Deeside MP takes up constituents ‘personal independence payments’ concerns with government

Local MP Mark Tami says his office has been inundated with constituents, who are unable to work due to their physical or mental condition, and have had their personal independence payments (PIP) cut

Mr Tami has raised a number of written questions to the Government regarding PIP assessments and the amount of cases going through the appeal process.

People who are not happy with PIP assessment results get the opportunity to appeal the decision, first by mandatory reconsideration and then as a tribunal case.

Mr Tami noticed that a large number of decisions were being reversed at both appeal stages and raised the issue with the Department for Work and Pensions.

The Alyn and Deeside MP has asked the Department what it is doing to improve the ratio of personal independence payment cases that reach the appeal stage due to inaccurate assessments.

Mark Tami said;

“Don’t get me wrong I agree that action needs to be taken against abusers of the system, but the people who are coming to my office are genuinely vulnerable people who have obvious physical or mental impairments.

“The Government are going about this the wrong way and it is leaving vulnerable people without any means of income. The disabled community want and need to be treated with dignity, not face further poverty, which has been evident since 2010.

“It’s not fair that these people have to go through the unnecessary stress and anxiety of the appeal process just to have the inaccurate assessments overturned”

Although the Government responded saying they are constantly looking at ways to improve the process, Mark Tami said

“I’ve heard the Government committing to helping the poor, sick and disabled on numerous occasions, it’s about time they started delivering on these promises and not hitting them the hardest in their desperate search for further cuts

The assessments are done by a third party firm called Capita who Mark has also written to. Mark added; “I was getting a number of complaints about the manner of which assessments were conducted, assessments that have left some constituents in tears.

“I have therefore written to Capita raising my concerns and have asked for an investigation into the issue.”