Over one thousand Salford people have had either had their disability payments reduced or cut according to the Government's Department for Work and Pensions, following reassessments in the change from Disability Living Allowance (DLA), to Personal Independence Payments (PIP).
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The figures were revealed in an answer to a Parliamentary question by Salford and Eccles MP Rebecca Long-Bailey, who asked 'how many people had personal independence payment awards reduced or removed as a result of reassessment...in each parliamentary constituency in the UK'.
The response from Penny Mordaunt, the Minister of State at the Department for Work and Pensions, disclosed figures only from April 6th to October 31st 2016, as new statistics aren't due out until December this year.
However the trends are pretty shocking. Over the three constituencies that cover Salford – Worsley and Eccles South, Salford and Eccles, and Blackley and Broughton - 1,240 disabled people had either seen a decrease in the monetary value of their payments or had their claims disallowed after, or even before, re-assessment.*
In Salford and Eccles, 200 people had seen a decrease in payments, 160 had been disallowed any payments after reassessment for not scoring enough points, and 30 had payments disallowed before they had even been referred for reassessments 'due to failure of basic eligibility criteria or non-return of the Part 2 form within the time limit'...
In Worsley and Eccles South, 160 people had seen a decrease in payments, 150 had been disallowed payments and 30 had payments disallowed pre-referral.
In Blackley and Broughton (which also covers part of Manchester as well as Salford), 250 people saw a decrease in payments, 230 were disallowed payments post referral and 30 had payments disallowed pre-referral.
In Salford and Eccles, 320 people saw an increase in payments after reassessments and 110 people saw payments unchanged. In Worsley and Eccles South, 280 people saw an increase in payments after reassessments and 110 people saw payments unchanged. And in Blackley and Broughton, 330 saw an increase in payments, while 110 people also saw payments unchanged.
The figures show the arbitrary nature of assessments..."My husband, who has cancer, lost the mobility car through the l**** b**** who assessed him" one Broughton resident told the Salford Star this afternoon "I didn't appeal as it was too much stress on me..."
Meanwhile, the United Nations has recently found the UK Government guilty of "grave or systematic violations of the rights of persons with disabilities"...
"PIP is a step backward from DLA" says Rick Burgess from Manchester Disabled People Against The Cuts (MDPAC) "It is discriminatory and being used to reduce entitlement by an unscrupulous government that is institutionally disablist..."
Outside the Tory Party Conference in Manchester this month, Disabled People Against The Cuts held a 'wall of noise' demonstration as Theresa May was about to speak inside the hall, trying to get their voices heard. They carried banners reading Stop The Human Rights Abuse and, more poignantly, Tory Cuts Kill...
The Salford Star has asked Rebeccca Long-Bailey for a comment on the figures which will be added when we receive it.
To see reassessment statistics for all Parliamentary constituencies – click here and scroll down to the link
To read about the DPAC Wall of Noise protest – click here
* In her Parliamentary answer, Mordaunt explained: "'Award Decreased' means the Department made a decision to award PIP and the total monetary value of the PIP award (Daily Living plus Mobility component) is less than the total monetary value of the DLA award (Care component plus Mobility component)...
"'Disallowed post-referral to the assessment providers (AP)' includes claims that have been disallowed following the assessment due to the claimant not scoring enough points at the assessment to be awarded the benefit, or the claimant failing to attend the assessment without good reason...
"'Disallowed pre-referral to the assessment providers (AP)' includes claims that have been disallowed due to failure of basic eligibility criteria or non-return of the Part 2 form within the time limit and have not been marked as requiring additional support."
Photo by Steven Speed
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