Disability Benefits

Raises an example where a constituent was wrongly rejected from Personal Independence Payment, leading to a £49,000 debt recovery attempt by the Department for Work and Pensions.

Debbie Abrahams mentioned a tragic case involving Philippa Day, who committed suicide due to issues with transitioning from Disability Living Allowance to Personal Independence Payment. She stressed the need for better protection of vulnerable individuals through improved health assessments and other systems.

Jim Shannon highlighted the case of a constituent who, despite being severely disabled due to strokes, was denied personal independence payment. He stressed that such cases reflect a system failing people in need and called for changes to ensure fair assessment based on current health conditions. He asked whether staff assessing disability benefits are trained to understand medical evidence presented by claimants.

Mr McDonnell raised specific concerns about the narrowness of Personal Independence Payment (PIP) assessments, particularly for those suffering from myalgic encephalomyelitis. He cited several cases where individuals faced immense pressure while applying for universal credit, leading to severe mental distress and in some instances, suicide. He mentioned a woman who took her own life after being traumatised by the daily demands of checking her universal credit journal. Another case involved an individual whose anxiety was exacerbated by the application process, resulting in suicide. Mr McDonnell also highlighted a third case where an overdose led to irreversible liver damage and death. These cases underscore the need for transparency regarding reports on the harm caused by benefits administration processes.

Recognises the complexity of the benefits system, highlighting that £2.7 billion-worth of benefits were missed by claimants before universal credit was rolled out. Praises improvements in the Personal Independence Payment (PIP) and Work Capability Assessment (WCA), noting a 32% increase in those receiving higher levels of support under PIP compared to DLA. Justin Tomlinson intervened briefly to state 'North Swindon'.

Marion Fellows expressed concerns about the lack of parity between disabled people and their non-disabled counterparts regarding PIP. She cited a statistic that since 2013, 76% of claimants have ended up with a better outcome following an appeal compared to just 28% at mandatory reconsideration. Additionally, she highlighted issues related to mental health impacts on individuals undergoing assessments and the need for fairer systems like those in Scotland.

My hon. Friend is a strong champion of her constituents and I agree that the assessment process needs to be looked at. The word to use is indeed tragedy as there have been countless tragedies, which is why Labour calls on the Government to deal with issues with compassion and empathy.

Richard Burgon highlighted the negative impact of the social security system on disabled individuals, citing a report that found benefits are too low and fail to meet basic needs. He mentioned shortfalls in health and disability benefits that negatively affect claimants' physical and mental well-being. The Work and Pensions Committee recommended setting new benchmarks for benefits based on living costs, with estimates suggesting universal credit falls short by £30 per week even after April increases.

My hon. Friend Ruth Jones highlighted a constituent named Elinor who experienced a sudden loss of financial support due to reassessment, only to have her benefits reinstated after an appeal, demonstrating the chaotic nature of the current assessment process.

Stephen Timms proposed two key measures: routine recording of PIP assessments to improve transparency, and increasing the number of levels in PIP to better match extra costs for disabled individuals. He also asked when an extra costs taskforce would begin work as per the Government's disability action plan. He expressed gratitude for the Minister's offer to look into default recording and suggested that companies providing assessments favour this practice.

She highlighted the fear and distrust disabled people feel towards PIP assessments, noting that these reforms have led to a regression in disabled people's rights over the last 14 years. She mentioned that the UK was found to breach the UN convention on the rights of disabled people eight years ago.