Disability Living Allowance

The Welfare Reform Bill replaces Disability Living Allowance (DLA) with a new benefit called Personal Independence Payments (PIP) for disabled people aged 16 - 64 from 2013. The Government has said they will move disabled children onto PIP in the future.

What are Personal Independence Payments

From April 2013, PIP will replace DLA as the extra costs disability benefit for 16 - 64 year olds. PIP will have many similarities with DLA. In particular it will have two components: a daily living component (which has similarities to the current care component) and a mobility component.

Personal Independence Payments and Children

The Government has made the following statements on PIP and children:

- PIP will not be extended to disabled children aged under 16 in 2013/14.
- The Government has said would want to see how PIP works for 16 - 64 year olds before considering if children getting DLA should move onto PIP
- Children will only move onto PIP when the Government can 'demonstrate it provides a fairer, more objective and more transparent alternative to the current arrangements'.
- The Government has recognised that if it does move children onto PIP that a specific assessment should be developed to ensure that the needs of disabled children are properly considered.
- The Government has also said that under 16s will not be moved onto PIP without a public consultation and any decisions made will be subject to Parliamentary scrutiny

Read EDCM's response on the Government's proposed changes to Disability Living Allowance and our  news story on the Government's response.

Personal Independence Payments and Young People aged 16 - 25

From 2013 disabled young people will move from DLA onto PIP when they turn 16.The Government has said it will develop specific plans to transfer young people from age 16 to Personal Independence Payment in as smooth and straightforward way as possible.

EDCM has responded to the overnment's conusltation on the proposed PIP assessment criteria and thresholds. Download EDCMs response and see the news story which summarises our response.

Personal Independence Payments and residential schools

EDCM was very concerned about the impact of the proposal within the Welfare Refom Bill to withdraw PIP from disabled young people, aged 16 - 25, living in residential schools and colleges. Lots of other people were concerned about this and so Lord Low did a review into the proposal. EDCM was very happy to give both written and oral evidence to this review.

We are pleased that the Bill has been amended so that people living in residential schools, colleges and care homes will be able to continue to recieve this valued benefit.