PIP Presentation

A

Basic Understanding of

Personal Independence

Payments,

known as P.I.P.s

Changing from DLA to PIPs

From June 2013 all

new claims from

anyone aged 16-64,

will be for PIPs

instead of DLA

throughout the whole

of Great Britain

Time Line for Existing clients

From 7th October 2013 for the following groups DLA

will be replaced by PIPs:

• Children turning 16 when their existing fixed-term

award comes to an end.

• People with a fixed-term DLA award expiring from

the end of February 2014

• People reporting changes of circumstances such

as an improvement or deterioration in condition,

but NOT issues like going into a care home or hospital or changing address

Existing clients from

October 2015 move to PIPs

This appears random and is NOT

dependent on age or where you live.

You can go to the Gov.UK website

and insert a date of birth which gives

an indication of possible change over

time.

Insert date of birth on the website

This is what you see

When will change over from DLA to

PIPs be complete ?

• The transfer of claimants from DLA to PIP is expected to take 5 years.

Ending in March 2018.

• Note current clients with indefinite DLA awards will be the last to be assessed.

What to do when you get a letter?

Stage 1:

• When selected for transfer by DWP there is 28 days to respond, and ask for a form by phone: 0800 917 2222. Skype is possible too

• text phone: 0800 917 7777

• They will collect basic information such as:

Contact details, age, nationality, details of main healthcare professional, bank info etc, plus questions for people who have terminal conditions

Other questions they ask

• Do the following conditions apply?

• A mental health condition?

• A behavioural condition?

• A learning disability?

• A memory problem?

• A developmental disorder?

If a claimant can’t use a phone

• Then ask for a PIP1 form using the

text number or respond by letter.

• The form must be completed and

returned within 28 days

• Other people can complete it on your

behalf (with permission), but the

claimant MUST sign it.

Warning!!!!!!

• If claimants fail to contact the DWP either by phone or letter within the 28 days, their DLA payments will be suspended for 4 weeks or more.

• BEWARE: when a letter from the DWP arrives advising of benefit rises as in annual increases, the PIP invitation to respond is at the end of this letter. This could possibly be overlooked!!!

• That’s when someone might fall foul of the 28 day rule and see suspension of payments

The PIP1 form in Stage 1

There are 18 pages to this

form. Right at the top is

a section where it will be

personalised with the

client’s name and post

code.

http://www.dwp.gov.uk/docs/pip1-claim-form.pdf

Stage 2 of action

“How your Disability affects you”………….

A tear off letter attached to a 36 page long

form, with 12 page information booklet.

The forms collects details about:

• The professionals best place to advise the

DWP on your circumstances

• Health conditions or disabilities

• Medication and treatment

The next 28 days

There are 28 days again to respond and send in this form.

The decision maker can extend the 28 day period in certain circumstances, like going

into hospital.

If claims are not made within 28 days, DLA will be suspended for another 4 weeks.

Failure to make a PIP claim

Failing to make a claim for PIP at the end of the 8 weeks, will see the DLA award terminated from the date it was suspended.

Whether PIP is awarded or not, the decision will not take effect for 4 weeks after the next DLA pay day, allowing time to adjust to a possible loss of finances!

Supporting Evidence

The more supporting evidence to

accompany a claim the better the

chance for a right decision.

The form is evidence, as is a report from a

GP or Consultant, and the report from the

Atos or Capita health professional, if a

medical is required.

The majority of claimants will have a face to

face assessment with a health professional

working for Atos or Capita.

Atos or Capita you don’t get a choice

Regional contracts determined this. Hereford appears to be under Capita contracts.

Capita will be using 80% general nurses and

20% mental health nurses for assessment centre medicals The nurses will be permanent staff

For home assessments they will use 20% permanent staff and 80% contracted staff.

65% will be general nurses,

25% mental health nurses and 10% GPs.

Medical assessments

The DWP estimate 8% of claimants will medically require a home visit.

Capita say they anticipate the majority of claimants will prefer home visits and expect 60% will take them up.

Capita will also use Remploy offices, Assist UK Independent Living Centres, as well as their own offices.

(Capita contract worth £140 million over 5 years).

How to help the claimant

Start now to

prepare and

collect evidence

Suggestions of evidence to include

• A health diary….showing daily issues

• Medication diary. If no treatment is suitable

then say so!

• If not seeing a Consultant explain why. It may

be they have signed you off as there is

nothing further they can do, and state when

this stopped with a copy of their letter

• Give examples of your medical condition/

issues

• A GP medical report, but this might cost!

Examples of medical condition issues

• If you have Arthritis and find it difficult to get

dressed, that is not enough evidence

• E.g. Explain that pain in your hands/ legs/

shoulders means getting dressed/ undressed

takes 30 minutes. The result of this action

leaves you fatigued for another hour (say)

• If with MS, fatigue is more of an issue when

the weather is hot, during illness or after

exercise, then this should be stressed,

personal to your circumstances

Scoring Points

Points are scored to gain awards in two

ways:

1. Daily Living Component (care)

2. Mobility Component

There are 2 rates for each component

• Standard rate (8 points)

• Enhanced rate (12 points)

Rates of payment

Daily Living:

• Standard: £53 a week

• Enhanced: £79.15 a week

Mobility:

• Standard: £21 a week

• Enhanced: £55.25 a week

Daily Living Activities

1. Preparation of Food

2. Taking nutrition

3. Managing therapy or monitoring a health condition

4. Washing & bathing

5. Dressing & Undressing

6. Managing toilet needs or incontinence

7. Communicating Verbally

8. Reading & understanding signs, symbols & words

9. Engaging with other people face to face

10. Making budgeting decisions

Mobility Activities

1. Planning & following journeys:

This now includes a section for maximum points:

“Cannot follow the route of a familiar journey without another person, an assistance dog or an orientation aid”

2. Moving around:

This section is purely about the physical ability to get around

New shock changes in Mobility

New rule:

50 metres rule has changed to 20 metres

For maximum points (12), and to qualify for a Motability vehicle, these are the pointers:

a. Can stand and then move more than 1 metre but no more than 20 metres, either aided or unaided.

b. Can’t either aided or unaided stand or move than 1 metre

PIPs and Motability Cars

• If you are an existing DLA recipient who is

awarded the Enhanced Rate of the Mobility

Component of PIP, then your Motability lease

will continue as you move from DLA to PIP.

• If you are an existing DLA recipient who has

not received the Enhanced Rate of the

Mobility Component of PIP, you will not be

eligible to use the Motability Scheme.

Not now eligible for Motability

• The leasing agreement will end

• Motability will arrange for the vehicle to be returned

• Motability refunds any Advance Payment on a pro-rata basis e.g. if the agreement ended after one year of a three year lease two-thirds of the Advance Payment would be refunded

• Subject to terms and conditions, Motability may in some cases be able to offer the vehicle for sale to you

Appealing the decision

Customers will be able to appeal to the DWP if they disagree with the decision.

However, DWP will NOT continue to make DLA payments while an appeal is being processed, and so Motability will not be able to leave the vehicle with you.

If the appeal is successful, you will of course be eligible to re-join the Scheme.

Length of PIP awards

Awards are for fixed periods not indefinite

• Short term is up to 2 years, when the DWP expects conditions to improve.

• Awards for 5- 10 years are made when conditions are less likely to change

• On-going awards will only be given in a very small minority of cases, where claimants are unlikely to get either better or worse

• PIPS are payable to residents of the UK between the ages of 16-64 years.

• From 2018, this will change as the pension age for men rises.

• The condition must have existed for 3 months and likely to be there for another 9 months

• It is a non means tested benefit

• If living abroad for more than 2 years , a resident must wait another two years before being eligible

Qualifying for PIPs

Reliably….the new PIP word!

Guidance by DWP uses the word Reliably, and

refers to all activities in the tests.

Reliably means :

• Safely, in a fashion unlikely to cause harm to

clients or another person.

• To a necessary and appropriate standard.

• Repeatedly, as often as reasonably required.

• In a timely manner, in a reasonable time period

Reliably also means

Consider these thoughts when answering:

• Does pain constrict activities?

• Is motivation require to achieve?

• Will breathlessness curtail success?

• Is nausea an issue?

• Is fatigue part of the reason why there

are such difficulties in managing daily

activities?

Consider these things!

• Keep a copy of everything you submit

• Non medical evidence from a carer,

friend or neighbour can be submitted

• If you are asked to attend a medical

then make sure the date you are offered

suits. If not ask for another

• Take someone with you for any

interviews/ medicals

• Ask for an overview of findings

Current information

The information in this guide to PIPs, has been produced to assist in understanding the changes

from DLA. However, for up to date accuracy you should look at the DWP website, as Herefordshire Disability United are not official representatives, and have produced these slides as part of an Open Meeting event.

Copyright Herefordshire Disability United 2013