Just as England is about to go into lockdown it looks like the DWP have slipped through changes that could leave many more disabled people at risk of seeing their benefits cut off this winter. (1/9)
Since March all assessments for disability benefits have either been done by paper review or over the phone. For a lot of people with mental health problems, having to make that switch hasn't been an easy or straight-forward process. (2/9)
Over half of people with mental health problems struggle with talking over the phone. When you add that to difficulties getting advice and medical evidence, it's easy to see how some people have been locked out of their benefits altogether. (3/9)
But at the very start there were at least some protections. In March that included a pause on all reassessments and extra time to fill out forms. Those have both already been removed over the last few months. What happened this week takes that even further. (4/9)
Until now for benefits like ESA or Universal Credit, if someone couldn't answer their phone or couldn't take part in the conversation, they wouldn't risk having their benefits stopped. The process was for the DWP to try to reschedule or avoid making any decision. (5/9)
As of this Monday - that protection no longer exists. If someone can't answer the phone or if they start the call but can't continue it, they run the risk of having their benefits cut off altogether. (6/9)
There's a process for providing 'good reason' - trying to prove to the DWP that you weren't well enough to go on with the assessment. But that's its own catch-22 for people going without help and struggling to talk over the phone. (7/9)
With England going into lockdown and every part of the UK still facing restrictions - the DWP are choosing to put more disabled people at risk of seeing their money stop. (8/9)
We're calling for them to reverse this decision and provide proper protections for disabled people this winter. You can read more in this briefing from @EmilyButler55 (9/9)

https://www.mind.org.uk/media/6586/briefing-from-mind-removal-of-disability-benefits-safeguards-november-2020.pdf
You can follow @ayaz_manji.
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