Inadequate benefits system puts lives at risk claims epilepsy charity

THE LIVES and safety of people with epilepsy are being put at risk by an inadequate and ineffective disability benefits system, campaigners have warned.

Leeds-based charity Epilepsy Action says the condition has the highest refusal rate for people claiming the personal independence payment (PIP) – 20 per cent above the national average for all health conditions.

Some claimants have been left feeling suicidal after going through the PIP process, the charity’s chief executive, Philip Lee, added.

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) said PIP is better than the old system because it takes a wider look at a claimant’s condition.

But Mr Lee said PIP “is failing to recognise the complex needs of people with epilepsy”.

He added: “PIP is supposed to be helping people with disabilities to live more independent lives and yet ironically they are being denied the very independence they deserve.

“We are hearing increasingly concerning stories from people who say their safety and day-today living are being negatively impacted. Their physical and mental health are also being affected. Some people have even told us they feel suicidal.

“The current system needs to change. If it doesn’t, it will continue to have more devastating effects on people with epilepsy.”

Almost two-thirds of people with epilepsy who previously received disability living allowance (DLA) had their award denied or downgraded following a reassessment for PIP.

Some 15,000 people with epilepsy as their primary condition have been assessed for the transfer from DLA to PIP between October 2013 and October 2016.