PIP

Benefits and Poverty

September 14, 2017 0

Council’s review finds PIP ‘not fit for purpose’

The assessment process for the government’s new personal independence payment (PIP) disability benefit is “distressing, inconsistent and not fit for purpose”, according to the results of an inquiry by a panel of local councillors. The review took evidence in person from seven disabled PIP claimants, and heard in writing from three more. They told

Benefits and Poverty

August 17, 2017 0

DWP breaks promise to stop harassing child abuse victim in run-up to trial

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The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has broken its promises not to harass a traumatised benefit claimant while he waits to give vital evidence in a child abuse trial. Last year, DWP publicly apologised – although not directly to David* – after repeatedly contacting him about his claim for personal independence payment (PIP),

Benefits and Poverty

Catherine Scarlett flops into a reclining chair, watched by her husband

August 10, 2017 0

Recordings prove PIP report ignored near-fatal attacks, overdoses and blackouts

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A nurse failed to mention a disabled woman’s near-fatal asthma attacks, accidental overdoses and repeated blackouts, in one of the clearest examples yet of a dishonest benefits assessment report, secret recordings have revealed. A video recording of the assessment also shows that the nurse lied about the way disabled activist Catherine Scarlett made her

Benefits and Poverty

Roy Bard in front of a banner saying 'Is There Justice Or Just Us?'

August 10, 2017 0

DWP ‘is using lost benefit assessment letters to cut spending’

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The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is using lost appointment letters for face-to-face assessments as an excuse for turning down disabled people’s benefit claims, to help it cut spending on social security, it has been claimed. Concerns have been raised about both the government’s new personal independence payment (PIP) – which helps meet

Benefits and Poverty

Neil Coyle speaking during a committee evidence session

August 10, 2017 0

Labour MP to push for action on widespread claims of PIP assessment lies

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A Labour MP is to push for a Commons debate on evidence of widespread dishonesty among healthcare professionals who assess disabled people for the government’s new personal independence payment (PIP). Disability News Service (DNS) has been investigating allegations that healthcare professionals working for government contractors Atos and Capita have been lying in their assessment

Education

August 10, 2017 0

Ministers ‘failed to consider impact of rules that would cut university access’

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Ministers have effectively admitted introducing a policy that will prevent many disabled students from entering higher education, without knowing how much money it would save or how many young disabled people would be affected. The admission came in response to a freedom of information (FoI) request that sought to clarify the potential impact of

Benefits and Poverty

August 3, 2017 0

PIP investigation: 200 cases of dishonesty… and still DWP, Atos and Capita refuse to act

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The government and its private sector contractors are refusing to investigate claims of widespread dishonesty in the benefits assessment industry, despite Disability News Service (DNS) collecting more than 200 such cases. The cases have been compiled during a DNS investigation into allegations that healthcare professionals working for outsourcing giants Capita and Atos have been

Benefits and Poverty

August 3, 2017 0

People living with HIV ‘have been failed by PIP’

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People with HIV have been failed by the government’s new disability benefit, according to new research. The research by the National AIDS Trust (NAT) found that only three-fifths of people living with HIV were found eligible for the new personal independence payment (PIP) after being reassessed. NAT says its research has confirmed long-standing fears

Benefits and Poverty

July 6, 2017 0

PIP reassessments cause more than half DLA claimants to lose Motability rights

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More than half of those disabled people previously eligible for the Motability vehicle scheme have lost that eligibility after being reassessed for the government’s new disability benefit, according to a freedom of information response. The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) figures show fewer than half (about 126,000) of the 254,000 people previously receiving

Benefits and Poverty

June 22, 2017 0

Woman left in her own urine has benefits slashed after ‘dishonest’ assessment report

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A disabled woman left to sit in her own urine for two hours by a physiotherapist who was assessing her benefit claim has had her benefits slashed, after the assessor wrote a report she believes is full of “lies”. Disabled people were outraged last week after Maria Lane described the “inhuman” experience she endured

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