A TEENAGER who is blind, severely autistic and barely able to speak has been ordered to attend a meeting – to check if he should continue to receive benefits.
Ciaran Vassie, 16, was told by the government just four years ago that he would receive Disability Living Allowance (DLA) for life.
But Ciaran’s DLA payment is being scrapped and he must now travel to be assessed for a maximum £141.10 a week Personal Independence Payment (PIP).
Although the amount of the new payment is roughly similar, Ciaran, from Clarkston, East Renfrewshire, now faces having to be reassessed every three years.
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) have refused even to carry the eligibility check at home because Ciaran’s “unpredictable” behaviour could pose a risk to staff.
The Tory government has been slammed in recent months for their welfare reforms, with opposition politicians accusing them of treating the disabled with “contempt.”
Criticisms have also been leveled after it was claimed the private firms that run the assessments would receive close to £700m between 2013 and 2017.
The new PIP covers essential expenses to Ciaran’s life as a result of his disability, including braille books and taxis.
His mum, Coleette, 45, is also disabled and will have to fork out for a taxi to take Ciaran into central Glasgow for the assessment.
Ciaran, who was born 11 weeks premature and weighing two pounds, was left blind at the age of five after suffering from a serious eye infection and having a severe reaction to medications.
He is also autistic and suffers from speech delay problems, meaning he only speaks when heavily prompted.
Colette says he was given Disability Living Allowance at the age of three, and was told at the age of 12 he would be given the benefit for life, as his condition would not change.
But soon afterwards, DLA was replaced by Personal Independence Payment (PIP) which Ciaran has been invited to apply for.
Colette said: “The process is ridiculous. They know the condition he has, and anyway, what is going to say in an assessment – he doesn’t speak. It’s profit making companies that run these assessments too.
“This is causing stress to us and thousands of other people who are ill, yet the DWP are not even willing to relieve some of the stress of the situation by coming out to the house.
“A lot of the population think that people with disabilities are rolling in it, but that’s not the case, I want to stand up for what people don’t see behind the curtains.
“This money is for essential adjustments to Ciaran’s life, he needs braille books, they are very expensive, he needs to get taxis, and if he wants to go out, he might need to go out with someone – he might need to pay for someone to go with him.”
“I’ve contacted Ruth Davidson on Twitter and my local MP [Conservative Paul Masterton] to come along to the assessment. It was their party that introduced changes to PIP and I want them to see the process. It is ridiculous.”
Capita and France-based company Atos are the two private firms that assess people claiming disability benefits, and it was reported in April this year that they stand to earn close to £700 million from this between 2013 and 2017.
Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions Debbie Abrahams said at the time that the PIP process was in “disarray” and that costs were “spiralling out of control.”
A spokesman for the DWP confirmed the department were re-assessing Ciaran’s case.
But he added: “We’re looking again at Mr Vassie’s case and whether a face to face assessment is required. We’ll be in touch with the decision as quickly as possible.
“In the meantime, his benefit payments will continue as normal.”
Bill Scott, Policy Director at Inclusion Scotland said that he believed the private companies hired to carry out assessments were pushing face-to-face meetings to increase profits.
He said: “We have a lot of concern about this new system.
“It was originally estimated that the DWP would only need to do face-to-face assessments with 60-70% of people, as there are a lot of cases when medical assessment is unnecessary. Now, 95% are being seen.
“We believe the reason is that there is a fee of approaching £200 for each assessment. There is a financial incentive for the private companies.”
Layla Theiner of Disability Agenda Scotland (DAS), said: “Many people have not yet migrated from DLA to PIP but there have been significant problems for a large number of people applying for PIP already.
“It is key that home visits and support for travel and other requirements are accommodated as much as possible, especially given the nature of PIP assessments.
“It is important for decision makers to remember that face-to-face medical assessments are not a necessity and that in cases where evidence exists that neither option is appropriate, then we would suggest that decision makers use their discretion to access sources of evidence from alternative sources.”
“DAS is keen to see improvements made to the PIP application process as soon as possible, by the Westminster and Scottish Governments.”
