I'm denied PIP - it feels like I can't be trusted with benefits money
Chris Burns has struggled to work since July, and says the government is making it harder for people like him to claim benefts.
A disabled man denied benefits payments because he has been told he doesn't meet the criteria for support said he feels like he "can't be trusted".
Chris Burns, 47, who lives in Cornwall, has struggled to claim welfare support since he became unemployed in July.
Burns told Yahoo News that he feels deeply frustrated to hear that the government could investigate people in receipt of benefits like him under the upcoming Fraud, Error and Debt Bill — and said that the system is already hard enough to navigate when you're disabled.
The government announced in Wednesday's budget that it hopes to recover £4.3bn through the fraud bill, which the government says will give the department for work and pensions (DWP) powers to directly access the bank accounts of those claiming benefits.
Announcing the measure, chancellor Rachel Reeves said: “I can today announce a crackdown on fraud in our welfare system often the work of criminal gangs.
“We will expand DWP’s counter-fraud teams using innovative new methods to prevent illegal activity and provide new legal powers to crack down on fraudsters, including direct access to bank accounts to recover debt.”
In July, the DWP's annual report warned that the £266 billion welfare budget “is a deliberate target for both organised crime groups and opportunistic individuals”.
But the measure has received widespread criticism from campaigners and individuals claiming benefits — who like Burns, say they will face even more stress and feel scapegoated because of it.
'That's not what people are living through'
Burns, who has autism, severe foot swelling that affects his mobility, and another cognitive impairment, had to leave his job as a kitchen porter this July because of the difficulties with his foot.
He said: “I feel like I’m being told that I can’t be trusted with public money.
“There’s a lot of false claims about people trying to live on welfare for free, and it is simply untrue. That’s not what people are living through.
"In reality, there’s so many benefits that are going unclaimed."
While Burns is receiving ESA, his claim is currently under appeal so he believes the support may only be temporary.
He was told seven years ago he could no longer receive personal independence payments (PIP) because he didn’t reach the threshold, scoring 0 points in his work capability assessment.
To get the standard rate of PIP, a payment which can help with extra living costs if you're disabled, you need to score between 8 and 11 points to receive financial support.
'I've felt like I've gone down a black hole'
Burns said he has struggled financially since, and that trying to get support through the current system is "dreadful".
“For the last eight months since I’ve had to stop working, I’ve felt like I’ve gone down a black hole. It’s very scary when you’re going towards the bottom and it feels like there’s no way back up again," he said.
“I worked as a kitchen porter, but I have severe foot swelling that has taken me out of work since July.
"I’ve had the foot swelling for about four years, to the point where my foot has shrunk. Because of it, even finding shoes that fit has been a nightmare.
"Initially I could control it, but then I moved into a new role and they increased my hours by quite a lot. The foot pain became to the point where literally I couldn't do a job any more," he added.
To receive support with his benefits appeal, Burns visits the nearest Citizens Advice bureau every Tuesday — but he said he has to travel for some time.
“It’s 13 miles away from my home. It’s a really big pain, having to do that, but I’ve got no option," he added.
An 'invasion of rights'
Burns's concerns have been echoed by other disability campaigners, like DPO Forum England.
The collective voice of deaf and disabled people's organisations in England, said that it “strongly opposes” the introduction of the bill.
“We strongly oppose the announced anti-fraud measures, which would provide direct access to bank accounts, which is an invasion of privacy and disabled people’s human rights," it said in a statement issued the week of the budget.
The Disability Poverty Group said it was frustrated that the government had "relaunched earlier Conservative plans" to pass the bill, which would “subject us to disproportionate and invasive surveillance of our bank accounts."
“This is despite Personal Independence Payment, the flagship social security payment for disabled people, having a 0% fraud rate in the most recent government statistics," the group added.
Charities like Turn2Us have urged the government to avoid using stigmatising language when it comes to discussing welfare.
More than 60 organisations, including Joseph Rowntree Foundation, Mind, and Amnesty International UK, wrote to Reeves on Tuesday to urge her to resist stigmatising narratives around social security ahead of the budget.
Shelley Hopkinson, head of policy and influencing at Turn2us, told Yahoo News that the charity welcomed the chancellor's acknowledgment of the central role criminal gangs play in benefits fraud, rather than a stigmatising focus on individuals that can erode trust.
"Fraud accounts for only a small minority of cases, yet an estimated £23 billion in support goes unclaimed each year," she added. “Our social security system is a safety net for all of us. We need the government to commit to dismantling stigma so that people feel supported and confident to access the help they need."
The department for work and pensions has been approached for comment.
