The DWP are apparently attempting to rebuild disabled people’s trust in them. This came as a massive surprise to all of us here at The Canary, who have been documenting the department‘s various forms of violence against disabled people for a long time. Many hoped the horrific treatment of disabled people would ease when Labour took control, but it obviously didn’t.
DWP—Improve trust in PIP? Are you having a laugh?!
The minister for disabled people, Stephen Timms, was answering a written question about whether Capita would be required to record PIP assessments when he dropped the bombshell. MP Alex Easton also asked if the minister would assess the potential impact this would have on the claimant’s experience and evidence in appeals.
Timms answered that currently, audio recordings are available for phone and in-person assessments. However, he explained that in the Pathways to Work green paper, the department set out that they wanted to record all assessments, with the option to opt out.
It was then he dropped this line:
“By doing so, we hope to improve people’s trust in the health assessment process”
5 reasons why Timms doesn’t give a fuck about disabled people
Timms says he wants to regain disabled people’s trust in the PIP process, but there are many, many reasons why that isn’t true. Here are just 5 reasons why Timm’s is lying, though there are definitely way more. By the way, these are all just from this year.
1 They tried to decimate PIP in the summer
The DWP must think we all have incredibly short memories, because it was just four months ago that they attempted to rush through cuts that would’ve destroyed PIP claimants’ lives. In the proposed cuts they wanted to make it much harder to qualify for PIP, which would mean thousands would’ve lost it. The cuts only didn’t happen because, after mass campaigning by disabled people, Labour MPs rebelled.
Timms played a Hail Mary at the last minute, taking PIP off the table during the debate, saying that instead he would lead a review. This meant MPs were able to vote through the Universal Credit cuts.
2 The Pathways to Work Review was absolutely bullshit
The Pathways to Work consultation didn’t actually consult on the changes the government wished to make to PIP. Instead, they focused on how they would support people who lost PIP as a result of the changes, as if it was already a foregone conclusion. This is probably because MPs were due to vote on the cuts the day after the consultation ended. The consultation was only done in the first place because they wanted to make it seem like their cuts were completely different to the equally as cruel tory ones. When in fact the only difference was that the Tory consultation actually focused on solutions — albeit those solutions were the utter dogshit “vouchers instead of benefits”.
3 White paper binned whilst they took all the trash out at once
After months of waiting, Pat McFadden decided that they just wouldn’t be publishing the follow-up white paper to the Pathways to Work green paper and consultation. Instead, he said they would publish statements on individual issues. What this meant was that the DWP released 23 announcements in a single day. Buried amongst these were the Timms review terms of reference and public responses to the PTW consultation. This is such an obvious tactic to overwhelm campaigners and water down press coverage.
4 Timms Review attempts to placate disabled people
After rushing in last minute to stop Labour “rebels” ruining their plans to kill disabled people, Timms is now left in charge of leading the review to reform PIP. Disabled people’s organisations have been, as you’d expect, anxious to see what will come of this. So Timms has been doing his best to placate them. DDPOs demanded that disabled people co-produce the review, that it remain fully transparent and it exclude cuts. In September, Timms told DDPOs that he was looking at the possibility of an outside body helping to set up the review. In the end, the review panel will include just 12 disabled people. This is hardly representative of the community.
5 Timms Review is looking to be an absolute farce
In the end, DDPOs had no involvement in the setting up of the panel or input on the terms of reference. The Terms of Reference were as mentioned, slipped out along with 22 other pieces of information, probably to disguise the fact the review is going to be a fucking joke. Hidden amongst platitudes about how they want to make the system “fairer” for disabled people are plans that will destroy disabled people’s lives. Despite the DWP stating in the run-up to the cuts that the reforms would only affect new claimants, they will consider whether they can punish current claimants too. Essentially, they want to kick as many people as possible off PIP, any way they can.
Timms can claim all he wants that the DWP aims to rebuild disabled people’s trust in the PIP system and create a “fairer” system. However, this is impossible when the DWP is an absolute fucking cesspit that more than anything wants to punish and belittle disabled people before it actually helps us.
Featured image via the Canary
This post was originally published on Canary.