A few weeks ago I read a report that suggested the new way of assessing the new Personal Independence Payment by using a face to face assessment/interview will by too stressful for people with certain conditions like autism and so they should be exempt from it. For me, this is utter nonsense.


The fact someone is labelled with a specific conditions means they have already been assessed once by doctors and for people with lifelong conditions, they can go through a never ending barrage of health, social care and educational assessments. If people want support from the government they must be willing to jump through the hoops needed.


I do agree they are probably too many hoops to jump through and that the outcomes of some of the hoops may be unclear or unfair, but people who want support need to take some responsibility by jumping the hoops and can not except  taxpayer’s monies on their terms. If people do not cope well with face to face meetings then that is clearly going to demonstrate their need for support.


Many people with impairments are far less fragile than people would like to portray them us.