Welfare Reforms Bill: RNIB response

Vivienne Francis, Chief of Strategy and Public Affairs at The Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) said, “Today (10 July) the UK Government gave fresh commitments for disabled people to play a robust role in the upcoming PIP review. The process to date has shown just how far Government proposals have diverged from the disabled people they will affect - remedying this during the review is critical. RNIB will do all we can to ensure blind and partially sighted people can meaningfully shape the PIP review, so we finally get a system which respects and works for people with sight loss.

"The fact we’ve still been left with a damaging two-tier benefit system in Universal Credit remains a concern. Halving and then freezing the Universal Credit health element for future claimants will make it even harder for many blind and partially sighted people in the years ahead to meet essential bills.

“Many people with sight loss of working age want to work but making claimants £3,000 a year worse off will only move people further from, not into, work.”