I must take issue with much of what anonymous (5.45) had to say.
I agree that at the moment there are no definitive details about which benefits are to be effected by the £12 million savings but it is highly likely that disability benefits will be in the front line. It was disingenuous, to say the least, that these details were not outlined before the election. It is only natural that people on working age benefits are worried because as sure as eggs are eggs the axe is going to fall somewhere. I don’t consider it scaremongering because the cuts ARE going to happen, stand by for the second budget in July and then discuss “could” versus “intend”
Means testing and taxation are two different things. If they decide to make DLA/PIP taxable they will simply reduce your tax free allowance by the amount of the benefit. People who pay tax on occupational pensions (or earned income for those in work) will therefore pay more. This already happens with ESA so it will be a simple matter to extend the system. If you do not already pay tax then of course you will not be effected but many PIP claimants are in the tax paying bracket
Unfortunately that is completely wrong. If contribution based ESA is scrapped there is no requirement to replace it with anything. People will simply be subjected to means testing. If you have a pension, a working partner or savings you will be expected to live on your own resources.
Thus married people who may have worked for 30 years before becoming ill will get exactly nothing if their partner has a job.
With the greatest respect, you are retired and will be effected much less by any changes. I won’t get my pension for another 5 years but it won’t come a moment too soon so that I no longer need to worry about ESA. Many people are very worried, and with good reason. I spent this weekend looking at my budget, planning exactly where I could trim hundreds of £ a month. I was a professional person with a good job - I didn’t expect to spend these years in poverty. Someone else wrote in another thread that you are just one illness away from being broke - how true!
Jane