Landmark ruling won't be challenged

Thousands of disabled people are set to receive increased payments after the government said it would not appeal a landmark ruling in England’s High Court.

Judges agreed that the changes to PIP (personal independence payments), limiting the amount of support for claimants who suffer psychological distress when outdoors, such as severe anxiety, were "blatantly discriminatory" and "could not be objectively justified".

More than 160,000 people on PIP could see their benefits increased and backdated as a direct result of the High Court's ruling.

It follows a case brought by a woman struggling to cope with the psychological distress caused by a common mental health condition, who argued that changes to PIP eligibility criteria discriminate against people with mental health problems.

Newly appointed work and pensions secretary, Esther McVey MP, announced that the government would not seek to overturn the High Court's judgement.

McVey said the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) would "take all steps necessary to implement the judgment in mental health in the best interests of our claimants, working closely with disabled people and key stakeholders over the coming months."

SNP Social Justice spokesperson Neil Gray MP said: “I was pleased to see the UK government has been forced to backtrack on their punitive policies.

"Up to 164,000 people will get higher disability benefits following this massive victory at the courts.

“We hope it marks the start in a change of approach from the UK government and urge them to ensure policy and payments catch up with the judgement as quickly as possible – and that policies in the first place are done to ensure people have access to support and not put barriers in their way.

“This should mark the start of a change in their approach to disabled people and we hope Esther McVey, the new secretary of state, will right the wrongs of her predecessors.”