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PIP consultation response: 20 metre threshold is here to stay
The DWP have finally responded to the PIP ‘moving around’ consultation, and they are not making any changes to the criteria. They are keeping the 20 metre threshold.
I haven’t read it all yet but in at the executive summary, the only thing that looks like a concession is that they say ” We will look to introduce a requirement for Health Professionals involved in the assessment to confirm that they have referred to the [reliability] criteria when formulating their advice. We will also revisit the guidance on reliability to ensure it captures the situations we have been told about and ensure that the criteria are applied consistently and fairly. “
appeals are going to be good fun with this criteria.
“well you got here today so that’s high mobility out ruled out…”
But safely, to an acceptable standard, repeatedly and in a reasonable time period.
[ Edited: 2 Dec 2013 at 01:48 pm by alacal ]NB - responding on 14 October 2013 to a question in parliament on people who will lose their Motability vehicle under PIP, Minister for Disabled People Mike Penning said -
‘We are working very closely with Motability, and if someone does lose their Motability vehicle and they were in the scheme prior to January 2013 there will be a £2,000 lump sum to help.’
Well Thanks very much, that is so generous.
I recently had to suffer a £2000 a year cut in pay to remain employed.
My wife has MS and relies on a mobility car to travel to work. Without a car, she will not be able to get there as she cannot use public transport (She falls over if she tries to get on or off a bus).
So when she loses her motability car in a few years time she will be given £2000.
What sort of reliable vehicle will she be able to buy with that paltry sum.
She will have to give up work, we won’t be able to pay our mortgage and we will get evicted.
She will get ESA for 12 months
Then more problems will arise finding suitable rented accommodation to her needs.
So instead of saving the government money, this will cost them more.
Whilst working she pays tax and national insurance.
It beggars belief
The rules dont always make sense to me either. I work in the voluntary sector and my job depends 100% on funding, which is getting harder and harder to maintain.
If i am out of work for 2 years and on JSA my mortgage help stops, as the welfare system will not pay my £200 a month mortgage. This would more than likely lead to eviction/repossession
I would then rent a property and as my LHA is £390 a month then no problemo.
Surely it makes financial sense to pay my lender 200 quid rather than a landlord almost twice the amount??
The argument against continued mortgage interest support is that the state should not pay for your property/home/whatever. Yet if i get £390 a month rent then that pays the landlords mortgage/property? Whats the difference??
The two year mortgage limit has gone from Universal Credit and any secured loan is able to receive interest support. There will be no non-dependant deductions from home owners in Universal Credit either.
Good News!
... except that there are a couple of other changes as well ...
The government has said that they intend to recover any mortgage interest support paid to people on Universal Credit (and Pension Credit) when they sell their home, die etc. (plus interest and an administration charge)
If you have *any* earnings you will no longer receive any mortgage interest support at all ...
... but that means that you may get a higher earnings disregard, which might offset the loss of support ... or not.
Those in shared-ownership have got even more complexities to face (see the several pages on this on my blog at http://blog.cix.co.uk/gmorgan )
Welcome to the new simple benefit where claimants will not require any advice!
The two year mortgage limit has gone from Universal Credit and any secured loan is able to receive interest support. There will be no non-dependant deductions from home owners in Universal Credit either.
Good News!
... except that there are a couple of other changes as well ...
The government has said that they intend to recover any mortgage interest support paid to people on Universal Credit (and Pension Credit) when they sell their home, die etc. (plus interest and an administration charge)
If you have *any* earnings you will no longer receive any mortgage interest support at all ...
... but that means that you may get a higher earnings disregard, which might offset the loss of support ... or not.
Those in shared-ownership have got even more complexities to face (see the several pages on this on my blog at http://blog.cix.co.uk/gmorgan )
Welcome to the new simple benefit where claimants will not require any advice!
I explained universal credit at a presentation to our members recently using playdough.
I had set up individual balls made of playdough and said they represented the individual benefits…..then just rolled them all up together and hey presto you have universal credit..sort of.