The UK government is currently carrying out a detailed review of Personal Independence Payments (PIP) to fix system failures and manage rising costs.

英國政府目前正對個人獨立付款 (PIP) 進行詳細審查，以修復系統失效問題並管理不斷上升的成本。

The current PIP system, started in 2013, is described in a recent report as no longer suitable for today's needs. Many claimants argue that the assessment process, which uses a points system to decide eligibility, is impersonal and makes it harder for them to find work. Furthermore, the number of people claiming the benefit has grown significantly; for example, the number of working-age claimants in England and Wales rose from about 2 million in 2019-20 to over 3 million by 2024-25, with a notable increase in people with anxiety and ADHD.

目前的 PIP 系統始於 2013 年，在最近的一份報告中被描述為不再適用於當今的需求。許多申請人認為，使用分數系統來決定資格的評估過程缺乏人性化，使他們更難找到工作。此外，申領該項津貼的人數大幅增加；例如，英格蘭與威爾斯的適職年齡申請人數從 2019-20 年的約 200 萬人，增加到 2024-25 年的 300 萬人以上，其中患有焦慮症與 ADHD 的人數顯著增加。

Financial pressure is a major reason for this review, as spending is expected to rise from £15 billion in 2020 to over £41 billion by 2030. Consequently, the government, led by Sir Stephen Timms, is considering whether to replace some cash payments with other types of support, such as NHS treatments, specialized equipment, or job training. Although the government emphasizes that cash is still necessary to cover the extra costs of disability, they want to move away from a simple payment system toward a more flexible support model. This change aims to help more people return to work and reduce the reliance on PIP as a primary source of survival due to gaps in health and social care.

財務壓力是此次審查的主要原因，因為支出預計將從 2020 年的 150 億英鎊上升至 2030 年的 410 億英鎊以上。因此，由 Stephen Timms 爵士領導的政府正在考慮是否將部分現金支付替換為其他類型的支持，例如 NHS 治療、專門設備或職業訓練。雖然政府強調現金對於支付失能額外成本仍然必要，但他們希望從簡單的支付系統轉向更靈活的支持模式。此舉旨在幫助更多人重返職場，並減少因醫療與社會照顧缺口而將 PIP 視為生存主要來源的依賴。

There are different opinions on how to handle these changes. The Centre for Social Justice suggests stricter rules for mental health benefits to save an estimated £7.4 billion, proposing that £1 billion of this should be spent on clinical therapies. On the other hand, some experts argue that welfare spending should be seen as an investment in a person's independence and productivity. The final decision will depend on the government's budget rules and the recommendations given to the new leadership.

對於如何處理這些變更存在不同意見。社會公正中心 (Centre for Social Justice) 建議對心理健康福利實施更嚴格的規定以節省預估 74 億英鎊，並建議將其中 10 億英鎊用於臨床治療。另一方面，一些專家認為福利支出應被視為對個人獨立性和生產力的投資。最終決定將取決於政府的預算規則以及提交給新領導層的建議。

The review is expected to finish this autumn with a set of recommendations designed to ensure that disability benefits are financially sustainable and effective in the long term.

預計審查將於今年秋天完成，並提出一套建議方案，以確保失能津貼在長期內具有財務可持續性且有效。