Learning disability DLA to PIP

jaampotts wrote: I am a Carer and also support older carers with adults with learning disability.A question that keeps getting asked at our meetings, example son gets higher rate care under DLA and low rate mobility but under Pip rules now scores over 50 points in daily living activities and on mobility activities
11 Planning and following journeys 11F cannot follow the route of a familiar journey without another person 12 points. Another example son gets middle rate DLA and low rate mobility and using benefits and works guide PIP now scores 40 points and again 12 points and therefore will get enhased rate on both activities

Do we apply in October 2013 as a change of circumstances or wait until we are called
This affects thousands of people with learning disability who because they could walk under DLA
Rules were unable claim higher rate of mobility but under PIP will now get mobility rate at the enhased rate and if we wait some people could miss out on thousands of pounds
comments please

Thanks Bourne and Stamford carers (Lincolnshire County Carers)

As I understand all three options will be available;

- claimants can wait until they are asked to transfer by the DWP, unless
- there is a Change of Circumstances which requires notification in which they should expect to be transferred then, finally
- claimants can volunteer to be transferred.

There is undoubtedly the possibility that claimants with problems going out due to mental health issues, who also have moderate physical problems with walking and therefore qualify for DLA LRM, but not HRM, may score points from both the PIP mobility descriptors and therefore qualify for the enhanced rate, where someone with problems in only one of the areas may only qualify for the standard rate.

The same may apply to PIP care, however, I feel the opportunity is less well defined.

As to when anybody in this situation should transfer, given that they have a choice, I do not think we are in a position to answer!

I have not even seen a report of a new claim for PIP being awarded as of today (30 May) so we have no idea how the benefit is actually being assessed against the descriptors, more importantly as nobody on DLA is being transferred until later this year, we will not have a comparison of the two until then.

Why is this important, most claimants self-assessing will tend to over score what they might be awarded, even if they are deliberately circumspect, I would still expect them to still award more points than an assessor might, so I would be extremely cautious using the examples you mention in your post as guides to what people will score under PIP.

Remember, claimants being transferred are being assessed from scratch and once the transfer starts there is no way back on to DLA, so anybody considering this really needs to understand what they were doing. The governments aim is to reduce the DLA/PIP budget by 20% and I have since seen figures as high as 27% used in the last three months, obviously some will have higher awards under PIP than they currently have under DLA, but a lot of people will have reduced awards, and a lot will lose their awards entirely.

Gordon