Week 2: Timms Review barrier; a great opportunity, but at what cost?

Hello readers, Emily and Kerry here. Last week we shared my (Emily’s) job adventures; and our initial thoughts on application guidance just published by DWP, where they’ll select 12 disabled people to sit on the Timms Review Steering Group to review benefits (notably PIP).

First, let’s refresh ourselves on the review aims. To create a fair benefits system, fit for the future; that understands how a person’s disability impacts their life; for people get right support at the right time; help disabled people live independently, be included in society and get jobs.

The Steering Group role offers £300 daily for about 3 days over 9 months. This sounded great at first, especially for me, Kerry, as I fit many of their person criteria.

However, I rely on benefits, so being paid that much for a short time, puts me way over my allowance. That’s ok, but from experience, I know when one benefit changes, because different benefit systems don’t talk to each other, it has a cascading effect on other benefits.  That takes many stressful months to get sorted, risking diverting my Personal Assistant’s time to support on that, instead of the health/personal care support I need.

So, I’m forced to choose between doing the work for free or take paid work and maybe end up in another stressful benefits battle!

The irony is crazy, the review designed to break down these barriers, already has a systemic barrier for people who are best placed to apply and share their knowledge. We’ve written to Sir Stephen Timms and DWP about it. As it’s doubtful DWP will fix this before the deadline, we will back someone we know, who has applied from Learning Disability England. If he gets in, he’ll be great at making sure our concerns, and others, are addressed in the review.  

The writers of the Our View column are supported in their editing by People First Dorset - a charity led and run by people with learning disabilities with support from staff