On 21 December 2017, the High Court ruled that changes to Personal Independence Payment (PIP) introduced earlier this year were ‘blatantly discriminatory’ against people with mental health problems and ‘cannot be objectively justified’.
Dr Jed Boardman, the Royal College of Psychiatrists’ social inclusion lead, said:
“We can’t accept a benefits system that treats people with mental health difficulties worse than those with physical health difficulties.
“The medical evidence I gave to the court was clear, mental health conditions such as agoraphobia significantly impact on sufferers’ ability to plan or follow the route of a journey.
“I’m delighted that the court has agreed the Government’s decision to change the law to prevent people with mental health conditions accessing the support they need was blatantly discriminatory.”
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