Benefit payment delays and the bedroom tax impact terribly on disabled people’s lives

The impact of the bedroom tax and outstanding PIP claims not only affect disabled people financially, but can lead them to feeling excluded from the community.

By Richard Kramer

(Photo By Disabled people face societal and financial challenges because of the bedroom tax and PIP. Photo: Flickr/Dominik Golenia)

This year has been an extremely challenging year for many disabled people and today is a perfect example of just some of those challenges. Figures released by the Department for Work and Pensions have revealed that thousands of people are still waiting to be assessed for Personal Independence Payments and are struggling to access this vital benefit. Alongside this, an opposition debate on the bedroom tax is a reference to yet another policy that has had a hugely negative impact on disabled people.

The latest figures on PIP show that nearly half of claims (excluding those made by someone with a terminal illness) are still outstanding. Currently there are 245,000 new claimants and 46,600 DLA reassessment claimants still waiting for a decision on whether they will receive their benefit.