Tag Archives: DLA

Paralympians express fears over disability living allowance plans

Athletes say that coalition proposals to replace benefit could threaten their independence and undermine key Games legacy

 

Lady Tanni Grey-Thompson warned in May about DLA cuts, and other Paralympians have now spoken out.

A group of British Paralympians have expressed their fears over government plans to cut disability living allowance (DLA), warning that the benefit is vital to enable them to live independently.

Under coalition welfare reforms, hundreds of thousands of disabled people will lose the allowance when the government replaces DLA with more restrictive personal independence payments (PIP) in 2013.

The Paralympians fear that the potential loss of the benefit, worth between £20 and £131.50 a week, which helps with the extra costs of transport, equipment, care and other specialist needs that disabled people have, could undermine the key legacy issue of the Games – to open up access to sport for disabled people.

The government plans to replace the allowance, which goes to about 3.2 million people at an annual cost of £12.6bn, with personal independence payments (PIP) from 2013. It estimates that up to 500,000 people will lose entitlement to DLA over the next four years as eligibility criteria are tightened and claims reassessed.

PIP and is set to replace DLA for working age claimants from April 2013

Out with Disability Living Allowance and in with Personal Independence Payment

Independent DWP benefits’ advice by Jon Kingham, welfare rights advisor. Jon has practiced welfare rights and housing law for over 15–years in the voluntary sector where he has used his considerable knowledge and experience working with people with mental health issues. Unfortunately, Jon is unable to enter into personal correspondence in regards to DWP enquiries.

As you may be aware the Government, as part of its so–called welfare reforms are going to abolish Disability Living Allowance [DLA]. Its replacement will be called Personal Independence Payment or PIP and is set to replace DLA for working age claimants from April 2013. Whilst no new claims for DLA can be made after this time, existing claimants will be reassessed for PIP from between April 2013 to April 2017. This will be the case even if you have a life or indefinite award of DLA. PIP will have many similarities with DLA and, in particular, it will have two components: a daily living component [similar to the current care component] and a mobility component.

How can it be right to profit from disability?

Disability living allowance is being replaced with personal independence payment assessments, and private companies are queueing up to cash in

Atos has been shortlisted for the PIP contract, despite being criticised for its handling of work capability assessments.

The Department for Work and Pensions has just announced the 10 private companies on the shortlist to deliver the personal independence payment (PIP) assessments, which everyone receiving disability living allowance will have to undergo from next year when DLA is replaced by PIPs. With 3.2 million captive customers, not to mention a monopoly on all new claimants, it’s not hard to see the appeal of the contract for profit-hungry companies untroubled by the ethics of slashing 20% from the money provided to disabled people to help them meet some of the basic expenses that living with a disability inevitably incurs.