Source · Select Committees · Work and Pensions Committee
Recommendation 8
8
Accepted
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Require DWP to use Extra Costs Taskforce findings to benchmark PIP coverage.
Conclusion
We welcome the Government’s recommitment in its February 2024 Disability Action Plan to take forward plans to set up an Extra Costs Taskforce to understand the extra costs disabled people face in their daily lives. DWP should be part of the Extra Costs Taskforce. Once operationalised, DWP should use findings from the Taskforce to set a benchmark for the health and disability related costs it intends PIP to cover. It should then set out how it intends to reach this benchmark alongside annual uprating.
Government Response Summary
The government is restarting work on the Extra Costs Taskforce, with the Disability Unit working on a project plan and engaging DWP and other departments. However, it states that setting a benchmark for PIP coverage using the Taskforce's findings would be premature until the ongoing consultation on PIP has concluded and its response published.
Paragraph Reference:
100
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government
Accepted
The Government is pleased that it can restart the work around the Extra Costs Taskforce. The taskforce will be focused on bringing together disabled people, regulators and businesses, to better understand the extra costs faced by disabled people, including how this breaks down for different impairments. The Disability Unit is currently working up a project plan and engaging with other government departments, including DWP, to take this commitment forward. The Disability Unit will begin engaging with interested stakeholders, including disabled people, regulators and businesses in due course to create a definition of extra costs, the terms of reference and focus for the task force. The Disability Unit will also be using insight from the Disability Action Plan consultation findings regarding the impact of the cost of living on disabled people when taking forward work on the Extra Costs Taskforce. As referenced in the Government’s response to recommendation 6 above, Personal Independence Payment (PIP) is now over 10 years old. The Government believes that now is the time to review it and has launched a consultation. Until such time as the Department has reviewed the responses to the consultation, and published the Government’s response, it would not be appropriate to further comment on this recommendation. 1 httpsK//publications.parliament.uk/pa/bills/cbill/58-03/0244/SocSec(AdditionalPayments)IA.pdf 8 Benefit levels in the UK overnment’s response to the Committee’s Second eport