SIA Responds to the DLA reform consultation

SIA has responded to the Government’s proposals to replace Disability Living Allowance with Personal Independence Payments from 2013.

 

The key messages in SIA’s response are that:

 

• SIA strongly disagrees with the proposal to consider wheelchair use

when assessing for the mobility component of PIPs. Wheelchair use

simply does not equate to the ability to walk. It also incurs considerable

costs both for the wheelchair and additional expenditure such as

accessible motor vehicles which come at a higher premium than standard

equivalents.

 

• SIA opposes the removal of mobility component for those in Care

Homes. This will severely disenfranchise disabled people and lead to

greater isolation and institutionalism. It is likely the numbers of Care Home

residents will increase in the light of Local Authority spending cuts.

 

• SIA is concerned by the introduction of a six months qualifying

period for PIPs. This will mean that newly disabled people – those most

in need of support - are left without the appropriate funding to meet their

needs.

 

• SIA is concerned that assessments for PIPs will be undertaken by

independent healthcare professionals. With very little understanding of

the condition in the general NHS, SCI people will be horrified to learn that

non-specialist assessors are being proposed as the gatekeepers to PIP.

 

• SIA does not believe that reassessments should be necessary for

permanent, incurable conditions such as SCI.

 

• SIA does not believe that the cumulative effects of cuts across both

benefits and Local Authority budgets have been considered by

Government. By not viewing support for disabled people holistically the

Government will not only severely impede independent living, but may

also greatly increase costs to the tax payer.

 

You can read the SIA's full response to this and other consultations here

 

You can find out more about the Government's plan for DLA here