Campaigning on Disability Living Allowance

Changes announced to DLA

In December 2010, the Government announced that from 2013, Disability Living Allowance (DLA) will be replaced by a new benefit called the 'Personal Independence Payment' (PIP).

This is expected to be for working-age disabled adults only. However, the Government is reviewing whether to replace child DLA too.

What do the changes mean?

Like DLA, the new benefit will continue to be payable to people whether they are in or out of work, and be non-means tested.

We are concerned about how the assessment will work for the new benefit, as well as about proposals for regular re-assessments.

We welcome some of the indications from the Government that the specific needs of people with autism will be taken into account in the assessment of the new benefit.

For example, the consultation document on the changes emphasises that in ensuring eligibility for the mobility component of the new benefit, ability to get around should look at more than a person's ability to walk and also include their ability to plan a journey.

However, we urge the Government to make sure that it properly involves people with autism in redesigning the assessment process to ensure that the needs of this group are comprehensively covered by the assessment.

We are also worried about proposals for re-assessment to become more commonplace, as this may cause unnecessary anxiety for people with long-term conditions, such as autism. 

Moreover, the proposals set out a plan to reduce the number of bands of benefit payment and should be seen in the context of the Government's plans to cut the projected spend on DLA for working-age disabled people by 20 per cent over the next three years.

We are therefore concerned about whether the new assessment could be used to cut the number of people eligible for the benefit.

What the NAS is doing and what you can do to help

On 28 February 2011, we published a new report called Who benefits? which highlights the importance of DLA for people with autism and calls on the Government to rethink its plans to reform it.
 
Please email your MP today and ask them to take action to ensure that people with autism aren't unfairly disadvantaged by the reforms. We have also produced an easy-read version of the campaign action.
 
We have submitted a response to the Government's consultation on DLA and will campaigning extensively on this issue as the Welfare Reform Bill passes through parliament.

Find out more about our Who benefits? campaign.