Not everything in life is certain, but one thing is. We will all get old, and our thoughts will then turn to where are we going to live out our days.
Well, I saw a wonderful answer recently when I attended the formal opening of Hunslet Moor House. Built on the site of an old shopping centre, it provides extra care affordable apartments which Leeds City Council has 100% nomination rights to. This is really good, but nothing quite prepared me for what I encountered when I walked through the front door. There on the right is a bistro/cafe which was absolutely buzzing. It’s been put there as part of the development not only for the residents but also for the local community to use. You can come in and have a cup of coffee or a bite to eat. It was unlike any other sheltered accommodation I’ve ever been into, and I thought the architects had done a wonderful job of creating a welcoming space. The flats are lovely too and there is also a guest suite so that family members coming from far away can stay over.
As it so happened, I know two of the residents who had moved in recently and they were both full of praise for their new home. Now, we all know that it is people who make places rather than buildings, but this is one example of where the two have come together to make a home that the residents are clearly very happy to be in. Can we please have more developments like this?
I have had quite a number of emails from people anxious about the benefit changes that have recently been announced, and I am busy replying to them.
The first thing to say is that the current system is not effective in supporting disabled people and the cost is unsustainable.
Spending on disability benefits has increased by 45% in real terms since the Covid pandemic and, without taking action, it would rise by a further £18 billion over the next five years. The number of working age people claiming personal independence payment (PIP) is set to more than double this decade from 2 million to 4.3 million. Every day, there are more than 1,000 new PIP awards and that’s the equivalent of adding a population the size of Leicester every single year. This is not sustainable long-term. And when you look at other comparable countries, including Australia, Canada, the Netherlands and the United States, their spending on equivalent benefits has fallen or remained stable over the same period.
The second thing I would say is that the system isn’t working for many disabled people themselves. To take just one example, we have nearly 1 million young people not in education, employment, or training – that is one in eight of the next generation. We cannot simply shrug our shoulders and accept this because it’s not good for those young people and it’s not good for the future of our society.
And that is why the changes are going to put more support and more effort into helping people to get into work for the first time or back into work, with an additional £1bn a year for work, health and skill support through a new “pathways to work “ programme. Universal Credit payments will be rebalanced by increasing the standard allowance above inflation for the first time ever.
Existing claimants will be protected by holding the health top-up steady in cash terms while they benefit from the higher standard allowance. There will be an additional premium for new claimants with the most severe, life-long health conditions, who have no prospect of improvement and will never be able to work. The Work Capability Assessment (WCA) will go entirely. It’s failing people and unhelpfully labelling them as either ‘can’ or ‘can’t’ work, when the reality is that health conditions can fluctuate and many want support to work.
There will be a new ‘right to try’ guarantee that work – in and of itself – will never lead to someone being called for a reassessment. This is in addition to rules in place which allow people to try work and return to their old benefit without the need for reassessment if it doesn’t work out.
On PIP (Personal Independence Payment), from next November people will need to score a minimum of 4 points in at least one activity to qualify for the daily living element. This will not affect the mobility component of PIP. This will focus PIP more on those with the greatest needs by ensuring that people who are unable to complete activities at all, or who require more help from others to complete them, still get support.
This will mean, however, that some people with lower-level needs will no longer get PIP. This change will not happen overnight. It will apply to new claims and award reviews from next year, subject to parliamentary approval. And of course, as is the case currently, if someone is unhappy about a decision following a PIP assessment or reassessment, they will continue to be able to appeal to the Tribunal. Changes will apply to existing recipients of PIP when they reach their next review – which is usually every three years. If your disability or health condition is a severe and lifelong one, and your circumstances remain unchanged, then you will be protected and you will never be fully reassessed. For those who are affected by the new eligibility changes we are consulting on how best to support this group, including how to make sure their health and care needs are met.
I know this is a difficult issue, but it’s worth remembering that, even after these changes, the welfare budget will continue to grow over the next few years.
Hilary Benn is our Member of Parliament. He represents the Leeds South constituency.
Email: hilary.benn.mp@parliament.uk | Website: www.hilarybennmp.com
Constituency office:
Unity Business Centre, 26 Roundhay Road, Leeds, LS7 1AB
Tel: 0113 244 1097
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