Copyright birminghammail
Reform UK's Lee Anderson has admitted he previously "gamed the system" to help people get onto Personal Independence Payment . He says that when he worked at Citizens Advice, they completed all the paperwork for those applying for the disability benefit. The Ashfield MP revealed at a Westminster press conference on Wednesday that he had worked for the advisory organisation prior to his political career. "Before I came into politics, I worked for the Citizens Advice Bureau," Anderson told a press conference. "We used to fill the form out for clients. I can tell you now, we were gaming the system." READ MORE: He described it as "a competition" between the adviser and the Department for Work and Pensions , which uses the forms to decide whether someone's case is strong enough for an assessment to determine eligibility and how much they'll receive. He claimed he was aware of advisers within the organisation who boasted "a 100 per cent hit rate" on benefits applications and could get "the fittest man in Ashfield" onto PIP. Reform maintains that it aims to prevent individuals from exploiting the system as part of its welfare reduction proposals. Reform UK head of policy Zia Yusuf remarked that "incredibly, the [PIP] assessment handbook is online," drawing parallels between applying for disability benefits and "doing your driving theory test and having the answers online for you." He says the majority of remote interviews, carried out by phone or video call and with a higher approval rate than in-person appointments, would be substituted with face-to-face assessments under a Reform administration. In addition, more frequent reassessments would be implemented for successful applicants. Mr Yusuf told a central London press conference: "The caseload for new claims for under-25s in this country on PIP has tripled in five years. So we are betraying our young people. "Reassessments are basically not happening anymore. These young people are ... being basically tossed onto a scrap heap for the rest of their lives." Mr Anderson, the party's welfare spokesman, commented: "The alarm clock generation is now being replaced by an anxiety generation." He noted that instead of heading to work, they are "staying at home all day, courtesy of taxpayer-funded employment support, loans and Personal Independence Payments." Earlier this year, the Labour Government attempted to limit eligibility to PIP, but its welfare reforms were withdrawn following a backbench rebellion. Instead, a full review of PIP will be carried out, with its recommendations to be announced in Autumn 2026. A spokesperson for the Labour Party said: "Like all of Reform's policies, their latest plan is already falling apart. "It's no surprise Reform don't seem to know what their own plan is on face-to-face assessments, given their welfare chief Lee Anderson was a cheerleader for the Tories when they slashed the number by over 90 per cent. Labour is increasing them. "This Labour Government is determined to offer young people hope and real opportunities. Our youth guarantee will ensure that 18 to 21-year-olds have a real chance of either learning or earning." A source from the Liberal Democrats stated: "Anyone living under the leadership of a Reform-led council right now, as they prepare to hike up council tax despite promising the opposite, will know firsthand that their sums simply do not add up. Reform do not know what they are doing." Citizens Advice has been contacted for comment.
