Disability benefit 'not fit for purpose' and assessments 'dehumanising', review finds

Sir Stephen Timms, the minister leading a government review of Personal Independence Payments (Pip), has declared the benefit "not fit for purpose" after hearing from disabled people who described the assessment process as "dehumanising" and a barrier to work. The interim review, published on Thursday, concludes that the system in England and Wales needs fundamental change. "My view is that the current level of spending is not a great concern," Sir Stephen told the BBC. "What would be a concern would be if it carried on going up forever more." The cost of Pip is forecast to rise to more than £41bn by 2030, but the disability minister said his final report, due later this year, was not expected to make "crude proposals" on payment changes. The review was commissioned by the UK government last year to assess whether Pip was "fair and fit for the future". Pip is a benefit for people with long-term illnesses and disabilities to help with extra costs from living, work and care. Eligibility is determined through an assessment where claimants are scored on a zero-to-12 scale on everyday tasks such as washing, dressing and preparing food. The interim report suggests a sweeping overhaul of the assessment system and highlights a steep increase in the number of recipients and the forecast rise in spending. Autism awareness campaigner Cheryl Fyfield said: "It can be really hard to even qualify for Pip, let alone go through the process if you do qualify every three years. I'm autistic, I'm going to be autistic my whole life, yet every three years I have to go through the gruelling process to be reassessed." Sir Stephen told the BBC Pip "does a very important job in helping people meet the additional costs of disability", but added that disabled people had told the review the assessment can be "dehumanising". Conservative shadow work and pensions secretary Helen Whately accused the government of being "in denial about the seriousness of the situation of our welfare system and the fact that we have to make savings". The final recommendations are expected in the autumn.