Why are so many disabled people being denied benefits?
AS AN advocate working for Age UK, I daily encounter the situation described by Lisa Sanderson (Letters). Her disabled husband’s PIP (Personal Independence Payment) was withdrawn after a consultation with an Atos assessor. The process of awarding PIP is fundamentally flawed and the majority of applications are rejected. This is repeated at the mandatory review stage, necessitating an appeal that can take up to 12 months. Disabled, vulnerable and disadvantaged applicants are being put through intolerable hoops and financial difficulties. Many are terrified by a process that involves them ‘going to court’ and appearing before a ‘judge’ to get what they deserve.
BARRIE COATES, Leigh, Lancs. hAviNG worked for the DWP, the sandersons’ case is symptomatic of a medical assessment system that is
cruel and, at times, unfair. A rigorous medical review assessment is essential to ensure benefits are paid only to people who deserve them, particularly with the welfare bill in excess of £200 billion. But assessments should be caring, sensitive and scrupulously fair. A recurring theme in appeals is that the assessor erroneously attributed statements to the claimant, which would adversely affect the decision on continuing the benefit. In the case of Mr Sanderson, it was stated that he refused to get out of his wheelchair, even though the assessor had said he could remain seated. The fact that 40 per cent of appeals based on flawed Atos reports are successful shows something is terribly wrong. Is it down to the fact that the assessors are set targets for the number of claimants they find fit for work? P. HENRICK, Birmingham.
MY DAUGHTER has an incurable illness. The Atos assessor wrote down incorrect answers and her payments were reduced after she was given a rating of two points. We appealed and it rose to ten points. But she needs 12 points for a car with a hoist. How can people who are not medical professionals make a diagnosis of illnesses and disabilities? Losing her independence has exacerbated my daughter’s mental health issues and will cost the NHS more money in the long run.
Name supplied, Hythe, Kent.