Disabled People’s Panel – Thursday 19 September 2024
The next meeting of the Disabled People’s Panel has been arranged for Thursday, 19 September 2024 between 11.00am and 1.30pm.
The previous Conservative Government was considering a number of possible changes to the Personal Independent Payment (PIP). These included:
- Vouchers for specific services, instead of cash payments
- One-off payments for home adaptations, rather than ongoing payments
- Asking disabled people to provide receipts for one-off purchases, which would then be reimbursed.
- Changing the criteria and questions that determine whether someone is eligible for PIP. This means some people who are currently eligible might not be in the future.
- Changing the qualifying period for PIP, and the test that determines if a condition is ‘long-term.’
- Directing people with mental health conditions towards treatment, rather than of payments.
- Requiring a formal diagnosis by a medical expert. And focusing much more on what condition you have, rather than its impact on your life.
- Ending the PIP assessment altogether for people with certain long-term conditions. This includes people with terminal illnesses.
The new Labour Government has continued with the consultation and have not yet announced any changes. How would these changes affect you? We would like to discuss this at the DPP and feedback your responses to our local MP’s.
The Panel will be held in our Training Room at our offices and our premises are wheelchair accessible, has two accessible toilets and free car parking on site. We can also arrange for you to attend online.
The panel will report back on what has been done since the last meeting and it will also be a great opportunity to meet other panel member. If there is something you’d like the panel to discuss, please let me know.
Please can you email me by 10 September 2024 to confirm you will be able to attend. In addition, please let me know any access needs you may have, if you will be bringing a PA with you or if you have any particular dietary requirements. We will provide tea, coffee, and some light refreshments.
Access Requirements
We aim to meet all access requirements, but this may depend on the amount of notice we are given. The earlier you can tell us your needs, the more likely we will be able to meet them.
We are able to consider assisting with transport costs (e.g. mileage expenses, bus fares, etc), but we will only pay for taxis if you are unable to use public transport.
Recruitment of panel members – If you are aware of someone else, who may be interested in joining the panel, please pass this onto them or ask them to contact Choices and Rights on Hull 878778 or email mark@choicesandrights.org.uk
If you are a disabled person or have a long-term health condition, we would like your views.
Choices and Rights started as a campaigning group to ensure that disabled people’s views were heard, rather than other people or charities speaking on our behalf. As well as providing key services around independent living, we are also involved in Policy Influencing.
We aim for the DPP to meet 4 times a year and you will also be able to join online. If you want to attend, but can’t afford it, we will see if we can pay transport costs.
Policy influencing is what we do to influence positive change with local, regional, and national government. We want to be a voice for our members and service users and use your views and experiences to influence change
We do this by writing to local and national government decision makers, elected members and ministers, and meeting with them, as well as writing reports and sharing evidence and ideas. We also respond to local council consultations on issues that matter to disabled people, such as changes to policies, budgets, and plans for the local area
We do not have a set list of topics that have to be discussed, so this gives you the opportunity to have your voice heard.
Want to be involved?
We always want to her your views and experiences to help us share the evidence to influence change, so please contact us to sign up for the Disabled Peoples Panel.
If you require the form in a different format, please contact us on Hull (01482) 878778/ mark@choicesandrights.org.uk