SINN Féin Councillor Sandra Duffy has said PIP assessment procedures reflects a Tory culture of ‘shame and punishment’ towards welfare recipients.Councillor Duffy explained: “Fundamental flaws and a culture of demeaning claimants is appearing at the heart of the Personal Independence Payments (PIP) system.
“Our elected representatives are receiving regular updates and observations about serious procedural problems that reflect a wider culture of shame and punishment with which the Tories treat welfare recipients.
“The forms involved are extremely and deliberately complex.
“The feedback we are getting is that some assessments are degrading and ridiculous in their nature.
“The Disability Benefits Consortium (DBC) of over 80 charities and organisations surveyed over 1,700 PIP claimants and found that almost 90% of respondents described their assessment as ‘stressful’.
“Over 75% of respondents agreed that the stress and anxiety associated with their PIP assessment had made their condition worse.
“This is unacceptable, and Sinn Féin will be seeking a meeting with Capita in the time ahead to demand immediate changes to how PIP recipients are treated,” she added.
