Welfare Reform

The Welfare Reform Act 2012 recieved Roayl Assent in March. The Welfare Reform Act 2012 makes big changes to the benefits system and will impact on many of the benefits that families with disabled children access.

The majority of the changes that will come into place as a consequence of the Welfare Reform Act 2012 will begin to roll out in 2013. Contact a Family has produced a Guide to future benefits changes which you may want to view for information on how the proposed changes may impact on you.

Key changes the Welfare Refom Act brings in, include:

Disability Additions
Currently, low income and out of work families with a child in reciept of Disability Living Allowance (DLA) are entitled to a 'disability addition' worth £53.62 per week. Families with a child in receipt of the high rate care component of DLA also receive a 'top up addition' worth an additional £21 per week. Proposals under the Universal Credit will see lower benefit 'additions' drop by over 50%. EDCM is very concerned about the impact this will have on many families with disabled children.

Disability Living Allowance
The Welfare Reform Act replaces DLA with a new benefit called Personal Independence Payments (PIP) for disabled people aged 16 - 65 from 2013. The Government has said they will move disabled children onto PIP in the future.

The Universal Credit
The Government has proposed a new benefit call the 'Universal Credit'. This will bring all out-of-work and in-work benefits together. The key aim of the Universal Credit is that it will make work pay. It will do this ensuring you keep more of your earnings when you first start working.