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Stephen has raised concerns about the lack of clarity around proposed benefit changes recently announced by Ministers.
The Government plans to streamline health and disability benefits. But crucial details with “fundamental questions” on how people will be protected are lacking, Stephen said. He also cautioned that the reforms s could see a “fair number of people” missing out on benefits who would otherwise have been eligible, unless the changes were enacted with caution.
Under the changes, the work capability assessment (WCA) for determining benefit payments will be replaced with the existing personal independence payment (PIP) system – which is used to decide what day-to-day help a disabled person might need. Stephen said he was concerned about how people who are eligible for health-related benefits – but not PIP – will be identified without the usual assessments.
Speaking about the proposed changes, Stephen said: “They are saying if you have PIP you will get the health element of universal credit, so that’s clear. But there’s another group of people who are not on PIP who have always been entitled to health support. The question is, how is the Government going to work out who these people are? That’s the job the WCA has done up until now. It’s a mystery. I just don’t know what the Government is thinking here.”
He continued “I’m puzzled about that because it appears the Government intends to legislate next year. If you are planning legislation in 12 months’ time, then pretty soon you have got to have a clear idea of what this thing is going to look like. Why these kind of very fundamental questions don’t appear to have been answered I don’t know.”
A Government spokesperson said: “The Health and Disability White Paper commits to removing the financial disincentives that exist within the current system by scrapping the Work Capability Assessment, improving support and the experience for people when applying for and receiving benefits.”