ELCI, cognitive dysfunction and disability benefits
Chronic Illness Inclusion responds to the Department of Work and Pensions’ Green Paper on Health and Disability.
Summary: disability benefit assessments must be redesigned to account for the cognitive fatigue and dysfunction that limits work and daily living with ELCI.
In October CII submitted a comprehensive response to Shaping Future Support, the government’s proposals on the future of disability benefits. We also contributed to a response by the DPO Forum, a coalition of Disabled People’s Organisations, of which CII is a member.
Both of these responses addressed key concerns with the systems for PIP and ESA (and its equivalent under Universal Credit) that affect all disabled people. We responded to proposals about advocacy support and for making the claims process less burdensome. We especially highlighted the lack of any mention of the need to alleviate poverty and destitution among disabled people who are too unwell to work or are excluded from employment through discrimination. We argue that the level of financial support for disabled people in the social security system must be urgently and substantially increased.
In our own response we also highlighted an issue that particularly affects disabled people with ELCI and other energy limiting impairments. That is the fact the assessment criteria, known as the ‘descriptors’, used by both PIP and WCA are not designed to capture and account for our lived experience of impairment and disability. This is widey known.
Victoria Clutton highlights the barriers to work faced by the chronically ill.
Fionn critiques the benefits system’s failure to support chronically ill, self-employed people
Ella Sumpter talks about fluctuating mobility levels and reactions to her wheelchair use.
Sarah Campbell asks whether chronic illness needs its own set of responses to social security, employment and social care.
