Disability experts have been told they must sign “gagging order” before joining a panel advising the Government over issues like welfare reforms.
Labour disability minister Sir Stephen Timms is set to lead a review of the process used to assess people for personal independence payments (PIP) – a key disability benefit worth up to £800 a month.
Meanwhile, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is launching a new Independent Disability Advisory Panel (IDAP) to share expertise on policy issues, such as the PIP review.
But panel members have been asked to sign non-disclosure agreements (NDAs), raising fears among PIP claimants that Labour’s benefit changes will be designed “in secret”.
The DWP said the NDA was needed to “enable meaningful conversations”, since they may discuss sensitive information “not in the public domain”.
Timms has promised “co-production” with disabled people and disability rights groups so they are involved in helping shape the shake-up.
However, Jamie Cole, 47-year-old PIP claimant from Yorkshire, said the NDA “underscores a worry” that good ideas to improve the system could be constrained by secrecy.
Mr Cole – who suffers from bipolar disorder and a series of physical conditions – said he hoped promise of co-production meant disabled people “actively shape” the changes to PIP.
Jamie Cole, a 47-year-old PIP claimant from Yorkshire, is worried by PIP review“The notion that contributors might be bound by confidentiality – especially via restrictive agreements – undermines that commitment.”
Mr Cole said disabled people were still worried that the PIP spending cuts ditched in the summer “could be reinstated down the line” depending on “review conclusions or political shifts”.
The panel is separate from Timms’ PIP review, being a more general advisory body on a range of disability issues.
But the Government has said “expertise and insight” will be shared between the advisory body and the PIP review process.
Mikey Erhardt of Disability Rights UK told The i Paper that it was unclear how much influence the 10 IDAP members may have over Timms’ review.
He said the gagging order was a “bad sign” for the PIP review. “It is not the way to build trust. You can’t do co-production under a veil of silence and secrecy,” said Erhardt.
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The Labour Government had wanted to cut welfare spending and reduce the number of people on PIP by pushing up the points needed to qualify.
But a June rebellion by Labour backbenchers forced Keir Starmer to pull PIP from his benefit cuts until Timms’ review takes place.
The current PIP scoring system assesses how much help someone needs for mobility and daily living. Eight points are needed for the lower rate payment, and 12 points are needed for the higher rate.
The i Paper has previously reported on the “horrific” system used to decide on PIP claims.
Whistleblowers said the points-based capability tests could be “rushed and superficial” and could feel like “catching people out”.
Disability rights groups have called for a less adversarial process in which benefit assessors take time to get more detailed information from medical specialists.
Murray Goulder, a 45-year-old PIP claimant from West Sussex, whose epilepsy gives him dozens of seizures a month, added: “I’m very concerned about any NDA relating to disability.”
Murray Goulder has been hospitalised several times for repeated seizuresHe added: “I worry it could be just another way to redesign the PIP system in secret, to make the system even more difficult than it needs to be, whilst covering the tracks.”
Dr Sally Witcher – who was a member of an advisory group on disability for the last Labour government – said the use of NDAs was “heavy handed” and “sends alarm bells clanging”.
Timms recently told BBC podcast All Access that he envisaged “a fairly small group” of ten disability experts will work him on the PIP review.
The Labour minister said he expected they would “work very closely with me” and would have “a lot of sway over the form that the recommendations emerge in”.
DWP spokesperson said the IDAP group of experts – separate to the PIP review – was “just one of the ways we’re putting the views of disabled people at the heart of our decision making”.
Asked about the NDA, the spokesperson said: “To enable meaningful conversations, we may need to share sensitive information or information that is not in the public domain during discussions.”
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