l have post polio arthritis in my spin legs arms you name it if they took my car away god knows what l would do plus I'm not living the life of luxury on pip my family have had to help with my gas and heating and sometimes shopping look at the none genuine ones because I'm sure there are plenty or maybe stop the MP from having 2 homes and god knows what else l am fed up with having to fight for everything even though l worked until l couldn't. 
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    Robin Hood
    · 3 months ago
    The basic annual salary of a Member of Parliament (MP) in the House of Commons is £91,346, plus expenses, from April 2024. In addition, MPs are able to claim allowances NOT vouchers so they expect disabled people to start receiving vouchers instead of cash why can’t the MP’s start to use vouchers to cover the costs of running an office and employing staff, and maintaining a constituency residence or a residence in London and if they think it works so, Why not MP’s start using vouchers to prove that it works instead using their expenses and allowances payed by Tax Payers.
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      Anon
      · 2 months ago
      @Robin Hood Give them 75k in vouchers issue fixed for them.

      No make there banking accounts public view able so we can see everything they buy. 
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      Alex
      · 3 months ago
      @Robin Hood They often claim more in expenses for one meal than we get to live on in a week. 
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    David
    · 3 months ago
    How do claimants pay their rent etc with vouchers??
    Absolutely ridiculous.
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      stefan
      · 2 months ago
      @Pamela I would work but you tell employers your austitic there like cya 
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      stefan
      · 2 months ago
      @Coco jamboo Universal Credit is broken and a complete joke at this point. 

      The basic amount only just covers the basics and even with limit work capabilities on top it's not that much more. 

      Without pip my life would be worse more then it already is. 

      Changing pip is not the fix, they need to fix other parts of social system. 

      Fixing NHS would be a huge cost reduction on pip very fast. 

      Deal with mental health issue that would major cost reduction. 

      Yes this would deal with everyone who has mental health but does deal with some. 

      How are vouchers going to help autistic people? You can't fix autism.

      I have appointment coming up and going to end up telling my uc advisor i want to get help finding employment. 

      When i shouldn't have to because i am in Limited capability for work but this change coming up if it happens or not going to make my mental health worse. 

      Part of my pip using to try set up my own software company to get of the benefits system and have better life, that looking like it might have to go side while i try find job for my limit set off skills that are behind computer. 
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      Bob Marley
      · 3 months ago
      @Coco jamboo Spot on with that comment 
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      Skye
      · 3 months ago
      @Shamoo Housing benefit rarely covers the cost of rent. A lot of people are paying the difference from their PIP... I bet the housing associations or private landlords aren't going to take vouchers.
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      boris1
      · 3 months ago
      @Shamoo Not all of us are lucky enough to get housing benefit.
      I have to pay all of my own rent.
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    Eileen
    · 3 months ago
    It would be horrendous people on pip did not ask for there disabilities and to give vouchers and make people feel demoralised as well ask coping with pain and other things. 
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    Sara
    · 3 months ago
    Why is it always the vulnerable get targeted. It’s either the children or the disabled. The poorer get poorer and the richer get richer. They found almost a billion pounds to fund this stupid rwanda plan for 4 people. Yet it’s people that are in need they will punish. 
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    Madhatter Laud OMRLP
    · 3 months ago
    The whole idea of changing the system is wrong. It isn't broken and I use taxis due to my disabilities. 
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    Mike
    · 3 months ago
    I wonder how many car dealers will go pop when their mobility cars get sent back because they won't pay pip to anyone 
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    Eris
    · 3 months ago
    I don't like this new system risk. 
    I'm 20 and epileptic with asperger, as well as depression, asthma, and spinal issues, I had to leave college due to not being able to even go to the bus station (10 minutes walk) without collapsing, due to my seizures being so violent I am work exemption and still tried to apply for MULTIPLE work places and have been declined or lied to, when was the last time someone would LOVE to get vouchers? I need to use Uber or pay to get around or ask my partner with heart problems and anxiety to go to the shops for me. Where is the fairness? When I get paid I get UC and PIP, Most of it goes for the supported living, phone bill, and then tax, they "give" us money just to take it away, I was so unstable (despite my age I'm also bad with online payments) that I was unable to do direct debit and they almost SUED me last year, I'm honestly terrified.. 
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    Stay Positive
    · 3 months ago
    I truly mean this in the nicest way possible but I feel people worrying about the vouchers need to take a deep breath and try and calm down.

    Liz Kendall already stated on LBC Radio that Labour is not after "changing the payment system of PIP" iirc. What they HAVE stated is that they need to look into diminishing NHS waiting lists and perhaps looking into how the PIP assessment can be reformed. Because let's be honest: it DOES need reform. Whether or not Labour shall change it in any positive way is another story but it's safe to say they're not going to be replacing cash payments with whatever ridiculous solution the Conservatives came up with. It's too costly, it doesn't make a whole lot of sense and - to top it all off - it did not save the Conservatives from being voted out.

    There was more to this consultation than just asking for public feedback on the new payment system proposals, there were also questions based on how the assessments for PIP are conducted and if certain aspects of it should be changed/dropped. 

    I think Labour sitting down and taking the time to read through our feedback and actually taking the time to listen to us is a good thing and is actually something as opposed to what a Conservative or Reform government would do, which is just to go full steam ahead after simply putting on a show of listening to us. Which is what this consultation was all about. They were never going to listen to us. It was all an act.

    This is evident by the way the Conservatives have sneered at Labour over this issue since they've taken power. They have stated that 'the Labour government have refused to meet our criteria welfare reform' (like this is a bad thing lol) and by Jeremy Hunt's statement in regards to this 20 billion pound "hole" they've found, where he suggested that if Labour just did their genius welfare reform proposals, it wouldn't be that big of a deal. Baroness Sherlock even said Labour are opting for their "own approach" in the quote mentioned.

    The Conservatives are furious that the consultation is being taken seriously and I think that says a lot about what how they perceived us and our feedback from the very beginning. I don't know what Labour plan to do ultimately but them saying they'll read through this consultation and its responses certainly has the Conservatives rattled and that's a good sign for me.

    Also, please don't listen to obvious Tory rags trying to push the vouchers idea as a definite reality. It's pure scaremongering and trying to rile the public up in an attempt to discredit the disabled and what we've had to say via this consultation. The vouchers idea is just that: an idea, dreamt up by Sunak to revive an election campaign that was dead in the water before it even started. 

    Really hope some of you can find some peace of mind. What the Conservatives have proposed is diabolical and their attempts to scapegoat us since Labour have been elected and found how much of a mess they've caused is unforgivable, I hope they stay out of power and irrelevant for a very long time.
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    Yvonne wiggan
    · 3 months ago
    I really cannot see how the government could implement this.

    All my sons equipment comes from NHS 
    All his incontinence pads NHS
    Physio, OT, Behaviour management team, trauma counselling NHS. These vouchers would be absolutely no use to me.
    My son is 29 years old with complex health needs so I going to watch this space and she what happens, this decision if it happens would push more disabled people into poverty 🤔 
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    Will
    · 3 months ago
    They’re reading the responses, and they’re checking the media - because they want to see how big the outcry would be/has been. We have to be loud, if they think they can get away with it - they’ll do it. Labour would then likely be responsible for more disabled deaths than the Tories in 14 years. Great start - make sure they know this. 
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    Fred
    · 3 months ago
    Absolutly discussting vouchers would not be fit for purpose to those who need cash what a pathetic idea vouchers pfft get the hell of it . 
    This subject would not be looked on favourably that wasted there vote on a Labour government .. 
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    Tim
    · 3 months ago
    No news is good news, sometimes. Sit tight folks, it's incredibly frustrating and anxiety-inducing but after seeing talks about above-inflation public sector payrises, it actually got my hopes up that Labour will start to open up on things we'd expect them to be better on but kept their lips tight in order to win the election. We'll see, though
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    Disabled Dan
    · 3 months ago
    I have lumber spinal stenosis and a heart condition. I never asked for this, I was born with it. Will a voucher pay for my fuel in my car? If I go on holiday will a voucher pay towards my disabled seat? Or a mobility assisted hotel room? How do you pay in advance if the money is not there on a receipt based system. Will a voucher pay for the servicing and maintenance of my mobility scooter? 
    Yet again a government hits the vulnerable first, not the rich and not the large tax fiddling corporations.
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    Lee Harvey
    · 3 months ago
    If the vouchers have the same value where is the government saving money? Are they hoping people will be too embarrassed to use them?
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    C Wilkinson
    · 3 months ago
    I have spinal issues and cannot walkmore than a few steps.... how will vouchers benifit me? I use taxi's and friends/relatives transport me to hospitals, shopping a d drs appointments etc. How can you pay a friend fuel costs with vouchers? I would suffer an enormous amount of embarrassment and shame adding to the feeling of worthlessness and uselessness...... 
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    JJ
    · 3 months ago
    This stuff is why I'm against assisted dying, the state obviously sees the disabled as a financial burden on the state thus to me it's obvious any legislation for assisted dying will be expanded very quickly.
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    Stoko
    · 3 months ago
    I've decided not to follow these threads for now until something solid is stated by the government. Reeves is supposed to be making a statement on Monday about the state of the finances prior to the autumn budget and it is not looking good. For the sake of my mental health I'm off for now. Hope everyone is trying to stay positive and hopefully it's not going to be as bad as we fear. 🤞🤞🤞
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      Alina
      · 3 months ago
      @Stoko Good point, I'm getting too stressed out reading all this and whilst people's comments are valuable and valid also, I just can't think about it all until there's something concrete to worry about, if that makes sense. 
      I totally agree. Please stay as positive as possible and I too hope it won't be as bad as we fear. 🤞🏽🙏🏽
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      wibblum
      · 3 months ago
      @Stoko Good idea. The consultation was our only real opportunity to have any say in this matter, at least until they decide what they're actually going to do, and the consultation is now over. Until something definite is announced, it cannot be effectively challenged.
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    Rachael
    · 3 months ago
    Vouchers don't pay the bills!!!!!!

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