The government’s refusal to confirm whether it will be possible replace independent personal benefit (PIP) payments with vouchers in the following months it was called “absolutely ridiculous”.

Changing PIP from a cash payment to a voucher or non-grant payment is a “dangerous idea”, a disability charity has said. It follows comments from Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall on Wednesday that the Government had not yet ruled out the controversial plans.

How did we get here?

Earlier this year, the Conservative government published a “green paper” on PIP reform. A Green Paper is a consultation document that is drawn up by the government when it is considering introducing new legislation.

The paper proposed to analyze a number of measures, including that disability benefits and cash payments are replaced by vouchers or one-off subsidies.

In October, the Labor government suggested it would drop the proposals – only to clarify days later that it was taking into account “all responses” to the consultation.

Speaking to the work and pensions committee, Kendall said she understood vouchers were “a real concern” for people claiming PIP. But she said she would not give more details until she had “proper discussions with people”.

The DWP is expected to propose its reforms in spring 2025.

“I was particularly amazed at the comments people made about the shift in support to vouchers and where many organizations said their real concern was that it took away people’s autonomy and particularly when services are so stretched and tight Kendall said.

“I will be putting forward our own proposals for reforming sickness and disability benefits.

“It’s extremely difficult and I know people really want more details, but we’re not going to do that until we’re absolutely ready and we’ve had the proper discussions with people.”

“An absolutely ridiculous idea”

The “lack of clarity” around plans for PIP has angered charities and is fueling “anxiety and confusion among disabled people”, David Southgate, of disability equality charity Scope, told Yahoo News.

Some of the government’s wider plans to cut Britain’s benefits bill have raised concerns among claimants, including the Fraud, Error and Debt Act, which will give officials the power to check benefit claimants’ bank accounts for fraud.

Others pointed out that the PIP claims system is already incredibly complex and tedious.

Read more: Simple to use tool launched to help users claim PIP

While the PIP system “desperately needs an overhaul”, Southgate does not believe vouchers are the answer.

“Changing PIP into vouchers is a dangerous idea that needs to be ruled out once and for all,” he told Yahoo News. “Life costs a lot more when you’re disabled and PIP is a vital source of financial support. It is flawed and in urgent need of overhaul, but the government needs to work with disabled people to make PIP work better for those who rely on it.”

Vouchers are “unworkable” because “there are so many different needs” that PIP covers, Linda Burnip, spokeswoman for People with Disabilities Against Cuts, told Yahoo News.

“It would also remove any freedom of choice for disabled people and ultimately reduce the value of any PIP award. Frankly, it’s a completely ridiculous idea,” she added.

Simon Keenan is one of the 3.4 million disabled people claiming PIP. He said replacing cash with vouchers was “stupid and poorly thought out”.

The 43-year-old from West Sussex told Yahoo News: “The very idea of ​​taking much-needed Personal Independence Payment (PIP) support and turning that money into vouchers is in direct conflict with the support’s namesake. How to be independent. when do you use vouchers?

“It is a foolish and ill-conceived notion by a grossly negligent Conservative Party that has rightly been ousted from government. The way Labor finds these ideas insensitive is incredibly telling,” he added.

A DWP spokesman said: “We are committed to supporting the rights of disabled people so that their views and voices are at the heart of everything we do. We are now considering the responses to the consultation.”