Debbie Abrahams responds to Government announcement not to appeal High Court PIP judgement

Debbie Abrahams MP, Labour’s Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary, commenting on the Written Ministerial Statement announcing the Government will not appeal the High Court PIP judgement, said:

“The Government was wrong to bring in the PIP regulations last year and it was wrong to ignore time and time again the views of the courts.

“Labour supported the initial Tribunal judgment and pledged in our manifesto to reverse the PIP regulations. 

“Serious questions remain including; how many people have been adversely affected by the Government’s reckless decision to oppose the tribunal’s original judgment?  How much public money has been spent on lawyers, trying to defend the indefensible? And how quickly will people with severe mental health conditions receive the support to which they are rightly entitled?

“This is yet more evidence of the duplicity and disarray of the Tories’ social security policies.”

Ends

Notes to editors

• ·         Written Statement made by the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (Esther McVey) on 19 Jan 2018: http://labour.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/HCWS414-Welfare-19.01.18-002.pdf