Thousands of vulnerable people have suffered pain, distress and penury because of blunders made by the Government during the launch of a key disability reform, a devastating report warns today (2oth June). MPs denounced the introduction of the personal independence payment (PIP) as a “fiasco” which had resulted in a huge backlog of claims and lengthy delays over decisions.
Many people have had to wait six months for a decision on their claim, the MPs said, with even the terminally ill facing an average four-week delay. Some claimants were forced to turn to food banks, apply for loans or rely on charity handouts to survive, the committee said.
They pinned the blame for the chaos on Iain Duncan Smith’s Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), accusing it of making basic mistakes ahead of last year’s launch. Eligibility to qualify for the payments, which have replaced disability living allowance (DLA), is assessed by medics employed by private companies. The benefit is intended to help the disabled to live independently and, in some cases, go to work. The Commons Public Accounts Committee said the DWP had failed to pilot the scheme adequately, with disastrous results when it was rolled out nationwide.
They reported “shocking personal stories”, including one person hospitalised with the stress caused by the wait for a decision and another who could not afford a special diet for gastric and diabetes problems until the cash arrived.
Margaret Hodge, the committee’s chair, said: “The implementation of PIPs has been nothing short of a fiasco. The DWP has let down some of the most vulnerable in our society.”
Full details available on the Independent’s website http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/end-disability-benefits-fiasco-ministers-told-9550115.html