Thank you for shaping our response to the PIP consultation

To everyone who shared their views with us on the proposed changes to PIP, thank you. 

Your feedback helped inform our reply to the previous government’s Green Paper consultation on PIP, and we are grateful for your personal insights. We have formally submitted our response.  

The level of interest from the MS community was significant. Our news article inviting you to have your say was viewed almost 10,000 times. It was also shared with our network of MS health professionals for their comments, as several questions affected the NHS and their staff.  

We are aware that it was not always possible for people to submit their feedback, given their MS symptoms and the length of the form. There were over 35 questions to consider and respond to, taking considerable time and effort.

To the 62 people who also wrote to us with their concerns, a special thank you.

Your lived experiences gave us valuable insights and complemented our decades of experience, championing people affected by multiple sclerosis.  

Here are the main points from our detailed submission: 

• We said that we would not support changes to the PIP assessment unless they were properly co-produced with people with a wide variety of disabilities and designed to reduce barriers to support. 
• We expressed your vehement opposition to a voucher system or catalogue for aids and adaptations. 
• We highlighted your opposition to a receipt-based system as well as one-off grants as a replacement for regular payments. 
• We emphasised that you wanted PIP to remain a flexible payment, enabling you to choose the right support for your needs. 
• We expressed concern about a proposed requirement for a formal diagnosis, given the long waits for a diagnosis and the shortages of neurologists and MRI scanners.  
• We emphasised how PIP’s current eligibility requirements can be inadequate for fluctuating or varying conditions like MS. 
• We said that we would support PIP claimants being spared unnecessary award reviews for progressive and incurable conditions, unless needs have increased. 
• We did not agree that aids and appliances are a good indicator of extra ongoing disability costs.  

The 12-week public consultation to the PIP proposals has ended. It was organised by the previous UK government and remained open after the election. Under the new government, it is unclear what changes, if any, will be made to PIP following this consultation.