Why welfare reforms don't need to happen
More than two-thirds (67%) of people seeking advice from a CAB have a disability or long-term health condition. This comes at significant cost, especially for those in remote and rural communities. People don't have enough to live on, many are grappling with debt and destitution, and physical and mental health is getting worse. Poverty is a consequence and cause of disability and ill health, meaning the need for social security has grown alongside poverty rates.
One of the proposals seeks to radically narrow eligibility criteria for the Personal Independence Payment (PIP) so that fewer people can receive this. PIP and its equivalent in Scotland, Adult Disability Payment (ADP), are enabling payments. They exist to cover the additional costs of disability or ill health. They're not means-tested or linked to the ability to work.
Narrowing the criteria to access the daily living component of PIP – which includes support for preparing food or managing incontinence – will remove payments that enable many people to work. More than a quarter (27%) of those seeking ADP advice from our network are in employment. Removing people from the work force, which will happen if these proposals go head, is completely senseless.
It's unclear what impact the reforms will have on devolved social security in Scotland. Alongside a dramatically reduced budget, complexity could be added to the system, making it more difficult for people to claim payments they're entitled to. It is imperative the UK Government works closely with the Scottish Government to avoid this. People urgently need reassurance, as is clear from the CEO of Glasgow Northwest CAB: "We've already seen a spike in demand from people asking what this is going to mean. People are so worried – I don't know how much more they can take. Or our advisers. How do we tell even more people who are cold and hungry, facing mounting debts and deteriorating health there's nothing else we can do to increase their incomes? This will be devastating for all of us."
There's a choice to be made; improving the circumstances of sick and disabled people should not be a difficult one. It's clear for us when we hear the worry in the voices of our advisers and the thousands who visit our CABs, our leaders need to listen too – these reforms do not need to go ahead.
Emma Jackson is head of Social Justice at Citizens Advice Scotland
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Metro
11 hours ago
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This alarming health problem makes children miss school - and how we fix it
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Mariel Goulart, a dentist who led the research for Glasgow University, told Metro: 'Missing school, even just half-days, can hurt a child's learning 'This study shows that fixing tooth decay isn't just about health – it's about giving kids a fair chance in school, especially in deprived communities.' The study, which looked at kids aged 4 to 7 years old, was published on July 7 this year. Of the children being studied who had tooth decay, they missed on average22 half days, or 11 full days at school. Those without tooth decay missed only 15 half-days or 7 full days. When researchers adjusted these results to account for other factors, they found children with caries experience (tooth decay) missed on average five more half-days of school per year. The most concerning finding, however, was how children from poorer backgrounds could miss even more school due to dental hygiene. Researchers found that school kids in the poorest areas missed nearly twice as many days due to teeth problems compared to those in wealthier areas. Goulart said of this result: 'I honestly didn't think it would be this much. 'Child poverty is something that is really important for oral health and education outcomes are related to income levels.' Government research shows that pupils who performed better both at the end of primary and secondary school missed fewer days than those who didn't perform as well. Goulart says, however, that poor oral hygiene could be impacting learning even if kids turn up to lessons. She explained: 'What about the days when children were at school but in pain? Were they paying attention to the classroom? I don't think so.' As a result, the researcher is calling for free school meals to be rolled out more widely across the UK. 'Free school meals should be available for every child despite personal income,' she said. 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The government's new scheme aims to give 600,000 children in the most deprived areas access to supervised toothbrushing. Health minister Stephen Kinnock said in March: 'It is shocking that a third of 5-year-olds in the most deprived areas have experience of tooth decay – something we know can have a lifelong impact on their health. 'On top of this, we will reform the dental contract to get dentists providing more NHS work as we fundamentally reform the sector through our Plan for Change so it is there for patients once again. 'It's why we're delivering supervised toothbrushing to young children and families who are most in need of support as part of our wider plans to revive the oral health of the nation. 'This includes providing 23 million free toothbrushes and toothpastes through our partnership with Colgate-Palmolive to reach up to 600,000 children each year. 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STV News
a day ago
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'I was maimed by the NHS and left to wait - this is the reality for mesh victims'
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Daily Record
a day ago
- Daily Record
Five most-claimed PIP conditions providing people with up to £749 every month
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Five most-claimed PIP health conditions The five most commonly recorded disabling conditions for claims under normal rules are: Psychiatric disorders - 1,444,016 claimants Musculoskeletal disease (general) - 707,084 claimants Neurological disease - 476,659 Musculoskeletal disease (regional) - 447,794 claimants Respiratory disease - 138,428 claimants PIP and ADP provide weekly support of between £29.20 and £187.45, some £116.80 or £749.80 every four-week pay period. Both disability benefits are designed to help people with the additional costs of living with a disability, long-term illness, or physical or mental health condition. Many people may be unaware that PIP and ADP can provide support for hundreds of health conditions. Both benefits could help people with daily living tasks or moving around, or both. However, it would not be beneficial to list all 536 conditions recorded by DWP during the PIP application process as an award for the disability benefit is determined by how a person's health condition affects their ability to perform daily living tasks such as cooking, washing, eating, dressing and engaging with other people in a safe and timely way. There are also awards to help if you have difficulty moving around. This means that every claim for PIP or ADP is unique for each applicant, which could also help people thinking about making a new claim to start the process. Below is a full overview of PIP and ADP, including the five most-claimed conditions and the main disabling conditions, as classified by the DWP. PIP cannot be backdated, but payments start from the date the claim was submitted, to cover the handling time at the DWP. Disabling conditions recorded by DWP These are the main disability categories, the umbrella term by which more than 530 other conditions fall under. This list is only an overview of conditions, disorders and diseases and how the DWP lists the main disabilities being claimed for. Haematological Disease Infectious disease Malignant disease Metabolic disease Psychiatric disorders Neurological disease Visual disease Hearing disorders Cardiovascular disease Gastrointestinal disease Diseases of the liver, gallbladder, biliary tract Skin disease Musculoskeletal disease (general) Musculoskeletal disease (regional) Autoimmune disease (connective tissue disorders) Genitourinary disease Endocrine disease Respiratory disease Multisystem and extremes of age Diseases of the immune system Unknown or missing Below is an overview of PIP and ADP. Even though new claims for PIP have been replaced in Scotland by ADP, it shares most of the same eligibility criteria. Full guidance on ADP can be found on the website here. Who might be eligible for PIP or ADP? To be eligible for PIP or ADP, you must have a health condition or disability where you: have had difficulties with daily living or getting around (or both) for 3 months expect these difficulties to continue for at least 9 months You usually need to have lived in the UK for at least two of the last three years and be in the country when you apply. In addition to what we have outlined above, if you get or need help with any of the following because of your condition, you should consider applying for PIP or ADP. preparing, cooking or eating food managing your medication washing, bathing or using the toilet dressing and undressing engaging and communicating with other people reading and understanding written information making decisions about money planning a journey or following a route moving around There are different rules if you are terminally ill, you will find these on the website here. whether you can do it safely how long it takes you how often your condition affects this activity whether you need help to do it, from a person or using extra equipment How are PIP and ADP paid? PIP and ADP are usually paid every four weeks unless you are terminally ill, in which case it is paid weekly. It will be paid directly into your bank, building society or credit union account. ADP is paid at the same rates as PIP. PIP and ADP payment rates 2025/26 You will need an assessment to work out the level of financial help you will receive and your rate will be regularly reviewed to make sure you are getting the right support. Payments are made every four weeks. PIP is made up of two components: Daily living Mobility Whether you get one or both of these and how much depends on how severely your condition affects you. You will be paid the following amounts per week depending on your circumstances: Daily living Standard rate: £73.90 Enhanced rate: £110.40 Mobility Standard rate: £29.20 Enhanced rate: £77.05 How you are assessed You will be assessed by an independent healthcare professional to help the DWP determine the level of financial support, if any, you need, for PIP. Face-to-face consultations for health-related benefits are offered alongside video calls, telephone and paper-based assessments - it's important to be aware that the health professional and DWP determine which type of assessment is best suited for each claimant. You can find out more about DWP PIP assessments here. Adult Disability Payment assessments will not involve face-to-face assessments, unless this is preferred by the claimant - find out more about the changes here. How do you make a claim for PIP? You can make a new claim by contacting the DWP, you will find all the information you need to apply on the website here. 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