In April 2013, the Conservative Government under David Cameron and George Obsorne introduced a replacement scheme for the Disability Living Allowance (DLA) called Personal Independent Payment (PIP) which was fully rolled out in Great Britain six months later. At the time, I myself was sixteen and dealing with the uncertainty of being too old for Paediatric Medicine but too young for Adult Medicine, set to lose set physiotherapy, and stressing out over my GCSE exams being held in the May & June of the same year.
A reform scheme which involves another application form every four years, and this year marked my second time of filling in an application form to received my continued support.
Why is it taking so long?
For the last eight months, I have been waiting for my PIP application to being finalised by the DWP (Department for Work & Pensions), having applied in late March of this year (2024), and not understanding what exactly is causing said Department to not sign off on said application and finalise everything. In that time, there has been a general election, a change of political parties and government, a national budget, riots in the streets of various Northern cities, two inquiries into national scandals and, for myself I completed my Masters degree and had it delivered.
Still nothing apart from a few cop out SMS messages to a number and account I cannot change because the DWP is keeping my application in limbo.
Who does that?
Nevermind that very little has changed since my previous application form four/five years back. Its maddening, frustrating and downright insulting that the population minorities with lifelong disabilities have to endure and reendure a process with a time limit attached, only to receive zero information that can be summarised by the words: Not our responsibility.
It is by the way, because the DWP have a duty of care to those COVID and the Government classified as vulnerable.
Not that they seem too bothered by this lack of their duty of care, because the new Labour Government are obsessing over this multi million or multi billion blackhole they inheerited from the last Tory (Conservatives) governnment and that they believe started with the Tories rather than pulling on their big boy/girl pants and admitting the fault lay with Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, and which successive Tory governments tried to gain control of.
Personally I believe some of the Tories major problems did not start with them, but started before they came to power in 2010, regardless of what Kier Starmer and his 'parrot' Rachel Reeves like to say.
I thought it was bad when the DVLA dragged its own heels giving those catagorised under mobility a provisional licence so those under mobility and needing specialist driving instructors could also enjoy the freedom and independence granted to the able-bodied population, but this is definitely up on the same level of ridiculousness.
What does that say to those classified as 'Vulnerable?' Are they saying: We're doing everything we can to help, or are they actually saying: 'Oh, sorry you can't have a life, but here's something else as a long afterthought consolation prize?'
Society as a whole already looks down on disabilities even though many service personnel did a lot to show disability wasn't something to lock away in the attic somewhere or something to be ashamed of.
Nowadays there are TV personalities who are disabled and proud of that fact.
Nowadays there are artists and scientists and sportsmen and -women who are disabled and proud of that fact.
Nowadays disability is something accepted.
So why are those in Government, Parliament or whatever, those at the top of society, those making the decisions for the Nation, refusing to show this acceptance and treat those with disabilities with a mediocum of decency? If the DWP has a time limit (2 weeks I think) for getting the PIP application form filled in and returned to London to be processed, why is said Government Dept. allowed to twiddle its thumbs and not get the application forms processed in the same time frame?
Because this attitude did not start with the Tories, even though they were the political party to introduce PIP in 2013 and DLA in 1992. This did not officially start with Labour. These attitudes and behaviours toward disability goes beyond politics.
Go on holiday anywhere else (I have experienced this in various European countries and the US) and those with disabilities - whether its got a physical component or not - can show it in public without feeling the need to keep their disability hidden. Yes, there are countries with a more harsher view of disability, particularly in the former Soviet Union, but even during my time spent on holiday visiting Uzbekistan & Tajikistan, I wasn't feeling the need to hide my right hand when out in public as much as I do here in the UK. This has mainly has to do with the way people view disability like those with it need to be patronised and talked down to. To combat this, I myself have three phrases to keep this attitude far away from me, ad no I'm not saying what they are because people think I'm faking, but because I don't want to receive the kind of comments with the attitude described above. It isn't welcomed nor is it wanted. I will, however, remain honest during a job interview.
What does that show to those who have suffer through the whole shebang through childhood, the education system and adulthood in the first palce?
What does that show to the loved ones of those suffering?
What does that say about how society's acceptance toward disability as a whole?
What does this say about how the United Kingdom is seen on the world stage, by politicians and general populations alike?
UK Politicians like to use the phrase: Society needs to Change, so why are they not making a concerted effort to show their people that they care about the North just as much as the South and that they care about the disabled-bodied population of just as much as the able-bodied?
