One in three with MS on highest support rate see payments reduced under new plan

By Harriet Line30th August 2017News EnglandDisabilities, Government / Politics, Multiple Sclerosis, News England, Welfare Reform

Almost one in three people with multiple sclerosis who received the highest rate of Government support have had their payments downgraded or denied after being reassessed for a new disability benefit, figures show.

The MS Society found that people with the disease have received at least £6 million less since Personal Independence Payment (PIP) started to replace the Disability Living Allowance (DLA) in 2013.

A Freedom of Information request showed that 2,600 people who received the highest-rate mobility component of DLA had their payments reduced after PIP reassessment between October 2013 and October 2016.

The charity calculated a loss of at least £4,867,200 a year from those receiving the highest rate of mobility support and £1,141,920 a year from those receiving the highest care rate.

It said the Department for Work and Pensions had not provided evidence that those affected have less need for support.

Genevieve Edwards, director of external affairs at the MS Society, said: “These staggering figures show how PIP is failing some of the most vulnerable people with MS who need the highest level of support.

“It doesn’t make sense that people are losing money they once qualified for, when they are living with a progressive condition that will never improve.”

She said assessors “rarely” have sufficient knowledge about the condition, meaning “significant numbers are getting the wrong decisions about what they’re entitled to”.

“The Government urgently needs to fix this broken system so that PIP assessments reflect the realities of living with MS,” she said.

“Having MS is hard enough; it shouldn’t be made harder by a welfare system that doesn’t make sense.”

A DWP spokeswoman said: “Under PIP, 36% more multiple sclerosis claimants receive the highest rate of support than under DLA.

“We recognise symptoms of multiple sclerosis can fluctuate over time, and regular reassessments mean we can ensure people with degenerative conditions get the help they need as their condition changes.

“Assessments consider illnesses which affect sufferers during the majority of days in a year, rather than just on someone’s best days or assessing ability on a single day.”