• Search
  • You are here:  
  • Home
  • News
  • Massive response to PIP vouchers Green Paper consultation

News

Massive response to PIP vouchers Green Paper consultation

Details

There has been a massive response to the Modernising Support Green Paper, Stephen Timms, the DWP minister for disability has revealed.  And whilst the government is still not offering any certainty that the proposal to replace PIP cash payments with vouchers will be dropped, they do seem to be distancing themselves from the Conservative’s proposals.

Timms was answering a question on behalf of the secretary of state for Work and Pensions from Labour MP Cat Smith:

“To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when she plans to publish her Department's response to the consultation entitled Modernising support for independent living: the health and disability green paper, published in April 2024.”

Timms replied:

“The consultation on the Modernising Support Green Paper closed on Monday 22 July. Over 16,000 responses have been received and we will review these responses.

“The proposals in this Green Paper were developed by the previous government. We will be considering our own approach to social security in due course.”

The number of responses is more than ten times higher than were given to the DWP consultation on changes to the work capability assessment, which was launched in September 2023.  That consultation received 1,348 replies.

It is likely that the vast majority of responses will have been negative in relation to most of the proposals for changes to PIP.  It is encouraging to learn that so many people took the trouble to respond and it will have left the government in no doubt about the size of the fight they will have on their hands if they try to push through any of the more controversial ideas in the Green Paper  

The form of words used by Timms “We will be considering our own approach to social security in due course.” is identical to that used by Baroness Sherlock in the House of Lords last week.

Whilst it lacks any certainty, the phrase does suggest that Labour are planning to disown most of what the Conservatives have proposed.

Benefits and Work readers, who we know responded in large numbers to the Green Paper, can congratulate themselves on having spoken out so powerfully on behalf of the many PIP claimants who found the consultation too overwhelming to reply to.

Comments

Write comments...
or post as a guest
People in conversation:
Loading comment... The comment will be refreshed after 00:00.
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    PIP Vouchers
    PIP Vouchers · 1 months ago
    Rachel coming up next budget in October will scrap PIP, cut UC welfare benefits £12.9bn......WATCH THIS SPACE
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    Kevin9320
    Kevin9320 · 1 months ago
    It might not be relevant to most on here, but I notice Reeves made winter fuel payments means-tested. Could she/they make PIP means-tested too?

    My feeling is there will be an onslaught on mental health claimants of working age. And stricter criteria for new PIP applicants. Beyond that I shudder to think what they are about to unveil 
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      mrfibro
      mrfibro · 1 months ago
      @Kevin9320 Yep, and AA, and at the deaf state pensions too, especially if more black holes keep appearing.  Rather than go after the trillionaire tax evaders and such alike.  The wlefare is an easier approach to target.
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    Jon
    Jon · 1 months ago
    We are very lucky to receive the benefits we receive from the government because if we lived in America the richest country in the world most of us would receive nothing
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    HumanRights123
    HumanRights123 · 1 months ago
    Here's something recently posted on the UK government website.

    Text from HM Treasury policy paper: Fixing the foundations: public spending audit 2024-25

    "3.2 Immediate savings

    The government is taking immediate action to manage the pressures revealed in the audit. These total £5.5 billion in 2024-25 and £8.1 billion in 2025-26, and include:

    Targeting Winter Fuel Payments. Winter Fuel Payments will be targeted from winter 2024-25 at households in England and Wales with someone aged over State Pension age receiving Pension Credit, Universal Credit, Income Support, income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance and income-related Employment and Support Allowance. They will continue to be worth £200 for eligible households, or £300 for eligible households with someone aged over 80. This will better target support for heating costs at those who need it, while all pensioners will benefit from the government’s commitment to maintain the triple lock for the basic and new State Pension in this Parliament. Winter Fuel Payments are devolved in Scotland and Northern Ireland."

    " 4.4 Reforming the public sector and welfare system

    The government will also carry out an urgent programme of work to ensure welfare spending is sustainable, including by supporting people into work. The Work and Pensions Secretary will also assess levels of fraud and error in the welfare system, and consider how to bring that down ahead of the Budget."
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    blandie
    blandie · 1 months ago
    I found it interesting that Rishi admitted calling the election early was because he was advised 135,000 households each month were coming to the end of a lower fixed rate mortgage deal and if he waited that could be as many as over 800,000 potentially lost votes. Did he not stop to think that if 3.5M people receive PIP each of those people might have 1 or 2 people caring for them and another one or two family and friends caring about their welfare making 3.5 x say 4 = 14 million unhappy voters. Just my thought.
    I do not believe PIP will be vouchers but I do believe gradual changes might be made over years.
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    Jord
    Jord · 1 months ago
    Welfare cuts to come in october going by the what the chancellor said today
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    Aw
    Aw · 1 months ago
    Well today they have announced they are effectively means testing fuel payments for pensioners and scrapping plans to cap adult care costs. Have to say it doesn't look good. Also the news that they are planning a crackdown on "unacceptable levels of welfare fraud" I thought it had been proven that there was so little disability benefit fraud that it was basically zero? Troubling language to say the least.
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    Bud
    Bud · 1 months ago
    I posted this on the other thread too.

    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      Cat
      Cat · 1 months ago
      @Bud I would like to say seeing your Apple link, I thought was an instant spam post. Maybe add more context other than 

      " I posted this on the other thread too " 

  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    Jas
    Jas · 1 months ago
    It seems the black hole won't see them spending on new costly systems. As for benefits, we Will have to wait until October and if it's all about saving further cuts to pensioners and the disabled are going to be on the cards. Winter fuel is already gone for pensioners, who are not claiming pension credit. I see tough times coming for those relying on the welfare state 
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      Anon
      Anon · 1 months ago
      @Jas She did say she has asked all Government departments to make cuts of £3 billion each, this will include DWP 
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    JJ
    JJ · 1 months ago
    Meanwhile Rachel Reeves is going to have a budget on the 30th of October.

    Only Pensioners on Pension Credit will be entitled to winter fuel allowance is the first thing I saw.
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    Chen Chen
    Chen Chen · 1 months ago
    A slight glimmer of hope and I mean a slight glimmer well done everyone who responded to the consultation 
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    Neal
    Neal · 1 months ago
    Despite this or that speech that puts people in a state of relative reassurance. People must remain vigilant of kicks under the table because they will try to raise the issue of the voucher again, but in another way, as they said and emphasized that radical changes to the DWP are a goal for them.
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    Dean
    Dean · 1 months ago
    It's been obvious for some time that they would be disbanding the Tory's austerity features, including in welfare. However, while I am more inclined to believe they will have a softer approach than any previous Tory government has, it's still understandably anxiety-inducing for all of us. Rachel Reeves just announced that there will be a budget in October (I type while watching her statement today), and has said that there will be changes in tax but also in welfare, so we'll see what that means. It could mean tax goes up, but it could also mean increased payments in disability support for all we know. We all have to wait and see this Autumn.
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      Michael
      Michael · 1 months ago
      @Dean Eh!? Labour have literally just announced austerity features. Winter fuel allowance been one, cutting essential projects for growth being another. All to fund above inflation pay rises for the public sector to carry on tanking public services. Insanity.

      Sounds like 'I'm OK Jack so never mind about anybody else" attitude. With a large dollop of extreme political bias.
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    Claire
    Claire · 1 months ago
    Scaremongering and making people more ill ,the voucher system would never work .Too many benefits linked to pip eg carers and motability.Pip was only brought in 2013 ,since then hospital waiting lists so much longer and mental health declining.They will have to focus on this before reforming pip.
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      mrfibro
      mrfibro · 1 months ago
      @M shirker Me too.
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      TheDogmother
      TheDogmother · 1 months ago
      @M shirker @ M shirker The dreaded UC enforcement.  My sleepless nights over that continue. Never seen a bigger shambles in my life than that, for those who said it's straightforward I've heard of so many who said it was a living nightmare.  Not just the wait for first payment but the entire set up.
      I think it's the worst thing in the history of crap things the government dreamt up.  It's mafe to give is as much trouble as possible and nothing will convince me otherwise. If it was meant to be helpful or easy it would be an automatic switch over. 
      I'd rather be six feet under than have to force myself to apply. 
      I knew the 2028-2029  deadline for those on Ir esa was load of  hokum. 
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      M shirker
      M shirker · 1 months ago
      @mrfibro @mrfibro Yes and also a massive thanks and congratulations to IDS (Ian Duncan Smith) for his other shambles of a system called universal credit which I’m sure will be causing me much pain and misery in the near future once I’ve been deported from esa 
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      mrfibro
      mrfibro · 1 months ago
      @Claire Massive thanks to IDS (Ian Duncan Smith) - TORY.  
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    Faith
    Faith · 1 months ago
    According to the above article, the earlier, WCA, consultation received "1,348 replies", whereas the PIP Green Paper consultation received "Over 16,000 responses".  1,348 x 12 = 16,176.
    If these figures are accurate, there is an important error in this article.  It states,
    "The number of responses is more than _*ten*_ times higher than were given to the DWP consultation on changes to the work capability assessment"
    but it should report,
    "The number of responses is approximately _*twelve*_ times higher than were given to the DWP consultation on changes to the work capability assessment"
    I hope that B&W will amend this article?
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      george25
      george25 · 1 months ago
      @asmith25 Totally agree,  at times the questions were not straightforward to answer but I helped my  mum through it , and we managed to finish it , some view points would of been duplicated by many others because of common sense issues or straight up reality so for that to be seen and read has to be acknowledged , so it is really good that  many people were able to fill it in many  with help I'm sure .
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      wibblum
      wibblum · 1 months ago
      @mrfibro Even so, the numbers were enough that the minister was moved to make a statement about it.
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      wibblum
      wibblum · 1 months ago
      @Faith What needs to be amended? The last time I had to calculate such complex mathematics, twelve WAS more than ten.
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      asmith25
      asmith25 · 1 months ago
      @mrfibro You're right many more people should've replied but the way the consultation and its questions were written, there is no way most people claiming PIP could've answered it very well or at all. The questions were often misleading and closed and definitely coming from a biased and closed minded place. Because I had to go to tribunal, I learned a lot about the flawed PIP/ benefits process and I have a strong interest in politics and just researching things, and I still found it hard and just obtuse to answer it. The whole thing felt obscure and just weird, it certainly wasn't designed for claimants to answer it.
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      boris1
      boris1 · 1 months ago
      @mrfibro I agree, its hardly a massive response compared to the amount of people in receipt of disability benefits.
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    Angel
    Angel · 1 months ago
    If they go ahead with this then they are going to have a very negative impact on people buying in shops, cafes basically everywhere. Businesses will go out of business. 
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      lori
      lori · 1 months ago
      @Angel They probably will, as most workers already can't afford to use them, as they are already struggling with their mortgage /rent hikes and  everything else that isn't free to tax payers I expect soon they won't be able to pay their private pension, but then who needs one of those when pension credit comes with so many entitlements
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      Pat
      Pat · 1 months ago
      @Angel They absolutely will go out of business and for a Government who have Growth as their mantra there won’t be a lot of that going on if people don’t have spending power.
      At the moment I’m not seeing any difference between the Tories and Labour.

Free PIP, ESA & UC Updates!

Delivered Fortnightly

Over 110,000 claimants and professionals subscribe to the UK's leading source of benefits news.

 
iContact

Latest news

We use cookies

We use cookies on our website. Some of them are essential for the operation of the site, while others help us to improve this site and the user experience (tracking cookies). You can decide for yourself whether you want to allow cookies or not. Please note that if you reject them, you may not be able to use all the functionalities of the site.

Ok Decline
More about cookies