Personal Independence Payments

From June 2013 Personal Independence Payment (PIP) will replace Disability Living Allowance (DLA) for people aged 16 to 64 with a health condition or disability, including sight loss. Initially this will be for new claimants, but after October 2013 this will include those who reach the end of their existing DLA awards or those whose condition has changed. Most people getting DLA won’t be affected until 2015 or later.

What is PIP
PIP helps with some of the extra costs caused by ill-health or a disability. What you’ll get is not based on your condition but on how your condition affects you.

You may need an assessment to work out the level of help you get. Your needs will be regularly reassessed to make sure you’re getting the right support.

What you’ll get
Personal Independence Payment (PIP) is paid every 4 weeks. It’s tax free and can be paid if you’re in or out of work.
PIP will consist of two components:

> a daily living component
> and a mobility component.

The DWP may award you one or both of these components.
Both components will have a standard rate and an enhanced rate.

If you already get DLA
You don’t need to contact the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) about PIP now. You’ll get a letter to tell you:
> more about PIP
> when you might be affected

When you receive a letter inviting you to apply for PIP, you must respond otherwise you will lose your benefit.

Eligibility
To qualify for Personal Independence Payment (PIP) you must be aged 16 to 64 from 8 April 2013 and have difficulty with:
> ‘activities of daily living’
> mobility

You must have had these difficulties for 3 months and expect them to last for at least 9 months.

Daily living difficulties
You may get the daily living component of PIP if you need help with things like:

      > preparing or eating food
      > washing and bathing
      > dressing and undressing
      > communicating
      > managing your medicines or treatm      ents
      > making decisions about money

 

 

 

Mobility difficulties

You may get the mobility component of PIP if you need help with going out and moving around.


How the claim process works

 

1 If you are an existing DLA claimant you will be contacted to ask if you want to claim PIP


2 You need to phone the DWP to make your initial claim. You can get someone to do this for you as long as you are with them when they make the call. Make sure you have all your personal details to hand.


3 You will be sent a form to fill in detailing how your condition affects you on a daily basis over a range of activities. Supporting evidence should be sent with this form.


4 You will probably get a letter telling you to go for a face to face assessment to work out the level of help you need. The letter explains why and where you must go. Home visits can sometimes be arranged and you can take someone along with you


5 The DWP makes the decision about your claim based on the results of the assessment, your claim form and any supporting evidence you include.


For more information

 

If you are asked to apply for PIP and need help, please let us know as we will be able to put you in touch with an organisation that can help.

 

Useful numbers:

 

Action for Blind People
Tel: 0303 123 9999
Website: www.actionforblindpeople.org.uk

 

Benefit Enquiry Line
Tel: 0800 88 22 00 (free call)
Textphone: 0800 24 33 55 (free call)
Website: www.gov.uk/browse/benefits/disability

 

Age UK

Information & Advice (Wiltshire)
Tel: 01380 727767
Email: info@ageukwiltshire.org.uk
Information & Advice (Swindon)
Tel: 01793 687018
Email: info@ageukwiltshire.org.uk