Frontline staff told The i Paper that spending more money in the short-term – on better mental health support and fixing harsh “cliff edges” in the system – could lead to savings in the long run.
Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall is said to be considering tightening up eligibility for incapacity benefits and the personal independent payment (PIP) claimed by disabled people for their daily needs.
The i Paper asked benefit claimants, former assessors and welfare experts how they would go about changing the system for the better.
The 53-year-old from Kent said a big expansion in NHS mental health support would “make a real difference” to boosting the number of people able to work.
Yolanda Barker from Kent has multiple sclerosis and relies on PIP and incapacity benefit (Photo: Supplied)
More funding for job schemes
Carol Vickers, who suffers from Ehlers-Danlos syndromes (EDS), severe osteoarthritis and ADHD and gets around £300 in PIP, is worried that disabled people are not getting enough job opportunities.
“You need to improve the systems to help disabled people into work as a first step. I’m not seeing that. I’m seeing the Government think, ‘Let’s slash the welfare bill’. Help take down the barriers to work – not just cut people’s income.”
The Government has promised the “biggest reforms to employment support for a generation”. A review into how employers can be better supported to employ people with disabilities and health conditions is under way.
Improve benefit assessments
Ms Vickers also wants the Government to improve the assessments used to decide PIP claims and the Work Capability Assessment (WCA), used to decide whether someone is eligible for incapacity benefit.
“The problem with face-to-face assessments is not a fair process – it’s one assessor’s perception of your condition based on one day,” she said. “They need to take the time to consult doctors. They need to better acknowledge variable conditions.”
Carol Vickers, who suffers from Ehlers-Danlos syndromes (EDS), receives PIP awards (Photo: supplied)Disability charities have urged the UK Government to consider copying the assessment used in Scotland for the Scottish equivalent of PIP. They said fewer face-to-face assessments and more emphasis on specialist medical advice had led to greater “trust” in the system.
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The whistleblower said he fears a focus on cutting the benefits bill will put disabled people “under financial strain and under huge psychological strain” which could see “a greater strain on the social care system and the NHS”.
Ayla Ozmen, policy director at the Z2K charity which works with people struggling with benefit issues, said investing more money in the benefit system in short-term could help more people into work.
While the standard allowance requires the claimant to look for a job, the highest rate of incapacity benefit does not require a job search.
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Spending on health-related benefits will increase from £65bn to more than £100bn in 2030, the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) has forecast.
However, Davies also suggested there were potential gains from softening the harsh cliff edges involved in moving off benefits and into work.
“It’s always worth looking at [the work allowance], if you want to get people to take that first step back into work,” said the policy expert.
Fix underlying causes of rise in ill-health
“Looking at underlying reason for the rise in people in ill-health is bigger than tweaking the benefit system. It will involve the NHS and employers, as well as the Government,” she said.
The Government has been approached for comment.
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