Disability Living Allowance and Personal Independence Payments: Your questions answered

What is this consultation about?

The Government is consulting on its plans to replace Disability Living Allowance (DLA) with a benefit called Personal Independence Payments (PIPs).

What are PIPs?

Like DLA, PIPs will remain a non-means tested benefit, not reliant on a disabled person’s employment status and exists to meet the additional costs that a disabled person faces as a result of their disability.

How will PIPs differ from DLA?

PIPs will continue to be administered in two separate payments - mobility and daily living (‘care’ under DLA). Rather than simply focusing on care needs, the daily living payment will specifically address the costs a disabled person incurs in order to live their daily life. This component will only be available at two rates, lower and upper, removing the middle rate and bringing it in line with the mobility component. The mobility component remains in two rates.

When will PIPs be introduced?

Applications for PIPs and a re-assessment process for all those currently in receipt of DLA will begin in 2013/4.

Who is eligible?

To qualify, a disabled person must already have been affected by their condition for 6 months and expect it to continue for another 6 months. This may have obvious connotations for those who become Spinal Cord Injured (SCI) and are discharged into the community with less than 6 month’s rehabilitation. SIA shall be seeking clarity as to the precise nature of this eligibility test and lobbying to ensure SCI people are fully covered by this benefit on returning to the community after rehab.

Will mobility payments stop for people in hospitals and care homes?

The Government has proposed that, as with DLA care payments currently, both the daily living and mobility payments of PIPs will cease for people in hospitals or care homes from 2012. However, this is still up for discussion in this consultation document and will be vehemently opposed by SIA in our response.

How will assessments be undertaken?

The Government proposes that the majority of assessments will take place face to face with an independent Healthcare professional. The assessment will focus on an individual’s ability to get around, interact with others, manage personal care and treatment needs and access food and drink. SIA will be seeking assurances that these Healthcare professionals have a knowledge of the SCI condition and that the assessment fully considers the full range of costs which disabled people face as a result of their disability.

How will the assessment for the mobility component change?

Whereas the assessment for DLA mobility focused on an individual’s ability to walk, the assessment for the mobility component of PIPs will take into account how mobile people are when using adaptations such as wheelchairs. SIA is extremely concerned by this development as independent wheelchair users continue to be substantially impaired by both the built environment and the actual distances / terrain that they are able to cover as a result of their impairment. These principles will be strongly defended in SIA’s response to the consultation.

Will I qualify under the new assessment?

At the moment the Government has not finalised the assessment for PIPs. Consequently, SIA is unable to interpret precisely how these changes will impact upon SCI people of different levels and ability. The Minister for Disabled People – Maria Miller MP - has informed SIA that the assessment will hopefully be released in January 2011.

Will I be reassessed?

If you are in receipt of DLA you will be reassessed in 2013/14. You will then be periodically reassessed over the course of your receipt of PIPs to ensure that your circumstances have not changed and that you are still eligible.

If I qualify for PIPS how much money will I receive?

The Government has not revealed how much money disabled people can expect, at either rate, from either of the PIP components. SIA will ensure that our voice is heard if SCI people experience a real term loss in the money they receive to meet their disability related costs.

How do I find out more information?

You can download the full consultation document here.

How can I contribute to the consultation?

SIA is very concerned about the proposals in this consultation document and shall robustly oppose those which may leave SCI people without the financial support they require to meet their disability related costs. As a user-led organisation we are keen to hear your views and incorporate them into SIA’s final response to Government. Please take the time to look at the questions in the consultation document, linked above, and let us know your views by e-mailing cfc@spinal.co.uk or contacting SIA House.

If you'd prefer you can also submit your own response using the consultation document linked above.