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New disability benefit introduced to replace \'outdated\' DLA By: Information Daily Staff Writer http://www.theinformationdaily.com/2013/06/10/new-disability-benefit-introduced-to-replace-outdated-dla A new benefit which will “better reflect our understanding of disability” has been rolled out across the country from today as part of the government’s welfare reforms. The Personal Independence Payment (PIP), which replaces the 20 year old Disability Living Allowance (DLA), will include face-to-face assessments and regular interviews. The Minister for Disabled People, Esther McVey, said the DLA is “outdated” and that the new benefit is designed to better support disabled people to live independent lives. PIP, which started in April with a phased introduction in the North of England, is a benefit which provides a cash contribution towards the extra costs associated with an impairment or health condition. The new assessment will look at an individual’s ability to carry out a broad range of everyday activities such as washing, dressing, cooking and getting around. It also looks at reading, verbal communication and how someone engages with other people. According to the government, the structure of the current system means nearly three quarters of claimants receive benefits without any systematic reassessments, and around half of decisions on entitlement are made on the basis of the claim form alone, without any additional corroborating medical evidence. The government says that when DLA was first introduced in 1992 there were 1.1 million people claiming, with a total spend of around £3 billion. The current spend has now reached £13 billion a year with a 32 per cent increase in claimants. “Disability Living Allowance is an outdated benefit introduced over 20 years ago and was very much a product of its time,” says McVey. PIP “has been designed to better reflect today’s understanding of disability, particularly to update our thinking on mental health and fluctuating conditions.” “We are introducing a new face-to-face assessment and regular reviews – something missing in the current system. This will ensure the billions we spend on the benefit gives more targeted support to those who need it most,” she added. Only existing working age claimants will be re-assessed from October if there is a change in circumstances, if an existing award ends or if someone reaches 16 years old. Most existing DLA claimants won’t be re-assessed until 2015 or later after DWP has considered the findings of the first independent review in 2014. Sense Deputy Chief Executive, Richard Kramer, said: “The needs of deafblind people are often complex and make it difficult for them to play an active role in society. DLA was key in helping many disabled people overcome these barriers and it would be damaging if PIP makes lives more difficult for deafblind people or leaves them without support and cut off from their own communities. “We know that many deafblind people are fearful about losing benefits as a result of the changes, while pilot testing showed worrying examples of unacceptable practices. One deafblind person could not be provided with an interpreter. Another was asked to copy what the assessor was doing – despite not being able to see. "These basic mistakes must not be repeated and Sense will be monitoring the performance of both Atos Healthcare and Capita closely to ensure deafblind people are treated fairly and correctly.” Mark Lever, Chief Executive of The National Autistic Society, said the roll out of PIP is "deeply concerning." Related • National Autistic Society defends disabled benefits claimants (15 Nov, 2011) • Disability Benefits Reform: Personal Independence Payments (8 Apr, 2013) • Welfare reforms: Government needs to ensure disability assessments are "fair" and "accurate" (21 Feb, 2012) • 10,000 demand keep disability living allowance Government responds (4 Feb, 2013) • More than a third of incapacity benefit claimants fit for work, says DWP (16 Mar, 2012) • Universal Credit to replace existing working benefits (30 Oct, 2012) He said: "Before anyone had even walked through the door to take the new test, the DWP had already suggested that successful claimants would drop by 600,000 and spending would fall by a fifth. It smacks of a cost-saving exercise, when it should be a genuine drive to make the system fairer and deliver support to everyone who needs it." "Autism is a complex disability and the new face-to-face assessments will not be fit for purpose for many unless assessors have the training they need in the condition. Assessors for other benefits don’t appear to be receiving this training and there’s no clear indications that they will here either. "Disability benefits are an essential, not a luxury. The existing system needed to be reformed, but we remain unconvinced this new process provides a fair solution that will deliver support to all those who genuinely need it."