DWP plots change to PIP to scale back Britain’s advantages invoice | Personal Finance | Finance | EUROtoday

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has introduced that intends to overtake the incapacity advantages service because it bids to battle an £8bn overspend.

The DWP’s Health Transformation Programme is about to make massive adjustments to the welfare stystem, which could have a knock-on impact for claimants of Personal Independence Payment (PIP). Sir Stephen Timms, Minister for Social Security and Disabilities, declared that the scheme will “transform the entire PIP service, from finding out about benefits through to decisions, eligibility, and payments”.

It comes after information that the earlier authorities’s £137.4 billion welfare cap for 2024/25 is projected to be surpassed by £8.6 billion. The reforms are set to be introduced forward of the Spring Statement by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves on March 26.

Sir Stephen offered a written assertion in response to inquiries made by Gregory Campbell, Democratic Unionist Party MP, on the discussions held with these influenced by changes to PIP, Work Capability Assessment (WCA) and Disability Living Allowance (DLA). Sir Stephen stated: “We believe there is a strong case to change the system of health and disability benefits across Great Britain so that it better enables people to enter and remain in work, to respond to the complex and fluctuating nature of the health conditions many people live with today.

“This Government is dedicated to placing the views and voices of disabled individuals on the coronary heart of all that we do, and with any reform, together with the Health and Disability Green Paper we intend to publish within the Spring, we’ll seek the advice of with disabled individuals and consultant organisations.

“Ahead of the formal consultation for the Green Paper, we have already started to explore ways of engaging with disabled people and their representatives, including through stakeholder roundtables and public visits, and look forward to progressing these initiatives over the coming months.”

What will change about PIP?

Speaking immediately about adjustments to PIP, Sir Stephen acknowledged: “About the PIP service specifically: the Health Transformation Programme is modernising health and disability benefit services, to improve people’s experience of applying for PIP. The Programme will transform the entire PIP service, from finding out about benefits through to decisions, eligibility, and payments.

“The Programme communicates and engages regularly with disabled individuals and exterior stakeholders – together with nationwide charities and different organisations that assist individuals with disabilities – about proposed adjustments. Their opinions and options are taken on board as we take a look at new iterations of the remodeled service.”

Earlier this year, Secretary of State for Work and Pensions Liz Kendall stated that the welfare budget needs to be set on a “extra sustainable course”, warning that the country cannot continue to bear the “prices of failure”. The DWP chief, who will introduce extensive reforms to health and disability benefits this spring, emphasised the need to transition more people from welfare into employment, reports the Daily Record.

Ms Kendall criticised Conservative governments for their inability to manage welfare spending. Speaking to the PA news agency, she said: “We’re going to get the advantages invoice on a extra sustainable course – and it needs to be, we can’t settle for these prices of failure, failure for people, failure for companies and failure for the economic system.

“But the way to do this is to get more people into work through the reforms that we’re putting in place in our Jobcentres and through reform of the benefit system. And we’ll be bringing forward our green paper on reforming sickness and disability benefits in the spring.”

On the welfare cap, Ms Kendall advised PA: “This is our inheritance from the Conservative government. And the Tories failed on welfare because they failed on work.

“We have gotten virtually document numbers of individuals out of labor as a consequence of long-term well being issues. That’s horrible for them. It’s horrible for his or her dwelling requirements. It’s horrible for employers who need to recruit and it is horrible for the general public funds.

“So we need big reforms in the way that we work to get more people into those jobs, which will help bring the benefits bill onto a more sustainable footing.” In her vital financial progress speech on January 29, Chancellor Rachel Reeves pledged “fundamental reform of our welfare system” together with “looking at areas that have been ducked for too long like the rising cost of health and disability benefits”.