The Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) has quietly rolled out major changes to personal independence payments (PIP) which could see more people turned down for the vital disability benefit, charities and experts warned.
The DWP is piloting a new way of deciding on who gets PIP, which is worth up to nearly £800 a month.
Rather than being judged by health professionals, DWP case managers will now decide on the points that determine if someone gets the benefit under the trial scheme.
The move is a “recipe for disaster”, said Fazilet Hadi of the charity Disability Rights UK, warning that undermining medical expertise will mean “unfair” decisions.
The under-the-radar changes are being made before Labour minister Stephen Timms has finished his review of PIP, due this autumn, which the department said would be “co-produced” with disabled people. Here’s what to know.
