Welfare Reform

Changes to Welfare Benefit

There are lots of big changes happening to the welfare system at the moment. One of the biggest is the ongoing replacement of Disability Living Allowance with a new benefit called Personal Independence Payment (PIP). PIP will be different from DLA in the following ways:

• Most people who claim PIP will have to go through a face to face assessment with a medical professional as well as filling out a form.
• The purpose of the assessment is to measure the claimants ability to complete day to day activities such as getting up, washing and going out.
• There will only be two rates of the Care Component (or Daily Living Component as it will be known) instead of the three currently under DLA.
• 20% fewer people are likely to receive PIP than DLA, meaning fewer will be assessed as eligible and some will lose the benefit altogether. Others may see a drop in the amount of benefit they receive.

When will this happen?

Most disabled people don't need to worry about PIP yet. Those who claim DLA at the moment aren't likely to be reassessed for PIP until October 2015 at the earliest. However, there are likely to be some exceptions:

• People who have fixed period awards of DLA which comes to an end after 7^th October 2013 will be reassessed for PIP rather than DLA
• People who report a change in their needs to the DWP after 7^th October 2013 will be reassessed for PIP rather than DLA
• People who have never claimed DLA will have to apply to PIP instead of DLA from June 2013
• Children who turn 16 on or after 7^th October 2013 will become eligible to apply for PIP (rather than DLA) when they turn 16
• Those who are over 65 on the 8^th April will continue to be eligible for DLA and will not need to claim PIP

For more information on your benefit changes contact Capability Scotland's Advice Service on 0131 313 5510 or email advice@capability-scotland.org.uk

What is Capability Scotland doing about this?

Capability Scotland has been working hard over the last few years to make sure that changes to the welfare system (such as the replacement of DLA with PIP) take the needs of disabled people into account. This has included writing to MSPs, MPs and the UK and Scottish Governments. You can see some of the letters, consultations and evidence we have submitted on our consultations page.

We are continuing to oppose the worst of the changes and will keep you updated with our work. If you want to discuss the impact the welfare reforms are having on your life and/or you want to get involved with our policy and campaigns work then contact Hanna McCulloch, our Senior Policy Advisor on 0131 347 1025 / 0141 429 0294.