Personal Independence Payment (PIP) The Government is making changes to the benefit system which came into force from 8 April 2013. The DWP will introduce a new benefit to help people with the extra cost of being disabled. The new benefit is called Personal Independent Payment or “PIP” and by the end of 2016 PIP will have replaced Disability Living Allowance (DLA) (see Section 5) for disabled people aged between 16 and 64. What is Personal Independence Payment? PIP is a new benefit to help disabled people and, like Disability Living Allowance, PIP will have two components : Daily living component and Mobility component Each component will carry two rates of payment Standard rate Enhanced rate You will be able to use the enhanced rate to lease a mobility car under the PIP enhanced component. This will not be means tested or taxable and can be paid whether you are working or not. PIP will replace DLA for disabled people aged between 16 and 64 even if you currently have an “indefinite” or “lifetime” DLA award. Disabled Children will continue to receive DLA until they reach the age of 16. DLA will continue for those aged 65 and over on 8 April 2013. The eligibility criteria for PIP will differ from DLA and existing DLA will not be automatically transferred to PIP and you will need to make a claim for the new benefit. THE DWP will write to all people receiving DLA between 2013 and 2016. You will be assessed to decide what level of PIP you should receive. What you might receive PIP is paid every four weeks and is tax free and can be paid if you are working or not. It is paid in 2 components and whether you get one or both of these components will depend on how your condition affects you. Daily Living Component Standard rate £61.85 Enhanced rate £92.40 Mobility Component Standard rate £24.45 Enhanced rate £64.50 You may need an assessment to decide which level of help you will get. You may need regular assessments to make sure you are receiving the right support. Who can claim? To qualify for PIP you must be aged 16 to 64 from 8 April. You must be having difficulty with daily living activities such as : Preparing or eating food Washing, bathing and using the toilet Dressing and undressing Reading and Communicating and engaging with other people Managing your medicines or treatments Making decisions about money You may get the mobility component of PIP if you need help with going out and moving around. If you already receive Disability Living Allowance Most people already getting DLA will not be affected until 2015 unless your condition changes or you reach the end of your existing DLA award. You will need to apply for PIP when asked, even if you have been awarded DLA indefinitely or for life. You will receive a letter telling you why and where you must go for an assessment which will allow the DWP (Department of Works and Pensions) to make a decision on the level of help you need. For more information: New claims Telephone Number : 0800 121 4600 Ongoing claims Telephone Number : 0345 850 3322 How to claim: You will need to telephone the Department of Works and Pensions for a form which will ask you how your long term health condition or disability affects you. Department of Work & Pensions Claim number is 0800 917 2222 This process is different in Northern Ireland (phone the claim number above) The initial claim process will collect basic information about you – contact details, age, nationality, residency status (care home etc), name of your health care professional, bank details and questions about the nature of your health condition. At the initial stage you will be asked if you have one of the following conditions Mental health condition Behavioural condition Learning difficulty Developmental disorder Memory problem Following receipt of the initial claim, most people will be sent a “How your disability affects you” form to complete. If the form is not returned within the time limit without good reason, the claim will be refused. If you do not return the form and you have been identified as having a mental or cognitive impairment then Atos or Capita will still make an assessment by either collecting additional evidence by telephone or asking you to attend a medical. Completing the form : You will need as much detail as possible to give an accurate explanation as to how your condition affects you in relation to the point scoring activities. You will need to include your name and National Insurance number. If you use additional pages, you will need to put these details at the top of every page and staple them to the original questionnaire. You should keep a copy for your future reference. Include any problems caused by the effects of any medication or treatment you receive. Daily Living Activities: Your condition will be assessed as it is likely to be over the course of 12 months. The description you should give is the one which is correct for the majority of the time. Daily Living Activities including in the assessment are : Preparing food Can prepare and cook a simple meal unaided Needs to use an aid or appliance to either prepare or cook a simple meal Cannot cook a simple meal using a conventional cooker but is able to do so using a microwave Needs prompting to be able to either prepare or cook a simple meal Needs supervision or assistance to either prepare or cook a simple meal Cannot prepare and cook food Taking nutrition Can take nutrition unaided Needs: to use an aid or appliance to be able to take nutrition supervision to be able to take nutrition assistance to be able to cut up food Needs prompting to be able to take nutrition Needs assistance to be able to manage a therapeutic source to take nutrition Cannot convey food and drink to their mouth and needs another person to do so Managing therapy or monitoring a health condition Either: Does not receive medication or therapy or need to monitor a health condition; Can manage medication or therapy or monitor a health condition unaided Needs either : To use an aid or appliance to be able to manage medication; or Supervision, prompting or assistance to be able to manage medication or monitor a health condition Needs supervision, prompting or assistance to be able to manage medication or monitor a health condition that takes no more than 3.5 hours per week As above, but more than 3.5 hours but no more than 7 hours per week As above, but more than 7 hours but no more than 14 hours per week As above, but more than 14 hours per week Washing and bathing Can wash and bath unaided Needs to use an aid or appliance Needs supervision or prompting Needs assistance to be able to wash their hair or body below the waist Needs assistance to be able to get in and out of a bath or shower Needs assistance to be able to wash their body between the shoulders and waist Cannot wash and bathe at all and needs another person to wash their entire body Managing toilet needs or incontinence Can manage toilet needs or incontinence unaided Needs to use an aid or appliance Needs supervision or prompting Needs assistance to manage toilet needs Needs assistance to be able to manage incontinence of either bladder or bowel Dressing and undressing Can dress and undress unaided Needs to use an aid or appliance to be able to dress or undress Needs either: Prompting to be able to dress, undress or determine appropriate circumstances for remaining clothed; or Prompting or assistance to be able to select appropriate clothing. Needs assistance to be able to dress or undress the lower body As above, but upper body Cannot dress or undress at all Communicating verbally Can express and understand verbal information unaided Needs to use an aid or appliance to be able to speak or hear Needs communication support to be able to express or understand complex verbal information Needs communication support to be able to understand basic verbal information Cannot express or understand verbal information at all even with communication support Reading and understanding signs, symbols and words Engaging with other people face to face Making budgeting decisions Mobility Activities are : Planning and following journeys. Assessing the ability to plan, follow and take a journey unaided (particular relevance in mental health, learning disability, sensory loss). Moving around Assessing the ability to stand and then walk. For specialist benefit advice for children under 16 contact : Contact a Family Benefit Advice line which is a freephone helpline on 0808 808 3555 or e-mail [email protected] Changes to Personal Independence Payment 2017 In light of a recent independent report the Government has concluded that the assessment criterion for Personal Independence Payment (PIP) needs adjusting. The government plans to cut the amount of points awarded to somebody who needs to use aids and appliances to help with two of the ten daily living activities, namely, 'dressing' and 'managing toilet needs.' By cutting the level of points awarded for these activities it could potentially impact on the rate of PIP a person receives overall. Transitional support package for customers If you are in the Motability Scheme and have been informed by the Department of Work and Pensions you are no longer eligible for the Enhanced Rate of the Mobility Component of your Personal Independence Payment (PIP), you will need to inform Motibility Operations Ltd. Motability understands that this may be a worrying time for those affected and they have a transitional support package for people who are no longer eligible to use the Motability Scheme following their PIP assessment. For people who joined the Scheme before the end of 2013, financial support is available as long as the car is returned to the dealership in good condition and by the agreed date. What is available : Up to £2,000 financial support, dependent upon when you first joined the scheme. No further lease payments Advance Payment refunded on a pro-rata basis Where relevant, financial support to fit some adaptations to a non-Scheme vehicle A guide called “Staying Mobile after Motability Scheme” is available which includes advice about buying a used car, information on insurance, maintenance and other mobility solutions. Full claims history letter and details for Autonet Mobility, who are able to provide insurance quotes for former Motability Scheme customers. A fair market price for the car in case you would wish to buy it. The transitional support package has been carefully designed to support customers through the initial phase of PIP implementation. This package will be reviewed annually to take into account economic conditions and any possible changes the Government may make to PIP Manage Cookie Preferences