Don't merge the assessments for PIP and ESA - April 2019

[Sly Saint]

UK Gov petition (ie at 10,000 Govt will respond)

In a speech on 5/3/19, Work & Pensions Secretary Amber Rudd announced plans to merge assessments for Personal Independence Payment (PIP) and Employment & Support Allowance (ESA) from 2021. Seeing as PIP & ESA are different benefits with different purposes, we feel this would be extremely dangerous.

currently 3567 signatures

(my addition: if you fail on the one test but were previously in receipt of both benefits, you would effectively be left with nothing, pending appeal.)

link here:
https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/244329

 

[ladycatlover]

Signed, shared on FB and Twitter and sent some emails. Thank you very much @Sly Saint for alerting us to this very important petition.

I'd just like to add that since this is a Parliamentery Petition that only UK citizens can sign it.

 

[Hell..hath..no..fury...]

Signed. These people are getting on my tits. Sick to the back teeth of this system. I wish we could all escape it

Thank you @Sly Saint

 

[JaneL]

Is it just me that actually likes the idea of having these two assessments merged?

Half as many forms to fill in, half as many face-to-face assessments, half as many potential mandatory reconsiderations, appeals and tribunals to endure...

 

[Wonko]

Merging the system only works if the assessments are fair and always produce the correct result.

The evidence suggests this is not the case.

The evidence suggest that this not being the case is deliberate policy.

So merging the 2 could, potentially, be disastrous for everyone who is not a multimillionaire or a government minister with offshore accounts.

Possibly.

 

[Diluted-biscuit]

I have mixed feelings on this. They already reassess ESA on the basis of a PIP assessment and visa versa sometimes so this just takes that further and won’t necessarily mean if you lose one you’ll lose both. On the other hand the system is utterly terrible and I’m always concerned they will make things worse.

Of course ultimately this will be happening anyway so we will find out if it’s better or worse.

 

[Peter T]

I'd just like to add that since this is a Parliamentery Petition that only UK citizens can sign it.

Also non UK citizens resident in the UK can sign Parliamentary petitions.

 

[Sly Saint]

Is it just me that actually likes the idea of having these two assessments merged?

Half as many forms to fill in, half as many face-to-face assessments, half as many potential mandatory reconsiderations, appeals and tribunals to endure...

Initially I thought the same except based my thinking on a positive outcome (ie having 'passed' the test on one you don't need to worry about the other). But the petition points out

PIP is to cover the extra care & mobility costs arising from being disabled. It has nothing to do with employment status.

ESA is an income replacement for people unable to work due to illness.

Being different benefits with different purposes, they have very different eligibility criteria. Merging assessments would cause huge harm, especially for PIP claimants in work or planning to move into work.

UC should be a lesson about merging unrelated benefits.

So they would have to somehow change the assessment to cover both issues, quite how I don't know but both assessments are pretty rubbish at what they are supposed to be testing in the first place.

eta: now at 3953

 

[JaneL]

Well i’m certainly not a millionaire and I don’t have offshore accounts! But I do have family that I lean upon for financial support if necessary (and have done in the past) throughout the long appeals process. I realise I’m very fortunate in this respect and many will not be in this position.

I think the problem is not so much the merging of assessments but the fact that people are not being assessed fairly and large numbers are being turned down for benefits to which they are eligible. However I can see that while this is the case, merging the assessments will leave those who are most vulnerable at risk.

I have therefore decided to sign the petition.

 

[Esther12]

At this point, I'd assume that any change the politicians want to implement is probably going to be harmful. I need a petition for 'Stop everything!'

 

[alktipping]

it is plain and simple cost cutting .as long as these tests are performed by companies seeking profit from dishonest government ministers who have created this absurd situation. were gps are not trusted to give out proper diagnosis or sick notes but private companies with much to gain can employ ignorant parasites with no actual experience in the many conditions that lead to long term disability ,they will continue to cause significant harm and deaths all to save money . I personally think the billions these private companies have leached from the taxpayers would have been better spent on biological research unravelling all the mysteries of the human body . because our medical knowledge is sadly still in the dark ages purveyors of false hope making money from the suffering of others .