One of the most complex topics to understand (or to advise on) is ‘benefits and allowances’. April 2013 sees what many commentators describe as ‘the biggest changes to the benefit system since the introduction of the welfare state’. These will affect over 2 million disabled people, including the learning disabled.
- disability living allowance will be replaced by a new benefit for people of working age, the personal independence payment (PIP)
- council tax benefit will go, as will much of the social fund, to be replaced by local schemes run by local authorities
An excellent handbook describing these changes will be available soon. This will cover the full range of benefits, rights and entitlements, BUT will focus on the new Personal independent payment (PIP) explaining how it works and how to claim it.
The Disability Rights Handbook (38th edition) will be published by Radar, and may be pre-ordered from its website. The Handbook is quite expensive, but many reading this blog will, we suspect, qualify for the concessionary price.
It may reassure the families and carers of persons with a learning disability that the transition from DLA to PIP is ‘scheduled’ for the latter part of the planned time-frame (2013-2016); and that although formal consultations on the welfare reform legislation have now ended, discussions between the DWP, medical advisors, agencies such as Atos, and representative charities are still ongoing as to what criteria, conditions and guidelines should apply to the reassessment of persons with learning disabilities (as well as of persons with mental health issues, or a ‘fluctuating’ condition). In the Commons individual MPs, clearly reflecting their constituents’ concerns, continue to raise questions on welfare reform and learning disability with ministers, especially current ‘Disability’ Minister, Esther McVey.
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We are aware that the DWP is currently (February – March 2013) sending information about PIP to existing DLA claimants as part of the annual DLA uprating letter. This will explain ‘how DWP plans to introduce the new benefit, as well as helping claimants to understand how the changes might affect them’. Please note: These letters are for information only and claimants do not need to contact DWP.
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The entry point to DWP’s own webpages on PIP and welfare reform is here. The number of sub-pages relects the complexity and scale of the topics covered…