DWP warning over changing PIP decisions, eligibility AND payments

Mr Gregory Campbell, a Democratic Unionist Party MP for East Londonderry, has spoken out in the Commons.
-Credit:Reach Publishing Services Limited


The Department for Work and Pensions has broken its silence on changes to Personal Independence Payments, eligibility AND the assessment process. Mr Gregory Campbell, a Democratic Unionist Party MP for East Londonderry, has spoken out in the Commons.

Mr Campbell reached out "to ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent discussions her Department has had with representatives of people affected by proposed changes to (a) Personal Independence Payments," sparking response from Sir Stephen Timms.

The Labour Party MP said: "We believe there is a strong case to change the system of health and disability benefits across Great Britain so that it better enables people to enter and remain in work, to respond to the complex and fluctuating nature of the health conditions many people live with today.

ADVERTISEMENT

READ MORE: HMRC hikes Personal Tax Allowance to £14,064 for UK households

READ MORE: 24 million Premium Bonds customers warned to act before end of Monday

READ MORE UK faces 327-mile snow blizzard with 'exact hour' it will 'ease off' announced

"This government is committed to putting the views and voices of disabled people at the heart of all that we do, and with any reform, including the Health and Disability Green Paper we intend to publish in the Spring, we will consult with disabled people and representative organisations.

"Ahead of the formal consultation for the Green Paper, we have already started to explore ways of engaging with disabled people and their representatives, including through stakeholder roundtables and public visits, and look forward to progressing these initiatives over the coming months.

ADVERTISEMENT

"About the PIP service specifically: the Health Transformation Programme is modernising health and disability benefit services, to improve people’s experience of applying for PIP. The Programme will transform the entire PIP service, from finding out about benefits through to decisions, eligibility, and payments

"The Programme communicates and engages frequently with disabled people and external stakeholders – including national charities and other organisations that support people with disabilities – about proposed changes. Their opinions and suggestions are taken on board as we test new iterations of the transformed service."