Carol Vickers, who receives Personal Independence Payment (PIP) due to her debilitating Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, criticizes the government's approach to welfare reform, asserting they are targeting savings instead of understanding the real needs of individuals with disabilities. As the government aims to cut £5 billion from the welfare budget, Vickers explains that the current PIP payment of about £100 weekly is grossly insufficient for her monthly expenses of around £1,000. She emphasizes the degrading experience of the assessment process, which assumes dishonesty in claimants seeking necessary support.
The assessment process itself is awful, says Carol Vickers, who feels the government is misaddressing welfare reforms by not targeting root causes of disability challenges.
The Work and Pensions Secretary claims reforms aren't simply about saving money, yet officials admit they indeed have a savings target impacting the welfare system.
Vickers’s experience with the Personal Independence Payment exemplifies the flawed approach towards disability benefits, which should focus on actual needs rather than financial cuts.
Currently, the £100 per week Vickers receives is inadequate against her estimated £1,000 monthly costs of managing her condition and maintaining independence.
#welfare-reform #disability-benefits #personal-independence-payment #government-policy #ehlers-danlos-syndrome
Collection
[
|
...
]