Labour is leaving millions of claimants in a state of anxiety as it reveals that it is looking at the responses to the Conservative’s green paper on PIP which suggested, amongst other things, the possibility of paying the benefit as vouchers rather than cash.

The Conservatives published a Green Paper on the future of PIP in April 2024.  Amongst the proposals were suggestions that instead of regular cash payments, PIP could be replaced with:

  • A catalogue/shop scheme
  • A voucher scheme
  • A receipt based system
  • One-off grants

The consultation period for the Green Paper ended on 22 July and we know that many of our readers took part and are desperate to know the outcome.

Liberal Democrat peer Baroness Thomas of Winchester tabled a question for the DWP in the House of Lords:

“To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have any plans to change the personal independence payment assessment.”

Yesterday, the answer came from Baroness Sherlock, the DWP minister in the House of Lords:

“We will be engaging with the responses people have made to the previous government's consultation on Personal Independence Payment, which closed on Monday 22 July.

“We want to thank the many people who invested their time in responding.

“We will be considering our own approach to social security in due course.”

The response by Baroness Sherlock makes it seem unlikely that there will be any official statement on PIP changes before the parliamentary summer recess, which lasts from 30 July until 2 September.

However, the House of Commons goes into recess again for the party conference season from 13 September until 6 October.

So, there is a real possibility that PIP claimants will be left without any news for several months.

Written questions by MPs to the secretary of state about the PIP consultation and about WCA changes have yet to receive answers.  We suspect that any responses will simply be stalling ones, but we’ll keep readers posted if we learn anything more.

 

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    Jo · 1 months ago
    I don’t think they care at all and are the vouchers going to be of less worth I doubt it so how does that save money? It’s about control little bit of spending money for I’ll and disabled people and the government are going to tell us what we can spend it on there’s something very wrong about this
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    Justin Ebanks · 1 months ago
    Lets be absolutely clear this scheme isn't about saving money if they claim claimants will get no difference just same amount in vouchers. Therefore you have to look at what do vouchers achieve? Well this all comes from the American model of welfare & the intentionally stigmatised food stamp programme originally state aid for the most vulnerable but anything not uber capitalist slit a throat to pull yourself out of starvation motivated by completely different priorities then in the UK food stamps are a built in means of discouraging take up a way for society to identify and shame the receiver so should someone/family to find their need so great its the only support available people genuinely have to no choice whatsoever because the level of public shaming & scandalous nature of being in crisis many choose to stave than the social death of food stamp association would cause. Currently disabled blue badge holders are regularly challenged by random members of the public demanding to informed of their disability medical history in order to satisfy the demands of a stranger who could not even park in a disabled bay but should the badge holder refuse to explain their personal medical conditions to a stranger they are harassed pointed at so others may witness a disabled fraud who is labelled a fraud because a stranger has assessed them as such. I have to acknowledge decades of Tory ideology that poverty is the result of choice & a safety net doesn't save & protect anyone but a fund for the dishonest to live on because being in genuine need is impossible, impossible in the same way as recovering 6 billion in covid loans handed to Torys & Tory donors is impossible. If mistakenly over paid the can trace every penny you have ever had where it currently is & every person it passed between to get there but 6 billion to people who you have personal interactions with fund your election campaigns absolutely not as soon as it left the treasury it became untraceable either the Tory party is funded by untraceable money or recovering any money would lose them far money in campaign donations both are criminal. All thats before you consider treatment of individuals souly upon having a disability goes against the disability discrimination act or how spending hundreds of millions per day feeding & housing people it hasn't been determined weather they should be in the country at all the lovely result of tory policy which served as a people traffickers business model pay them to cross the channel that fee buys years upon years of free food free housing in fact its against the law to work simply because the Torys could no longer blame all of the problems they created on Europe anymore illegal migration was their substitute everything is their fault, the fact that if applications are processed within 60 to 90 days boats crossing stop the same day because if the crossing is more expensive than living costs for 60 days its no longer financially viable to make the trip 700 million for a single person to voluntary go to Rwanda 700 million, millions daily housing applicants, the Truss economy crashing event, a coronation before the approaching coronation its all affordable but im sorry not the sick their the problem?  Publicly identifying them a brand if you will is the final welfare solution I final ironically because every change in political leadership party or national its always the same 'how can I show I'm in charge'? Reform welfare the most reformed department of government because this group has little power or recourse experiments on this group has become a prerequisite of any new political administration. Most policies only effect a targeted group unfortunately nearly every national policy introduced over 30 years always targets the sick & disabled bedroom tax tick universal credit tick health care tick every time its enacted sick & disabled people die, that is not for dramatic effect every time we fall through the cracks & one of us die. UC introduced sanctioning people unable to engage in a jobcentre environment unable is considered unwilling so more & more disabled people are forced over to UC sanction after sanction the unsupported but previously getting by are decimated because UC integrated all benefits into one means sanctions closing entire claims means all income stopped many go hungry in dark cold homes some a found dead as a direct result the lucky are traumatised instead of just fighting to get across their illness they have to fight a hostile environment where inability to jump through hoops results in sanctions which have a drastic impact because giving vulnerable people who cant budget their rent triggered evictions an outcome in no way foreseeable yes professionals voiced concerns the vulnerable people themselves voiced their concerns all disregarded. Then the introduction of PIP first assuring disabled claimants it wouldn't disrupt lives certainly not distroy them nothing would really change apart the name no change in amount or of any change of significance whereas DLA was awarded based upon the individuals testimony of their illnesses impact upon their but more importantly when confirmed by independent medical professionals such as Doctors or professionals involved within the treatment for said disabilities instead of those professionals with prolonged in person interactions during treatment & their observations their qualified input become irrelevant & PIP hired assessor while having little to no medical qualifications or experience such as a doctor who based their information upon diagnosed conditions arrived at through in person observations with the subject, the PIP assessors while lacking the qualifications to make any judgements did have the advantage that they could be contracted to tell PIP whatever PIP wanted to hear, Doctors take oaths & obliged to be honest assessors where in no such way disadvantaged they could ask if your home alone can you move around your home? Be told my home has had to be considerably modified for my needs so I can get around most of it in my wheelchair, which they would report applicant is able to get around their home themselves unaided the fact a wheelchair is an aid the home modifications also aid in achieving stated ability a gross misrepresentation of a person's life. Assessors brought in because all disabled people are frauds but now the word of a Doctors couldn't be believed the introduction of an assessors who could lie in service of their contracted objectives to devise ways to deny applications as opposed to providing the right award to disabled people highlighting the obvious choice to disregard Doctors & medical professionals who wish provide the correct treatment for their patients assessors were contracted to reduce the cost of disabled people linking to their job contracting of assessors was only viable if they denied enough applications to cover the cost of their contract & significant further savings. Unfortunately those priorities induced dishonesty on the part of assessors regularly claiming claimants had capabilities they did not & adding insult to injury claiming they not only could achieve something but was so easy they could do so unaided flat out lying calling claimants liers which caused untold suffering as well as accusations of dishonesty of the victims who were lied about leading to a case taken to the supreme court which ruled all misrepresentations of conditions all examples of wrongfully assessed capabilities which rely upon aid to achieve yet ruled the individual can do so & unaided going forward can no longer be incorrectly assessed & all instances where it took place going back five years previous must be amended. PIP is the worst most dishonesty run part of the DWP they regularly treat the safety net for the most vulnerable within society as a business where money withheld from a disabled person is the profit margin chased 
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      Robin Hood · 1 months ago
      @Justin Ebanks I don’t recall any person with a disability had a choice and to be fair and if this was real democracy the DWP should give the genuine claimant’s a choice to be payed in cash or vouchers or other, as it happens I prefer cash because Cash is mostly excepted just about anywhere; but it could be a case we could be better off using vouchers I need to see it first from the MPs claiming expenses and allowances paid by TAX PAYERS!!
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    Jane · 1 months ago
    Each disabled person has individual difficulties and needs  that requires support. PIP cash payments pays for taxis for the physically disabled. Treatments to relieve pain. Parking at hospitals. Private counselling for claimants with mental health issues, due to long NHS  Waiting lists. How on earth can vouchers etc cover all the costly needs of a disabled person. Also the cost of putting the new proposed voucher etc system into place would be astronomical. Not at all cost affective. There are state pensioners receiving PIP because they qualified before they were 65 years of age. They are no longer expected to work, and are of an age where their health deteriorates. All in all, disabled people will suffer, physically, and mentally if PIP cash payments are stopped.  
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    Jax · 1 months ago
    How can vouchers possibly assist us better?! We already lost most of our independence, now we have to lose our individuality too. Are we all to buy everything we need from the same shops? Do we have to grow our hair, or will there be specific hairdressers and have the same cut. Some of my PIP goes on the rent, and although I live in an housing association home, I'm expected to keep it and the garden up together. It's not just equipment, it's paying for other services that we we can no do alone.  If we had employer's we could strike, but we don't and we can't, so that's why we are the people who have to suffer. Exactly when did we become so unimportant?
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    Anon · 1 months ago
    We are classed as no value to society and therefore not needed
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    Lida · 1 months ago
    Just another way to make to make their rich friends richer! Let's guess who you will be made to spend the vouchers with at silly over inflated prices. Let's watch the suicide rate increase then blame it all on the NHS! Well done fat cats at the top again! You haven't got a clue what it's like to live like this! 
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    Neal · 1 months ago
    Can a disabled person demonstrate in large numbers against the new proposals that are painful for his life? No matter what his disability is, it will be difficult for him to go out to demonstrate because he is disabled and sick. And if he is forced to, perhaps someone will take a picture of him to accuse him of lying and cheating on public money. This means that a disabled person is an easy victim of government arrangements to collect money at his expense without opposition.
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      Neal · 1 months ago
      @lesley Great!!!!!
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      lesley · 1 months ago
      @Neal
      Disabled persons have done it before and there is nothing the government hates more than seeing a lot of disabled persons in wheelchairs and on sticks and crutches on the march.  It's an embarrasement for the government.  March on Downing street to the Houses of Parliament. Please get in touch with any of your local disability groups to find out what they are planning. I shall definitely go if there is a campaign. I am not in a wheelchair but I am on crutches. So apologise if I have offended anyone who is worse off than me. Am not in a position to organise anything I shall just hobble along as a foot soldier.



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    Zach · 1 months ago
    To be honest, I think Benefits and Work has engaged in fearmongering with its recent reporting, unnecessarily amplifying anxiety among disabled readers.
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      boris1 · 1 months ago
      @Zach They have only reported the facts of what they know at the present time.
      I fail to see how it is 'fear mongering' of b&w trying to keep its members informed.
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      Alex · 1 months ago
      @Zach They are just stating the obvious - Labour are keeping us all waiting.  It’s not B&W’s fault that this paper was written and that Labour have kept quiet about it. 

      I would suggest keeping away from the news for a while if it makes your anxiety worse.  

      For me it’s different, I like to check the news in case there’s a glimmer of hope that things will get better under this government.
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    Calpol5mg · 1 months ago
    They will do exactly the same as the tories labour are just red tories ,like the milk token totally thinned down so hardly anyone would get it , vouchers litterally are ridiculous 
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    Debbie · 1 months ago
    Also how is replacing money with the equivalent in vouchers saving money absurd l hope l didn't waste my vote for you Labour 
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    Mark · 1 months ago
    Where can we vote against this crap always pick on the sick and vulnerable 
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    Debbie · 1 months ago
    I am disabled due to poliomyelitis when l was a baby I have worked all my life now l have post polio arthritis in my spin legs arms you name it if they took my car away god knows what l would do plus I'm not living the life of luxury on pip my family have had to help with my gas and heating and sometimes shopping look at the none genuine ones because I'm sure there are plenty or maybe stop the MP from having 2 homes and god knows what else l am fed up with having to fight for everything even though l worked until l couldn't. 
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    Robin Hood · 1 months ago
    The basic annual salary of a Member of Parliament (MP) in the House of Commons is £91,346, plus expenses, from April 2024. In addition, MPs are able to claim allowances NOT vouchers so they expect disabled people to start receiving vouchers instead of cash why can’t the MP’s start to use vouchers to cover the costs of running an office and employing staff, and maintaining a constituency residence or a residence in London and if they think it works so, Why not MP’s start using vouchers to prove that it works instead using their expenses and allowances payed by Tax Payers.
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      Anon · 25 days ago
      @Robin Hood Give them 75k in vouchers issue fixed for them.

      No make there banking accounts public view able so we can see everything they buy. 
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      Alex · 1 months ago
      @Robin Hood They often claim more in expenses for one meal than we get to live on in a week. 
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    David · 1 months ago
    How do claimants pay their rent etc with vouchers??
    Absolutely ridiculous.
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      stefan · 25 days ago
      @Pamela I would work but you tell employers your austitic there like cya 
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      stefan · 25 days ago
      @Coco jamboo Universal Credit is broken and a complete joke at this point. 

      The basic amount only just covers the basics and even with limit work capabilities on top it's not that much more. 

      Without pip my life would be worse more then it already is. 

      Changing pip is not the fix, they need to fix other parts of social system. 

      Fixing NHS would be a huge cost reduction on pip very fast. 

      Deal with mental health issue that would major cost reduction. 

      Yes this would deal with everyone who has mental health but does deal with some. 

      How are vouchers going to help autistic people? You can't fix autism.

      I have appointment coming up and going to end up telling my uc advisor i want to get help finding employment. 

      When i shouldn't have to because i am in Limited capability for work but this change coming up if it happens or not going to make my mental health worse. 

      Part of my pip using to try set up my own software company to get of the benefits system and have better life, that looking like it might have to go side while i try find job for my limit set off skills that are behind computer. 
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      Bob Marley · 1 months ago
      @Coco jamboo Spot on with that comment 
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      Skye · 1 months ago
      @Shamoo Housing benefit rarely covers the cost of rent. A lot of people are paying the difference from their PIP... I bet the housing associations or private landlords aren't going to take vouchers.
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      boris1 · 1 months ago
      @Shamoo Not all of us are lucky enough to get housing benefit.
      I have to pay all of my own rent.
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    Eileen · 1 months ago
    It would be horrendous people on pip did not ask for there disabilities and to give vouchers and make people feel demoralised as well ask coping with pain and other things. 
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    Sara · 1 months ago
    Why is it always the vulnerable get targeted. It’s either the children or the disabled. The poorer get poorer and the richer get richer. They found almost a billion pounds to fund this stupid rwanda plan for 4 people. Yet it’s people that are in need they will punish. 
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    Madhatter Laud OMRLP · 1 months ago
    The whole idea of changing the system is wrong. It isn't broken and I use taxis due to my disabilities. 
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    Mike · 1 months ago
    I wonder how many car dealers will go pop when their mobility cars get sent back because they won't pay pip to anyone 
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    Eris · 1 months ago
    I don't like this new system risk. 
    I'm 20 and epileptic with asperger, as well as depression, asthma, and spinal issues, I had to leave college due to not being able to even go to the bus station (10 minutes walk) without collapsing, due to my seizures being so violent I am work exemption and still tried to apply for MULTIPLE work places and have been declined or lied to, when was the last time someone would LOVE to get vouchers? I need to use Uber or pay to get around or ask my partner with heart problems and anxiety to go to the shops for me. Where is the fairness? When I get paid I get UC and PIP, Most of it goes for the supported living, phone bill, and then tax, they "give" us money just to take it away, I was so unstable (despite my age I'm also bad with online payments) that I was unable to do direct debit and they almost SUED me last year, I'm honestly terrified.. 
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    Stay Positive · 1 months ago
    I truly mean this in the nicest way possible but I feel people worrying about the vouchers need to take a deep breath and try and calm down.

    Liz Kendall already stated on LBC Radio that Labour is not after "changing the payment system of PIP" iirc. What they HAVE stated is that they need to look into diminishing NHS waiting lists and perhaps looking into how the PIP assessment can be reformed. Because let's be honest: it DOES need reform. Whether or not Labour shall change it in any positive way is another story but it's safe to say they're not going to be replacing cash payments with whatever ridiculous solution the Conservatives came up with. It's too costly, it doesn't make a whole lot of sense and - to top it all off - it did not save the Conservatives from being voted out.

    There was more to this consultation than just asking for public feedback on the new payment system proposals, there were also questions based on how the assessments for PIP are conducted and if certain aspects of it should be changed/dropped. 

    I think Labour sitting down and taking the time to read through our feedback and actually taking the time to listen to us is a good thing and is actually something as opposed to what a Conservative or Reform government would do, which is just to go full steam ahead after simply putting on a show of listening to us. Which is what this consultation was all about. They were never going to listen to us. It was all an act.

    This is evident by the way the Conservatives have sneered at Labour over this issue since they've taken power. They have stated that 'the Labour government have refused to meet our criteria welfare reform' (like this is a bad thing lol) and by Jeremy Hunt's statement in regards to this 20 billion pound "hole" they've found, where he suggested that if Labour just did their genius welfare reform proposals, it wouldn't be that big of a deal. Baroness Sherlock even said Labour are opting for their "own approach" in the quote mentioned.

    The Conservatives are furious that the consultation is being taken seriously and I think that says a lot about what how they perceived us and our feedback from the very beginning. I don't know what Labour plan to do ultimately but them saying they'll read through this consultation and its responses certainly has the Conservatives rattled and that's a good sign for me.

    Also, please don't listen to obvious Tory rags trying to push the vouchers idea as a definite reality. It's pure scaremongering and trying to rile the public up in an attempt to discredit the disabled and what we've had to say via this consultation. The vouchers idea is just that: an idea, dreamt up by Sunak to revive an election campaign that was dead in the water before it even started. 

    Really hope some of you can find some peace of mind. What the Conservatives have proposed is diabolical and their attempts to scapegoat us since Labour have been elected and found how much of a mess they've caused is unforgivable, I hope they stay out of power and irrelevant for a very long time.
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