DWP PIP claimants fear benefit cuts after Pat McFadden update, Digi Mart USA News: Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) Personal Independence Payment (PIP) claimants are fearful of their benefits being slashed by the Labour Party government after an update from Pat McFadden.
Mr McFadden has been in Copenhagen, Denmark, where he has been analysing the Scandinavian nation’s so-called Fleksjob scheme. The European scheme subsidises employment for individuals with health conditions or disabilities rather than placing them on sick leave.
Legislation to reform the UK welfare system is expected next year, following upcoming reports from Alan Milburn and Stephen Timms. In the wake of Mr McFadden’s media rounds, ITV News spoke to Charlotte, 24, from Bournemouth, about how something like the Fleksjob scheme in the UK would affect her life.
Charlotte, who has cerebral palsy, said she is worried about the possibility of her disability benefit being cut. The proposed DWP overhauls come as the Office for Budget Responsibility forecasts that the UK welfare bill will swell to £431 billion by the 2031-32 financial year.
The Timms Review is exploring changes to the PIP system, which now has a staggering four million claimants. The Milburn Review, meanwhile, is focusing on so-called NEETs, young people who are not in education, employment or training.
Speaking to ITV on Friday, Charlotte said: “My PIP is quite literally my independence in terms of the job search. It’s taxis to be able to get to interviews in a prompt manner.
“It’s being able to print my fresh versions of my CV. If I didn’t have that, it would be a much more isolating experience.”
Mr McFadden, who was re-appointed DWP minister under Andy Burnham, said that while he cannot “lift and shift exactly the same scheme,” the UK could follow “the success of what’s happened in Denmark.”
The Danish Fleksjob model was introduced in 1998 and allows people with disabilities or health conditions to work as few as four hours a week, with their wages subsidised by the state. Denmark now has a low overall unemployment rate of 2.7 per cent, while the UK’s is double that.
