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The Department for Work and Pensions has hit back at the Tories over demands for changes to Personal Independence Payments, or PIP. The argument in the House of Commons this week comes days after the Labour Party was accused of throwing in the towel over PIP cuts. Conservative Party Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary, MP Helen Whately, has lodged a motion in the Commons demanding the Labour Party government make changes to PIP and welfare spending. She called for several changes to "fix Britain's welfare system", including "stopping benefits for those with lower-level mental health conditions". READ MORE Older drivers face new roadside test in England and could have licence revoked Ms Whately said: "We would stop sickness benefits for people with lower-level mental health conditions like anxiety and reform Motability, putting an end to taxpayer-funded cars for people who have conditions like ADHD and tennis elbow. "We would bring back face-to-face assessments, which are going down under this Labour Government, and change the sick note system so that it does not just funnel people out of the office and on to benefits. "Our welfare system should be a safety net but it has become a welfare trap, condemning people to live off the state rather than off their elbow grease. Of course, help should be there for people who are unable to work or who need a lot of support to do so." DWP minister Andrew Western shot back to say: "What are lower-level mental health conditions?" He also blasted the Tories policy as "poorly defined". Mr Western said: "PIP is not condition-based, at any rate, and we would hope that the Conservative party would know that, because it created that benefit." Liz Kendall, the former work and pensions secretary, said earlier this year while still in that brief that the rise in PIP claims was “not sustainable”. Ms Reeves sought to rein in the spiralling cost of disability benefits spending earlier in the year, with plans to save £5bn per year announced in her Spring Statement. Speaking last week, Tory MP Mel Stride said: “Starmer and Reeves are letting the benefits bill spiral because they’re too weak to stand up to their own MPs. We offered to work together in the national interest to get welfare under control – they refused. “Let’s be clear: more tax rises are coming because Labour have lost control of spending. Rachel Reeves can point fingers all she likes, but families are paying more because Labour have failed to get a grip.”
