DWP benefit reform – PIP assessment procedure. A very concerning report from the Disability News Service

From the DNS report:

A new assessment regime for disability benefits that will reduce the influence of healthcare professionals and hand greater responsibility to civil servants is set to be rolled out across the country before ministers have seen a detailed evaluation of its impact.

Documents secured by Disability News Service (DNS) show that ministers are set to extend the Transformed Decision Making in Personal Independence Payment (TDM) pilot project this autumn, even though only early findings from the project will be available by then.

There is no mention in the documents of any concerns over how claimant safety will be affected by the project, which has previously been described as a “recipe for disaster” by Disability Rights UK.

And, according to the documents, parliament has not been briefed on the project, despite the sweeping changes they are bringing to the personal independence payment (PIP)

assessment system, which is already undergoing a major review.

TDM dramatically alters the PIP assessment process by removing key responsibilities from healthcare professionals such as nurses, paramedics and physiotherapists and passing them to DWP civil servants, who are highly unlikely to have clinical experience or qualifications.

Continued here:

https://www.disabilitynewsservice.com/ministers-set-to…

Dr Charles Shepherd

Hon Medical Adviser MEA.