The Government has released its consultation on changes to Personal Independence Payment (PIP) alongside a Green Paper setting out proposals for reform. Many autistic people depend on PIP to live full and dignified lives. The current system is not suitable for autistic people and needs reform, but a simple cost-cutting exercise will simply mean autistic people are let down. 

The Government propose to alter the eligibility criteria for current and future PIP recipients, with the aim of reducing spending on support for people living with disabilities. The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, Mel Stride MP proposed that talking therapies, social care packages and respite care, could be used as alternatives to benefit payments.

For many people in receipt of PIP, talking therapies and social care could help, but long waiting lists mean help isn’t available when people need it. We’ve had promises of much needed reform on social care, but the Government has never delivered it.

The minister also said in interviews this week that people are receiving benefits for ‘ordinary difficulties’ in life and that it is an “open question” as to whether people with conditions such as ADHD and learning disabilities should be receiving cash benefits. These comments show a misunderstanding of what PIP is used for and any plans to remove cash benefits for people with ADHD and learning disabilities would inevitably affect a significant number of autistic people.

This shouldn’t happen, the rights of disabled people including autistic people to access the support they need to live their lives is not an ‘’open question’’. 

Changes may affect how a disabled person’s daily functions and capacities are measured, the length of time that a person is required to live with a disability before being eligible for PIP support, and how the PIP is issued. The Government has also proposed new measures to restrict how disabled people spend their money. These changes have the potential to restrict access to vital benefits for autistic people.  

The benefits system and autistic people

Many autistic adults rely on benefits, including PIP. Only 3 in 10 autistic adults are in work, compared with 5 in 10 disabled adults and 8 in 10 adults generally. Autistic people face significant barriers to accessing work such as a lack of understanding, stigma and inappropriate support. Whilst not all autistic people can work, we know most want to. 77% of Autistic people who were unemployed told us that they wanted to work, yet only 12% of Autistic adults receive employment supports. However, without an employment system that meets the needs of autistic people, many rely on these benefits to meet their basic needs. Restricting access to vital benefits in this context would be damaging to many Autistic people. 

The benefits system is inherently challenging for Autistic people to navigate. 75% of autistic people told us that they found their benefits forms difficult to complete., 86% also told us that their benefits claims took too long to process. The health assessments process is also inadequate to meet the needs of autistic people. Just 19% of autistic people had their assessment in a suitable location.  We hope that the Government uses this opportunity to deliver much needed reform to the health assessment process.

What are we doing?

We have heard from autistic people that are deeply worried about the recent news coverage around PIP and benefits. They feel their needs are being dismissed by the Government. We are committed to advocating for autistic people and calling for an appropriately funded benefits system which meets their needs.

We will be writing a consultation response over the next couple months. We will also be continuing to influence MPs and Civil servants on crucial issues that affect our community, including disability and unemployment. We will be pushing for vital reforms that support Autistic people, in and out of work.

Have your say

This is an Open Consultation. That means that everyone can submit evidence and have their voice heard. If you follow the link below you will find the consultation document. It is possible to submit answers to the questions online or via email and post if you prefer.
The Consultation Document lists 38 questions across the main topics of the review. You can answer as many or as few as you like.

The link to the government consultation can be found here.

We will read through the consultation and consider how we can make sure as many autistic people’s as possible are able to respond to the consultation and have their voices heard. 

Comment:

Joey Nettleton Burrows, Policy and Public Affairs Manager at the National Autistic Society, said: We are extremely concerned about the Government’s suggestion of restricting payments for people with ‘certain conditions’ such as ADHD and learning disabilities – both of which affect a significant number of autistic people. 
 
Reforms are desperately needed, but we are concerned that changes to personal independent payments (PIP) could have a detrimental impact on autistic people in receipt of it.  
 
Autistic people already face an unsuitable system in accessing the benefits they are entitled to - with only 19% of autistic people telling us that the location of their health assessment was suitable.
 
Stricter rules won’t help, instead they are likely to take away a key source of income for autistic people who are unable to work or face numerous barriers to finding employment - currently only 3 in 10 autistic people are in work. 
 
The Minister also outlined that for many people in receipt of PIP, talking therapies and social care should be the answer - but he fails to acknowledge that social care reform has been promised and yet this Government has consistently failed to deliver.
 
We will respond to the PIP consultation and make our concerns clear that the current system is not suitable for autistic people and any proposed reforms must consider their needs.