News From The Centre of Independent Living

DWP PIP Toolkit

The Department for Work and Pensions has produced an online Personal Independence Payment (PIP)toolkit with the aim of providing clear information to individuals and organisations that support Disability Living Allowance (DLA) claimants.

Included in the toolkit are the following sections:- All about PIP – information about conditions of entitlement, assessment criteria and examples of forms and letters; Introducing PIP – timings for the phased approach to introduce PIP and when existing DLA claimants will be affected; The claimant journey – how the claims process will work and what happens after PIP is awarded.

Click here for the DWP PIP Toolkit

DLA /PIP Key Comparisons and the Blue Badge Consultation Response

Some key comparisons between the DLA and PIP by May 2018 (the PIP migration end date) include:- overall, the PIP caseload in May 2018 will be around 608,000 lower than the DLA caseload would have been without the introduction of PIP; the number of people receiving the highest rate of the Mobility component will be around 428,000 lower in PIP than would have been the case in DLA; around 510,000 DLA claimants will have a reduced award.

As around a third of all Blue Badges are currently issued to people who receive the higher rate of the mobility component of Disability Living Allowance, the Department for Transport consulted between July and October 2012 on the options, in England, for dealing with the impact of the welfare changes. The government has issued a statement saying that it remains committed to ensuring that the Blue Badge scheme continues to be focussed on those people who will benefit most from the parking concessions that it offers, and that it is sustainable in the future.

When DLA is replaced by PIP, there will still be a legislative link that means those people who score 8 points or more in the ‘moving around’ activity of PIP will be automatically eligible for a Blue Badge. This activity assesses a person’s physical ability to get around and a score of 8 points or more will be awarded to people who are either unable to walk or who cannot walk further than approximately 50 metres. This means that future eligibility for a Blue Badge will be ‘as similar to the current eligibility criteria for the scheme as possible’.

Click here to see The Government’s Response to the consultation on Personal Independence and Eligibility for a Blue Badge

We Are Spartacus ‘Emergency Stop’ Report

The Hidden Economic and Social Cost of Welfare Reform is considered in this new report by We are Spartacus. In particular it examines the implications of the Government’s estimate that 428,000 fewer working age disabled people will qualify for the higher PIP ‘mobility’ rate (that will allow access to the Motability scheme) by 2018.

The analysis estimates that, under PIP, 428,000 fewer working age disabled people will qualify for the higher PIP rate (which allows access to the Motability scheme) by 2018. It’s not just disabled people who will ‘lose out’. Changing from DLA to PIP means fewer people qualifying for Motability cars to the tune of about 50,000 fewer vehicles a year.

Less demand means fewer jobs in the motor industry, a lower contribution to GDP and the exchequer, and a knock on effect on the second hand market, which also contributes to the economy. In the meantime, disabled people will be less independent, less likely to be able to get or keep a job, more likely to give up self-employment and less able to care for their children or support other family members. It also highlights that the cost to the public purse of enabling disabled people to get to medical appointments could alone amount to about £8 million.

Click here to read ‘Emergency Stop’

DPULOs are Making a Difference

As part of the Strengthening Disabled Persons User Led Organisations (DPULO) Programme the Office for Disability Issues is developing the ‘DPULOs Making A Difference’ series. The series will be collections of practical case studies which demonstrate how DPULOs have and are making a difference in their local communities.

The first series of case studies on disability hate crime is now available. It also contains 10 practical “options for action” which show how local DPULOs can support efforts to address disability hate crime.

The Pain Exchange

Chronic pain is defined as pain that lasts for more than three months. More than a quarter of people affected by chronic pain suffer in silence as many find it difficult to communicate the experience of pain to their GP.

The Pain Exchange is an online forum where people can describe their pain in words and imagery and talk with others about their pain to find the language to use and feel confident when talking to their GP in order to access appropriate support and treatment.

It was developed in collaboration with leading patient organisations in the UK including Arthritis Care, BackCare, Cystitis and Overactive Bladder Foundation, Pain UK, The Patients Association and the Trigeminal Neuralgia Association

Click here to read ‘The Pain Exchange’

Experts by Experience Recruitment

Inclusion North is supporting the Experts by Experience programme which is part of the work of the Care Quality Commission. The Experts by Experience programme makes sure that people who have direct experience of health and social care services can take part in inspecting health and social care services and help the Care Quality Commission develop the way it works.

Inclusion North is recruiting people who live in the Yorkshire and Humber region who have direct experience of using mental health services, being detained under the Mental Health Act and learning disability services. Experts by Experience are paid for the work they do. The deadline for applications is Monday 11th March 2013.

Click here to view ‘Experts by Experience Details and Application Pack’

This publication makes an interesting read as it contains an overview of disability issues from external sources, mainly articles appearing in the press, grouped under topics including Welfare / Benefits, Employment, Education, Health, Attitudes, Care and Support and Technology. There are also details of SCOPE’s latest campaigns and links to a Calendar of National Awareness Raising Events (Weeks/Days) for medical conditions.

Advocacy Manager Vacancy

Sheffield Centre for Independent Living (SCIL) is looking for an Advocacy Manager to be accountable for the delivery of our independent advocacy service for disabled people, and for the promotion and development of the service.

The Advocacy Manager will work to ensure that all advocates develop high degrees of competence in their practice by acting as a role model and through performance management and development.

The Advocacy Manager will support the Chief Officer in ensuring the operational effectiveness of the team. Hours are 25 per week, NJC Spinal point 32 £27,052 pro rata 19,323 + 6% pension contribution. The closing date for applications is 5pm on 5th April 2013.

Interviews will be held on the week commencing 15th April 2013. Details of the post are in the application pack. Please apply using the application form. CVs will not be accepted. Please return your application to recruitment@inclusivesheffield.org.uk

Click here to view the Information Pack
Click here view the Application Form

State of Caring 2013 Survey

Carers UK has launched a ‘Caring and Family Finances Inquiry’ to provide a definitive study of the financial impact of caring.

It comes amid rising anxiety from carers that the Government’s current welfare reforms and cuts to disability benefits will result in a knock-on reduction of at least 10,000 in the number of people eligible for Carer’s Allowance.

Carers UK Chief Executive Heléna Herklots, said “ Carers contribute an estimated £119 billion to the UK economy with the care they provide, often at the cost to their health, careers and family finances.

In return, the Government is now cutting financial support for carers by £31 million – meaning that thousands of families now face the devastating double blow of disability and carers’ benefits. This comes on top of cuts to social care services, cuts to Housing Benefit support for carers who need a separate room to sleep in, forthcoming reductions in support with Council Tax and thousands of carers who will have their benefits capped – a perfect storm of cuts to families already struggling to care for loved ones.

After many warm words from Government celebrating carers’ contribution to our country, families will now feel betrayed. The Government must urgently set out what support will be available to carers who lose Carer’s Allowance but continue to provide full-time care. To kick-start the ‘Caring and Family Finances Inquiry’ Carers UK wants carers to tell them about the impact caring has on their lives by completing their State of Caring 2013 survey.

Running throughout 2013, the Inquiry will have carers’ voices at its heart, collecting evidence via public polling, survey data and through evidence sessions involving carers across the UK.

Click here State of Caring 2013 Survey