Welfare needs reform despite U-turn - Pip claimant

A grandmother living with a degenerative disease says the government's U-turn on personal independence payment (Pip) will still not help those in need, as "complete reform" is required.

Karen Thomas, 59, from Bulkington, near Bedworth, has had muscular dystrophy for nearly 30 years, receiving disability benefits ever since.

On Tuesday, the Labour government said it would not change Pip rules until the recommendations of a review could be implemented, having won a vote on its benefits bill following last-minute concessions to party rebels.

However, Ms Thomas said that despite some of the benefit cuts being reversed, the "one size fits all" welfare system remained "broken".

She is no longer able to walk and is cared for primarily by her husband, but said the current system categorised her in the same group as a person who "had some difficulty walking around".

"Others get the same level as me, but have half the disability. It's a constant fight to survive," she explained.

The government needed to reclassify "the impacts of disabilities" in order for it to improve, Ms Thomas said.

She said it was "upsetting" to have to ask for help, but any cut to Pip would be "devastating".

The government previously announced current claimants would be protected from stricter eligibility rules.

However, changes to disability assessments have been proposed for anyone claiming Pip for the first time after the recommendations of a current review are implemented.

The proposals require those applying to score at least four points for a single activity, rather than across a range of different ones, with assessments scoring everyday activities, such as washing hair, from zero to 12, for no difficulty to most difficulty.

"There needs to be complete reform not just an alteration to Pip points," Ms Thomas said.

The government previously defended the proposals, after it pointed to steep rises in the numbers claiming benefits and said making changes was the only way to ensure the system remained sustainable in the future.

But Mel Smith, from the Coventry charity Grapevine that supports people with special needs, said the proposed reforms still raised concerns.

"What does that do for the disabled community, you'll get one group who will be eligible and then other people who won't," she said.

She argued the new criteria was therefore "unfair" and future claimants would "lose out on vital support".

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