Burnham must scrap the DWP's PIP assessment system

On 9 July, the interim Timms Review branded Personal Independence Payments (PIP) “not fit for purpose”. The news comes as the Labour Party searches for a new leader, and a new UK prime minister, to boot. Right now, Andy Burnham looks like a shoo-in — and he’s got a golden opportunity to scrap PIP as we know it.

It highlighted that PIP assessments were frequently “dehumanising”, “degrading” and “stressful” for claimants. This was particularly true for people with “multiple or fluctuating conditions”, meaning that the assessment process “fails to reflect real-life impacts”.

Likewise, the interim report demonstrated that — contrary to its stated aim — PIP often acts as an obstacle to full participation in work and social life. Writing for the Canary earlier today, Rachel Charlton-Dailey emphasised this point:

It’s laughable that Timms is talking about wanting to ensure PIP can support people into work, when, as the Canary has previously reported, the DWP penalises disabled people for returning to work. A memo to DWP staff informed them that starting work can still trigger a change in circumstances reassessment that could result in the claimant losing PIP.

‘Improving trust in the system’

One of the review’s co-chairs, Sharon Brennan, stressed that PIP was clearly important and necessary as a benefit. However, she added that:

Improving trust in the system – both from the public and those going through the system – is vital if PIP is to be fit and fair for the future. Of those that responded to the steering group’s Call for Evidence, over 90% described negative experiences of the process of claiming PIP, with concerns raised around all aspects of the process from application through to assessment and appeals.

It’s utterly unsurprising that there’s very little trust in the system as it stands. The Department of Work and Pensions (DWP), which presides over PIP, more often functions as a barrier to disabled people’s independence than a facilitator. Charlton-Dailey explained:

support is already supposedly there, but the DWP is trying to erode it. Access to Work is supposed to support disabled people into work with funding for support workers and specialist equipment. But instead the DWP is quietly cutting Access to Work. The scheme is also plagued with delays; the last figures show 66,000 disabled people are still waiting.

What’s more, the people in charge of the department clearly don’t take Access to Work seriously. As the Canary reported, Neil Couling, director general of DWP services and fraud, made a joke about reasonable adjustments outside the inquiry into Access to Work.

‘First big tests for Burnham’

Given the damning nature of the interim report’s findings, a key question has emerged: will the government once again try to tweak the fundamentally flawed PIP assessment process, or will it start again from the ground up?

With the near-certainty that newly minted Makerfield MP Andy Burnham will be the next PM, that question will likely define his first months in No. 10.

As part of the Guardian’s analysis of the interim report, Frances Ryan wrote:

If disability cuts last year was a key nail in the coffin of Starmer’s leadership, Pip reform will be one of the first big tests for Burnham. Will he oversee the long overdue overhaul of a broken benefits system? And will he resist calls to make cuts part of it? The path he chooses will affect millions of disabled people – and send an early signal for what a Burnham government will really mean.

It’s certainly true that the mainstream media are already pushing the narrative that disability benefits spending is too high. Likewise, and playing into the DWP’s narrative, they’re demonising recipients of PIP and other benefits as unworthy fakers.

The Guardian called the question of PIP both an “opportunity — and headache — for Andy Burnham”. However, we’d argue that there could be no better way for Burnham to prove that he’s genuine in his intent to provide change for the UK than ignoring the likes of the Times’ opinion on disability benefits.

Starmer’s short time as prime minister was marked by extreme hostility towards disabled people. In his place, and in order to begin to regain the trust of the disabled community, Burnham — or whoever becomes PM, for that matter — must act immediately to scrap PIP as we know it.

Instead, we must build a truly equitable disability benefit — one that genuinely acknowledges the circumstances of those it intends to serve.

Featured image via Facebook