Changes to disability benefits should be postponed until they are devolved to the Scottish Parliament in three years, a charity has said.
A number of people have contacted the Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) due to the “distress” caused by the assessment process for the Personal Independence Payment (PIP), which is to replace Disability Living Allowance (DLA), the group claimed.
Some people have experienced “significant delays” in the assessment process, leading them to contact CAB for advice and support.
One CAB client in the east of Scotland has run up rent and council tax arrears of almost £2,600 while waiting more than ten months for an assessment, the charity said.
Existing DLA claimants are due to be migrated to PIP over the next two years and disability benefits are to be devolved to the Scottish Parliament in 2018.
CAB is calling for a halt in the change as it is “uncaring and unnecessary to put thousands of people through the distress and uncertainty of two benefit upheavals in a short period of time”.
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) said that people are getting better support under PIP and that it will “continue to implement legislation as passed by the UK Parliament prior to the devolution of powers to the Scottish Parliament”.
CAB policy manager Keith Dryburgh said: “The Scottish CAB service saw a 78% increase in the number of new PIP issues between July and September 2014 when compared with the same period in 2013.
“Over half of our advisers believe the delays are leaving clients in severe hardship and unable to pay for living essentials.
“Nine out of ten advisers say the delays are causing additional stress and anxiety for clients, and nearly four in five advisers say clients’ health is getting worse as a result.
“In making this change, the Government stated its aim of reducing expenditure on disability benefits by 20%.
“It’s true that some people are receiving more money under PIP, but most receive less, and a significant number are losing their benefit altogether.”
He added: “We now know that powers over disability benefits are going to be devolved to Scotland in 2018 and it is highly likely that the system will then be changed again.
“It seems to us both uncaring and unnecessary to put thousands of vulnerable people through the distress and uncertainty of two benefit upheavals in just a few years.
“Resources would be better used on fixing the problems with the current system for new claims before continuing with the migration of existing DLA claimants in Scotland to PIP.”
A spokeswoman for the Department for Work and Pensions said: “The reality is that under the Personal Independence Payment around 22% of people are getting the highest level of support, compared to 16% under the outgoing Disability Living Allowance.
“Under the new system claimants have a face-to-face assessment and regular reviews to ensure support is directed according to need and to halt this progress now could disadvantage thousands of disabled people across Scotland.”