Mentally ill people being used as ‘political football’, campaigners say

The proposals were criticised by campaigners and clinicians for ramping up “benefit scrounger” rhetoric while disregarding how difficult it is to claim Pip and ignoring underlying drivers of ill-health, from rising poverty to inadequate NHS services.

Families in poverty were likely to be hardest hit by attempts to cut eligibility for Pip payments because of their heavy reliance on the benefit to pay for food and energy, charities warned.

“We would like to understand whether some people receiving Pip who have lower, or no extra costs, may have better outcomes from improved access to treatment and support than from a cash payment,” the green paper states.

Iain Porter, senior policy adviser at the Joseph Rowntree Foundation said: “This [the green paper] is clearly an opportunity for the government to sound tough, but it is on the backs of people who are already facing huge challenges financially as well as with their health.

Dr Lade Smith, president of the Royal College of Psychiatrists, said: “If government is committed to addressing this crisis, it must tackle the causes of mental illness and ensure people have timely access to the care and treatment they need.”

Anela Anwar, chief executive of anti-poverty organisation Z2K, said: “It’s clear these proposals have been dreamt up with no serious input from people with lived or learned experience of the reality of disability benefits.”