Pain Concern

Important Change Made to PIP Regulations blog posted on from another hu site

sandra99b
Posted by sandra99b
31 Jan 2013
8 comments

Important Change Made to PIP Regulations - Thanks Select Committee for Making DWP see sense!

Last week at a sitting of the Work & Pensions Select Committee they were taking evidence on the PIP regulations from Esther McVey the Minister for Disabled People. Simon Dawson, PIP Policy, Design, Test and Assurance Programme Manager & Dr Bill Gunnyeon Chief Medical Adviser were also there.

During the meeting it was pointed out to the Minister that the words "reliably/repeatedly/ safely/in a timely fashion" which were used in DLA descriptors were missing from the descriptors/regulations and that the DWP thought they could get away with only putting them into the Assessors Guidance Handbook on the PIP Criteria. What's the difference? For those of us with fluctuation conditions those words are important & the difference is a very important one because if they're in the Descriptors they have legal standing which could be used at appeal if you felt they hadn't been taken into consideration but if they're only in the Guidance documents they don't have legal standing as they are only being used as guidance to the assessor.

Anyway, I've just heard that there has been a DWP Press Release and they have now put the words back into the regulations:

Including consideration of reliability in the PIP Regulations

On 31 January 2013 DWP Ministers announced plans to amend the Regulations on Personal Independence Payment (PIP), to make clear that, when assessing whether an individual can carry out an activity, we must look at whether they can carry out that activity:

safely
to an acceptable standard
repeatedly
in a reasonable time period.

This concept has always been integral to the Department’s proposals for the PIP assessment but Ministers have agreed to include it in the Regulations to make the policy intent clear in legislation.

The Department has published a draft amending Regulation. These may be subject to further refinement. A final Regulation will be laid once the PIP Regulations currently being considered by Parliament are made but before they come into force in April 2013."
www.dwp.gov.uk/docs/pip-dra...



Well done Select Committee- keep the DWP on their toes. You can watch them in action here: www.parliamentlive.tv/Main/...

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8 comments

Paton
Paton
1 Feb 2013
Yes well done indeed Anne Begg and the others of the select committee. Don't forget all those who put huge pressure on the gov too.
But don't be under any disillusion of this welfare reform bill. There are cuts to benefits and services attacking disabled people from every possible angle. Sadly few really understand what is happening to them. From April we are going to be hit mercilessly. Don't be fooled by DWP's fine words of helping the most vulnerable.
Pat x

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skeggy
skeggy
1 Feb 2013
Paton I agree with you and though I am disabled I dread getting worse as I know I shall. The council would not even come out to me when my husband was in hospital and told me he wasn't. Cos the hospital was in a different county and they had not told my local council he was there and they would not accept he was. They being the local county adult care. I phoned several care operators and still no one telephoned back. If I am voal I can't see how many are going to get along.

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Paton
Paton
1 Feb 2013
That is appalling. I presume you have been assessed by your local authority for your care needs? And has your husband had a carers assessment? If not get on to them straight away. If you have had an assessment then they must provide care for you. Let me know. There is help out there for you and can put you in touch.
Pat x

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zanna
zanna
1 Feb 2013
Very worrying time for many people, who through no fault of their own, are disabled. Life is hard enough without having to worry if you qualify for payments or not. Or how long you are going to have them for.

Although I have a condition that fits the WHO definition of disability, the Government has made up its own set of criteria, which makes me as able as a normal person. Despite the fact that I have continual pain of varying degrees which affects my ability to do things, my thought processes and sleep pattern. I don't need care, but I will do at some point in the future as my condition worsens.

For me to function at a normal level, I need to do at least 3 sets of exercises during the day. Walk twice for at least half an hour each time. Use the toilet every 4 hours whether or not I feel I need. Plan my day so that I have a balance of activity and rest throughout. I work from home, and I'd be lucky to get 4 hours of work fitted in to this schedule.

The only thing that would help me just now is a blue badge because I need to open the car door fully to get out. Ordinary spaces are too narrow and if another car parks too closely then I have a problem getting in or out. Its easier if I'm a passenger gecause the driver can move the car to allow me to open the door fully.

I would only use it when necessary, if I couldn't get an end of row space. Or if I'm in a different town and can park on a street. But because I can walk 400 yards I can't have one. Yet the damage to my spine from twisting, and not being balanced on both feet is not being taken into consideration. Although this may be considered a slow degeneration, as my spine is already damaged, who knows when it will decide its one twist too much? Prevention is 80% of the cure.

Perhaps the way forward is for the deciders to live the lives of a cross section of disabled people, just to appreciate how and where the difficulties are.

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teadrinker
teadrinker
2 Feb 2013
I am fortunate not to need to tip toe through the minefield of trying to get benefits because I am able to work. But I have met many people in this awful situation who have been assessed as being fit to work by unqualified assessors who don't understand. I also know that human beings, particularly human beings with disabilities or chronic pain don't fit into the nice neat boxes that the Government believe we all should do. We all have days when we are better and more able, and days when we are not, and it's about time that this variability is taken into account.

It's my view that all health & social care workers - and now I will add civil servants and politicians etc to the list - spend a day being pushed about in a wheelchair, before being fed liquidized mush lying down blindfolded and left with a full bladder in a dark room with no access to the toilet. Whilst being stabbed with pins. But I think that's probably not allowed. Shame, it might teach them some compassion.

I accept that there have to be cuts to public spending, but whatever happened to common sense?

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sandra99b
sandra99b
3 Feb 2013
I agree.
sandra.

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tettridge
tettridge
4 Feb 2013
Hi

Teadrnker you have nailed it, the 'Health and Social Care Workers' system is a definite oxymoron with the emphasis on the Moron and in my experience a definite misconception of the word 'Workers' and I am to polite to enter the word that does spring to mind.

Still the more that are off disability will help the government no end with everyone working their 40 hours a week doing God knows what or at least the politicians and the people who work for Jobcentre plus must know as in the words of Baldrick they have a Cunning plan.........

Take care and kindest regards

Terry

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r-bell12
5 Feb 2013
Hello

At the moment the system granted is creaking at the seems, and difficult decisions are having to be taken, when you first begin too discuss various things we all have rose coloured glasses and we have all good intentions and want to do so much to assist and provide a good service to the old, infirm and those who are in mental distress No one can agree with what is going on now, throughout the caring services, These people generally have their hearts in the right place, granted some my be bad although the vast majority are as upset as you or I.
We need to remember it is not generally the staff are the problem, it is their employers, employees do as they are told, and some of them have problems of there own, they sometimes need support like anyone else and they feel as badly done to as anyone else.

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