Update on the reforms to Disability Living Allowance/Personal Independence Payment

The Government is proposing to introduce a new benefit called Personal Independence Payment (PIP) as of 2013 (for more information see: Personal Independence Payment – frequently asked questions). This will replace working age Disability Living Allowance (DLA). From April 2013 to March 2016 everyone aged 16 to 64 years old receiving DLA will be reassessed to see whether they are entitled to the new PIP. As with DLA, PIP will have two components: a daily living component (which has similarities to the current care component) and a mobility component.

Following further development work on the PIP assessment criteria, The Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) have revised the initial proposals and produced a second draft. Informal consultations on the first draft criteria (published in May 2011) took place between May and August 2011. Feedback indicated:

• Strong feelings that the initial proposals did not adequately assess disability-related costs, and that issues such as utility bills, access to transport and suitability of housing should be included
• The criteria should include additional activities such as leisure or community activities, social relationships and housework
• The criteria were too low level and did not fully assess ability to participate
• Concern that the draft criteria did not consider supervision and that the assessment required too high a level of support from another person. It was also questioned why the criteria did not explicitly assess night time needs separately from day time needs.
• Strongly support for the inclusion of an activity assessing communication ability. However, it was generally felt that the initial proposals assessed too basic a level of ability and did not capture social engagement and ability to access written information
• A large number of responses questioning why ability to manage everyday finances was limited to planning and buying food and drink; it was suggested that this should be widened to general budgeting or financial management

In response to the feedback received a number of key changes have been made to the draft criteria:

• The criteria now refer to supervision from another person where this is required to enable an individual to carry out an activity safely - to ensure that the assessment adequately takes account of where the presence of another person is needed
• Descriptors continue to be considered in light of whether they apply for the ‘majority of the time’ – defined as on the majority of days. However, to ensure that the impact of a fluctuating condition is accurately captured, where two or more descriptors in an activity apply on less than 50 per cent of days individually but reach this threshold when combined, the descriptor which applies for the greatest proportion of the time will apply
• To clarify and ensure a broader assessment of ability to make everyday decisions, the previous Planning and buying food and drink activity has been replaced by a new activity: Making financial decision
• The previous Communicating with others activity is now two new activities: Communicating – which focuses on expressive and receptive communication and accessing written information; and Engaging socially. – which assess ability to interact with others in a contextually and appropriate manner, understand body language and establish relationships
• A number of the definitions used within the criteria have been broadened. For example, a ‘simple meal’ relates to using fresh not frozen ingredients, (Preparing food and drink); medication and therapy may now be recommended as well as prescribed (Managing therapy or monitoring a health condition); and communication support can be from a person experienced in communicating with the individual, as well as from someone who is trained to provide such support (Communicating)
• So that the assessment does not unfairly penalise individuals who choose to use aids and appliances to improve their independence, it will now also considers cheap, widely available aids and appliances which can ‘reasonably be expected’ to be used, in a similar way to Disability Living Allowance. (It is recognised that aids and appliances do not necessarily remove barriers and may attract costs; therefore descriptors which refer to these normally attract a scoring descriptor)

The second draft also includes DWP initial thoughts on possible weighting of descriptors, which have been developed following consideration of the comments received on the first draft, discussion with the DWP advisory group and qualitative and quantitative analysis of some of the initial testing results.

Download Personal Independence Payment: frequently asked questions (published in December 2011)

Download Personal Independence Payment: second draft of assessment regulations (published November 2011)

Download Personal Independence Payment: second draft of assessment criteria - An explanatory note to support the second draft of the assessment regulations (published November 2011)