Welfare

PIPs replaces disability living allowance

Disability Living Allowance has now been replaced by Personal Independence Payments (PIP) for eligible working-age people in the north west and north east, in the latest of a series of welfare reforms.

PIP has a more stringent and regular health assessment than the DLA system, which the Government says was too easy for people to get on, but never come off again. Hundreds of thousands of people are expected to lose out under the new system, according to campaigners and charities like Scope.

The move follows changes to working-age benefits and tax credits, with trials of the universal credits system beginning this month in four London boroughs.

Work and pensions secretary Iain Duncan Smith labelled the current DLA system – introduced by John Major’s government in 1992 – as “ridiculous”.

Protestors opposing the changes are calling for Duncan Smith to try to live on £53 a week for a year, after he said he would be able to in a radio interview. A petition urging him to actually do it went viral online and now has more than 450,000 signatures.

He told the Daily Mail: “70% of people on [DLA] have lifetime awards, which means no-one sees you ever again. It doesn't matter if you get better or your condition worsens – it’s quite ridiculous.

“We've seen a rise in the run-up to PIP. And you know why? They know PIP has a health check. They want to get in early, get ahead of it. It's a case of ‘get your claim in early’.”

But Richard Hawkes, chief executive of disability charity Scope, said: “In 2013 disabled people are struggling to make ends meet. Life costs more if you’re disabled. But this year living costs are spiralling and income is flat-lining. Disabled people are getting into debt to pay for essentials.

“What’s the Government’s response? It is cutting a financial lifeline for disabled people, which helps them meet the extra costs of day-to-day living when you are disabled. The reform is fundamentally flawed.”

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