Personal Independence Payments must help disabled young people to establish independent living

1 May 2012

Campaign calls for different benefit assessment for 16 - 25 year old

Every Disabled Child Matters (EDCM) has today (Tuesday 1^st May) called upon the Government to make sure that Personal Independence Payments (PIP) help disabled 16 - 25 year olds to establish independent lives.

From 2013, PIP will replace Disability Living Allowance (DLA) for 'working age' adults as the extra costs benefit for disabled people. Responding to a consultation on the new benefit, EDCM asked the Government to take action to make sure PIP will cover the specific costs that disabled young people face when they are establishing independent lives.

EDCM's consultation response was written following a consultation event with 20 organisations with an interest in disabled children's issues. It asks the Government to change the assessment process to include:

• An additional activity for disabled young people to be used in PIP assessments to establish whether they need additional support, or,
• A different points system to be used in the assessment of 16 - 25 year olds to take account of the additional needs they have as they move to establishing independent living.

EDCM also told Government that PIP assessments should be designed differently for disabled young people, to make the process more appropriate for them:

• Specialist assessors should carry out face-to-face assessments of disabled young people to ensure that they are trained in the specific needs of this age group
• Disabled young people should be able to access independent advocates to attend assessments with them
• Disabled young people appealing PIP decisions should be able to continue to receive DLA until an outcome on the appeal is made

See the consultation response  here.