Social Security Advisory Committee consultation on Universal Credit and related regulations (July 2012)
Work and Pensions Select Committee Inquiry on progress towards implementation of Universal Credit (August 2012)
Independent Harrington Review on the Work Capability Assessment (third year call for evidence) (September 2012)
Now into the third year of the review RNIB still wants the Work Capability Assessment to meet the needs of blind and partially sighted individuals accessing Employment and Support Allowance. Our evidence to the independent Harrington Review argues that the assessment is failing to adequately reflect the barriers faced by people with sight loss and there are heavy flaws in the processes of assesment itself.
Department of Work and Pensions Third Consultation on Personal Independence Payment - 'Completing the Detailed Design' (June 2012)
RNIB believes that the proposed assessment process to move people off Disability Living Allowance (DLA) and determine entitlement to Personal Independence Payment (PIP) is being designed to meet an arbitrary reduction in expenditure. It is essential that blind and partially sighted people are able to understand the new processes which will require existing DLA claimants to make a fresh application for PIP. Blind and partially sighted claimants must have accessible communications from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and any private organisations running assessments. Blind and partially sighted claimants, like all other disabled people undergoing the process of reassessment, will need independent information and advice to help navigate the new systems and processes. RNIB is very concerned that the plans for reassessment could still erect barriers to compliance that are: avoidable; more expensive; and will deny blind and partially sighted people access to vital support.
Department of Work and Pensions Second Consultation on Personal Independence Payment (April 2012)
The Government is to replace Disability Living Allowance (DLA) with Personal Independence Payment (PIP). We responded in detail to the White Paper and to the draft regulations . We continue to be involved in further discussions with officials at the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). The requirement to make over £1 billion in savings hangs over them. This has proved an obstacle to developing a benefit that properly meets the range of needs of disabled people and not least the additional costs associated with sight loss. There are a number of areas where we consider that the impact of sight loss has not been properly recognised. In some cases this is due to the restrictive definition of an activity, in others because the criteria specifically define conditions or circumstances that apply but exclude particular groups of people.
Work and Pensions Select Committee Inquiry on Personal Independence Payment - further evidence on the second draft of regulations (December 2011)
The Government has started listening to blind and partially sighted people and the organisations that represent people with sight loss. However, the draft regulations still need considerable work. The Government wants to develop criteria which are clear to understand and apply and are consistent in their outcome. We are not yet satisfied the assessment will lead to clear or consistent outcomes for blind and partially sighted claimants.
Department for Communities and Local Government consultation on localising support for council tax in England, October 2011
Localising support for council tax in England could have a significant effect on blind and partially sighted people. Blind and partially sighted people are disproportionately likely to need means-tested support with housing costs. We are concerned localising support for council tax could exacerbate disability poverty.
Department for Work and Pensions consultation on Personal Independence Payment draft regulations, June 2011
RNIB does not support a "tick box and points" assessment methodology, preferring a more holistic approach to assessing the additional costs and barriers to participation experienced by disabled people. It is therefore a cause for concern that this current consultation takes place without our knowing what the points are for the descriptors. We are concerned that large numbers of blind and partially sighted people would fail to qualify for Personal Independence Payment as a consequence of the limited insight into the effects of visual impairment suggested by the current proposals.
Independent Harrington Review on the Work Capability Assessment (second year call for evidence), August 2011
RNIB wants the Work Capability Assessment to identify those individuals who might face extra barriers to accessing work and therefore benefit from the additional job search support provided by Employment and Support Allowance. Our evidence to the independent Harrington Review argues that the assessment is failing to deliver against these objectives.
Department for Work and Pensions consultation on Sayce review of specialist disability employment services, August 2011
RNIB generally welcomes the recommendations set out in Liz Sayce's review but as as a starting point it is not a fair comparison to compare Remploy, Residential Training Colleges and Access to Work solely on their job outcomes since they are entirely different in their history and nature.
Work and Pensions Select Committee inquiry on replacing Disability Living Allowance with Personal Independence Payment, August 2011
RNIB is concerned the focus on those "who face the greatest day-to-day challenges" threatens eligibility at levels of disability that currently qualify for Disability Living Allowance. It fails to recognise the extra costs of conditions that are long-term without being at the highest end of severity; and the preventative role of financial support at that stage. We fear the impact and implications of sight loss are underestimated.
Work and Pensions Select Committee Inquiry on Incapacity Benefits migration and Employment and Support Allowance, April 2011
RNIB's evidence highlights ongoing concerns regarding the Work Capability Assessment and the way in which blind and partially sighted people are being treated.
Review of Specialist Disability Employment Support, March 2011
An independent review commissioned by DWP
RNIB together with the other six members of the Disability Charities Consortium sent in a response to the independent review of specialist employment support for disabled people. The review, led by Liz Sayce, Chief Executive of RADAR asked for disabled people's views on the future of the Access to Work scheme, supported employment and residential training. The Disability Charities Consortium argued that increased pressures on unemployed disabled people to find work coupled with shrinking employment opportunities and a pre-existing disadvantage in the job marketplace means that it is more important than ever that disabled people are provided with effective and appropriate support to find work.
Disability Living Allowance review, February 2011
A joint submission from the visual impairment sector in response to the Department of Work and Pension's consultation on the review of Disability Living Allowance
Our response highlights issues affecting blind, partially sighted, deafblind and dual sensory impaired people, illustrating in claimants own words the importance of DLA to blind and partially sighted people. We also set out what we think the assessment for the projected Personal Independence Payment (PIP) should look like, if it is properly to respond to the needs of blind and partially sighted people.
RNIB, Action for Blind People, Deafblind UK, the Guide Dogs for the Blind Association, The Macular Disease Society, the National Blind Children's Society, the National Federation of the Blind of the United Kingdom, the National League of the Blind and Disabled, SeeAbility, Sense and Visionary have all put their names and expertise behind the submission to the DWP.
Employment and Support Allowance regulations, September 2010.
Limited Capability for Work and Limited Capability for Work-Related Activity Amendment Regulations 2011, Social Security Advisory Committee on the regulations for Employment and Support Allowance.
"RNIB together with Action for Blind People had a number of concerns following the internal review of Employment and Support Allowance at the DWP. We issued this joint response to the Social Security Advisory Committeee, looking at proposed changes in the operation of this important out-of-work benefit."
"RNIB together with Action for Blind People had a number of concerns following the internal review of Employment and Support Allowance at the DWP. We issued this joint response to the Social Security Advisory Committeee, looking at proposed changes in the operation of this important out-of-work benefit."
21st Century Welfare, September 2010
21st Century Welfare, Department for Work and Pensions
The Green Paper proposes a major re-shaping of means-tested benefits and tax credits. Disabled people, not least those with sight loss, tend to have lower incomes than the general population. RNIB believes the Government has positive things to say on rationalising out-of-work benefits and tax credits. It is right to simplify the system but we caution DWP against the temptation to reduce out-of-work benefit levels and concentrate instead on reducing the numbers of those unnecessarily out of work, through genuine employment opportunities
Benefits decision-making, Autumn 2009
Our response to the Work and Pensions Select Committee Inquiry on Decion making and appeals in the benefits system
RNIB shares evidence on the variability in benefits decision-making, in particular with respect to decisions on Disability Living Allowance and Attendance Allowance. We call for better training in decision-making, especially in specialised areas such as mental health and sensory impairment. We also share evidence on the review and appeals stage of benefits decision-making, pointing out that reviews take too long.
Reform to the UK's welfare system, October 2008
No one written off: reforming welfare to reward responsibility' (DWP)
RNIB responded to the Department for Work and Pensions' consultation on reform to the UK's welfare system. RNIB welcomed the announcement of a doubling of the Access to Work budget, expanding assistance to 48,000 people by 2013-14. The Green Paper offered a modest commitment to "…explore, with stakeholders, the effectiveness of Employment Retention Assessments in helping disabled people stay in work."
Blind and partially sighted people welcome this step but now look to Government for action to deliver through its response to Dame Carol Black's 'Review of the Health of the Working Age Population' and steps it takes to implement the Independent Living Strategy.
However, RNIB does have a number of concerns, including the degree of conditionality that is being proposed, with the potentially complex nature of assessing when it is 'reasonable' to expect a claimant to apply for jobs.
Further information
For further information please email campaign@rnib.org.uk or telephone our campaign hotline on 020 7391 2123