Tory-led reforms have forced people to turn to foodbanks, loans and charitable donations just to be able to live with their disabilities
Iain Duncan Smith’s welfare reforms have been such a calamity they
have forced people to turn to foodbanks and high-interest loans to
survive.
These are the damning findings of MPs who say the Personal Independence Payment scheme “fiasco” has put claimants in hospital with stress.
Enormous backlogs mean people have had to wait six months for their PIP, which is designed to help the disabled and sick cope with their extra living costs. In its scathing report, the Commons Public Accounts Committee also said the
terminally-ill have waited four weeks on average for a payment decision – three times longer than promised.
Margaret Hodge, who chairs the group, said: “The Department for Work and Pensions has let down some of the most vulnerable people in our society. The cases we have heard are shocking.”
The Labour MP added: “The implementation of Personal Independence Payment has been nothing short of a fiasco.” Mr Duncan Smith, the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, is bringing in the PIP scheme to replace the Disability Living Allowance.
The report said: “Some claimants have resorted to food banks, loans and charitable donations to support the extra costs of living associated with their disability.” Labour said there are thousands waiting months for their money, adding that at the current rate, the backlog could take 42 years to clear. The Government claimed the report is based on old statistics and that the situation has improved.
The problems are so bad that there are still 1.7 million people parked on the old DLA benefit.
These are the damning findings of MPs who say the Personal Independence Payment scheme “fiasco” has put claimants in hospital with stress.
Enormous backlogs mean people have had to wait six months for their PIP, which is designed to help the disabled and sick cope with their extra living costs. In its scathing report, the Commons Public Accounts Committee also said the
terminally-ill have waited four weeks on average for a payment decision – three times longer than promised.
Margaret Hodge, who chairs the group, said: “The Department for Work and Pensions has let down some of the most vulnerable people in our society. The cases we have heard are shocking.”
The Labour MP added: “The implementation of Personal Independence Payment has been nothing short of a fiasco.” Mr Duncan Smith, the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, is bringing in the PIP scheme to replace the Disability Living Allowance.
The report said: “Some claimants have resorted to food banks, loans and charitable donations to support the extra costs of living associated with their disability.” Labour said there are thousands waiting months for their money, adding that at the current rate, the backlog could take 42 years to clear. The Government claimed the report is based on old statistics and that the situation has improved.
The problems are so bad that there are still 1.7 million people parked on the old DLA benefit.
- A leaked government memo has revealed Employment and Support Allowance, introduced in 2008 to replace incapacity benefit, is helping fewer people get jobs than the old system.
