How these benefit changes will affect over 600,000.
The government have just announced that there will be changes to welfare payments starting from next January.
The changes will mean that disabled people will lose out over the next four years but the government insists that the current assessment criteria may not be working effectively.
The government hopes to save £1.2 billion by making the formula used to calculate the daily living component of Personal Independence Payment (PIP) “fairer”.
Recipients of PIP are assessed using a points system to determine what level of help they receive -claiming between £21.80 and £139.75 per week.
But the review found that a “significant” number of people are likely to be getting the living component despite having “minimal to no ongoing daily living extra costs”.
The new changes will be a more tailored approach to each individual based on their needs, rather than a one size fits all.
According to ITV news, disability charities are disagreeing with the supposed changes warning that it could have a ‘devastating impact’ on claimants.
Minister for disabled people Justin Tomlinson says: ‘The introduction of Personal Independence Payment to replace the outdated Disability Living Allowance for working age claimants has been a hugely positive reform.
But it is clear that the assessment criteria for aids and appliances are not working as planned.’
