The Government, through the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) has launched the third in a series of consultation exercises on the proposed replacement to Disability Living Allowance (DLA). This consultation seeks views on the detailed proposals that will inform the secondary legislation on Personal Independence Payment (PIP). The DWP would like to hear from all who are interested, including disability organisations and disabled people.
The Government has announced that PIP will be phased-in starting with new claims from April 2013. During the first few months the number of new claims will be limited to a few thousand per month to allow it to test its systems before all new claims for PIP enter the process. It will begin to reassess existing DLA claimants, starting in October 2013, six months after the initial implementation; this will also be a phased process.
The consultation sets out the Government’s proposals on the detailed rules that will underpin PIP. These proposals concern:
- eligibility to the benefit – residence and presence tests, and how children in receipt of DLA will be brought through to PIP at age 16;
- payability of the benefit for certain groups – how payment of the benefit will be affected for residents of care homes, hospital in-patients, and for people undergoing legal detention; and not providing for an extension of the mobility component to Motability leaseholders affected by the hospital rules;
- the requirements relating to reassessing DLA recipients – this specifically looks at the rules relating to people aged 16–64 who will be in receipt of DLA in April 2013, and sets out what they can expect from the DWP and what they will need to do if they want to claim PIP; and
- passporting arrangements – this sets out the Government’s intentions on how PIP will be used as a gateway for other benefits and schemes, including those for which other Government Departments are responsible.
The consultation paper can be read here, while a supporting paper that provides an updated series of frequently asked questions in relation to PIP can be found here.
The consultation period closes on 30 June 2012. As before, individual responses can be sent to:
Email: pip.feedback@dwp.gsi.gov.uk
or by post to:
PIP Policy Team
Caxton House
Tothill Street
London
SW1H 9NA
Alternatively you can send your views to us to help us put forward a representative view to the DWP. Please send in your views to consultations@limbless-association.org, or post them to:
Dave White
Limbless Association
Unit 16, Waterhouse Business Centre
2 Cromar Way
Chelmsford
Essex CM1 2QE
