The UK’s Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, Discussed Long-Term Physical and Mental Health Conditions

On Friday, the prime minister of the UK, Rishi Sunak, addressed the reforms of PIP (Personal Independence payment) explaining the benefits of the reforms of PIP for claimants with mental health conditions by the replacement of some cash payments to providing treatment or access to services. He said that work is good for people’s mental health, thus those with less severe mental health problems should continue to engage in working and talking therapies and treatment will be provided to people with mental health conditions.

For substantiating a PIP greater medical evidence will be required because according to reformed PIP, the government will provide cash payments only to those who have long-term physical and mental health problems. Additionally, this reform will target to tackle the growing “sick note culture” by removing the power of General Practitioners(GPs) to provide sick notes because some people who are not sick, but show themselves sick and avail the benefits of the PIP, which is definitely a concern for the government.

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Impact of Welfare Reforms on PIP and Vulnerable Individuals

However, People with disabilities who get benefits via PIP are criticizing the planned welfare reforms, saying it’s directly targeting the vulnerable people. Many people having such welfare payments, interacted with the media and showed some common benefits and challenges of ongoing PIP and the consequences of reformed PIP in their lives:

• Paying Bills: People with disabilities need more money to pay their bills, such as some of them need a powered electricity wheelchair that increases their electricity bills, and some need always a person to help them dress, wash, etc. All these need extra expenses apart from all the basic requirements such as of food, rent, etc. These people manage their bills with the help of receiving payment through PIP.
• Adverse impact on health: This welfare payment helps people to enhance their physical and mental health, but curbing it will lead to poverty among people with disabilities and will worsen their physical and mental health.

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Personal Independence payment was launched in 2013 for disabled people over the age of 16 in the United Kingdom as a social security benefit. It is the replacement for Disability Living Allowance (DLA). It helps people with disabilities in the UK through some amount of payments. However, the reformed PIP will benefit from welfare payments to those who are facing long-term physical and mental health conditions, others will be expected to enjoy the world of work. However, people with mental health problems will be provided therapy and treatment but not welfare payments. Furthermore, this reform will target to enhance the working abilities focusing more on what people can do than what they can’t.