19 September 2016
Deaf people left without interpreters for PIP meetings
Some deaf people in Wales are being left
without interpreters for crucial benefit assessments.
ITV Cymru Wales has been told how it's left
people feeling stressed and depressed as the process is drawn out.
The issue has arisen as people apply for
Personal Independence Payments. This is the benefit that is replacing
Disability Living Allowance.
Sally Saunders and her husband, Paul, had to
rearrange two PIP assessments because no interpreter arrived.
They say it makes them feel like they are at
the back of the queue.
The charity, Action on Hearing Loss says it's
clear evidence that deaf people are being treated differently and have called
for more to be done to ensure they can access assessments properly.
One deaf person had to resort to using pen
and paper to communicate with the assessor because an interpreter was not
present.
The Department for Work and Pensions says the
assessments are carried out on their behalf by another company, Capita, but
that it expects the highest standards to be kept by contractors.
Responding to ITV Wales's request for an
interview into what might be causing interpreters not to arrive at assessments,
Capita said: "We provide a range of adjustments to accommodate the needs
of Deaf people and those with hearing loss. We work with Deaf and hearing loss
organisations to continually review our processes to ensure they meet the
access needs of our claimants."
No comments:
Post a Comment