DWP Secretary Liz Kendall's admits PIP voucher reform a 'real concern' after outcry

Public outcry over planned reforms to disability benefits at the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) appears to have been dropped by the new government after becoming a "real concern" for Personal Independence Payment (PIP) claimants.

At the first ever meeting of the Work and Pensions Committee under the new Labour administration, Liberal Democrat MP Steve Darling scrutinised the Secretary of State on whether she would rule out the idea of replacing cash PIP with vouchers, a concept previously floated by the Conservatives. Liz Kendall provided a clear indication that removing the choice from disability benefit recipients regarding their spending was not on the agenda for welfare reform.

The DWP chief pointed out that the prior government "didn't have a plan, they had a consultation" which garnered over 1,600 responses, reports the Daily Record. Ms Kendall expressed that she was "very struck, particularly by the comments people made around shifting support to vouchers, where many organisations said their real concern was that it took away people's autonomy - particularly when services are so stretched and tight."

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She also noted that she had considered those remarks "very, very carefully" and confirmed that the Labour Government will present its own proposals to "reform sickness and disability benefits ", founded on solid principles of "getting the decision right first time, early intervention, genuine support to help people into work, helping people live full, fulfilling and independent lives".

However, she emphasised the complexity of the situation, stating: "It's extremely difficult and I know people really want more detail, but we won't do that until we're absolutely ready and have had the proper discussions with people". Last month, Sir Stephen Timms MP, the Minister for Social Security and Disabilities, confirmed that the DWP has "no plans to publish a response to the previous government's consultation", effectively pushing back the possibility of replacing PIP cash with vouchers or grants.

This written response was given to Lib Dems Chief Whip Wendy Chamberlain, who queried whether the DWP intended to respond to the consultation, which was published by the then Conservative government. In another written statement, the DWP Minister also confirmed that the Department is "exploring potential changes to modernise the PIP service to improve claimants' experience and trust in our services and decisions."

The previous Conservative government's Green Paper suggested that if the DWP were to consider alternative methods of supporting individuals with disabilities and long-term health conditions - other than regular cash payments - it could continue to contribute to people's additional costs through different models.