Mar 9th, 2017
Don’t change the rules on PIP
By Rachel Whalley
The government’s changing the rules so that people with mental health problems can’t get essential financial support called Personal Independence Payment (PIP). This is money that helps people pay for carers or therapy sessions. In other words, money needed to live with dignity.
The government’s sneaking through the changes next week without a vote. But there’s a last-minute way that thousands of us could stop this cut happening. The plan is to use a special parliamentary process to force a proper vote in the House of Commons – and the bigger the public outcry, the more likely it is to happen.
That’s where you come in. You’re one of thousands of people reading this email right now. If each of us signs the petition today, it’ll be the first step in our plan to overturn these cuts.
All it takes for the government to change the rules on Personal Independent Payments (PIP) is the stroke of a pen. But the impact would be devastating. Lucia suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder and needs this support to pay for specialist therapy. This is what she said when her support was cut before:
“I’ve had a relapse … My symptoms are getting worse. I only ever felt able to go out with my husband and now it feels impossible. It’s taking so much effort just to function.”
Changing rules which change people’s lives shouldn’t be easy. It needs a proper, democratic vote in Parliament. It would be impossible for any of us to make it happen by ourselves. But that’s why thousands and thousands of us work together as part of 38 Degrees. If each of us signs the petition right now, it’ll be the first step in stopping the government sneaking these cuts through behind closed doors.
The UK is better than this – better than letting down people who need help the most. Any of us could need personal independence payments at some point in our lives, because of a mental health problem, life-changing illness or disability.
When the government tried to cut vital tax credits for low-paid workers and support for people with disabilities in the past, 38 Degrees members mounted massive campaigns to stop the cuts. And we won. Now let’s give it everything we’ve got again.
If you are concerned about the effects of the changes to PIP on you or your family, below are two resources you can use:
Citizens Advice Bureau: Personal Independence Payment:
https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/benefits/sick-or-disabled-people-and-carers/pip/
Carers UK – Challenging a benefit decision:
