Benefit cuts a 'perfect storm for claimants'
SuppliedPlans to restrict eligibility for Personal Independence Payments (Pip) are the "perfect storm for every claimant", a recipient of the benefit has warned.
Elspeth Oakley, 26, from Morpeth in Northumberland, has received Pip since 2021 for her long term mental health issues and uses it for things like taxis to increase her independence.
She said the proposed changes make her "incredibly anxious" and warned that people who are eligible would be put off applying as the process already makes claimants feel like they are "under investigation for a crime they haven't committed".
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is consulting on Pip proposals and encouraged people to take part.
The DWP has said it expects about 370,000 current Pip recipients to no longer qualify for the support as a result of changes to eligibility criteria, which could come in from November 2026.
Ms Oakley said it felt like the government was "just trying to take away from the most vulnerable in society".
"I use my Pip for things that a lot of people would take for granted," she said.
That includes £10 for a tube of a specific type of toothpaste that does not trigger sensory overload or cause her physical pain, as well as higher costs for items like ready meals and pre-chopped vegetables.
Ms Oakley said she may not be affected by the changes due to the severity of her condition, but that if it was taken away she would become more isolated.
She said: "I don't think there is anybody who claims Pip that isn't feeling anxiety about it because you never know what's going to happen when you're next assessed."
It often takes claimants months or years to even apply because of the "mental toll of half the press calling you a scrounger", Ms Oakley said.
"We already normalise our difficulties, so increasing the threshold is just going to make it even worse.
"It all just feels like they've stopped caring about disabled people."
A DWP spokesperson said the government would "encourage everyone to have their voices heard through our consultation to help build a system that works better for all".
The review would ensure Pip was "fit for the future", the spokesperson claimed, adding the government is working with "disabled people and key organisations representing them to consider how best to do this ensuring there are safeguards in place to protect the most vulnerable".