Disability Benefits

To register a claim or for further information Visit www.gov.uk/pip

Once you have registered your claim, you will be sent a claim form asking you to describe how your condition affects you. The form comes with notes to help you fill it in. Return the form to DWP (the address is printed on the form). You will have 4 weeks to complete your forms, but a 2 week extension can be requested by ringing the number on the top of your PIP claim form should you need longer to get help with your application.

We strongly advise that you get experienced help to fill in the application forms. Disability Peterborough can offer this service to physically disabled people living in Peterborough and surrounding areas, Telephone 01733 265551 for an appointment.

You can also use this guide to help you fill in the forms www.disabilityrightsuk.org/personal-independence-payment

Once you have returned your application pack, you will have an assessment to decide on your application. This assessment is automatically arranged by DWP as part of processing your application.

Details of the PIP criteria is available here www.citizensadvice.org.uk

The full DWP guidance on PIP assessment and criteria is available here www.gov.uk

Daily Living Component

To get an award of the daily living component, you need to score:

• 8 points for the standard rate
• 12 points for the enhanced rate

You can only score one set of points from each activity. If two or more apply from the same activity, only the highest will count.

Points from different daily living activities can be added together when calculating your score.

Mobility Component

To get an award of the mobility component you need to score:

• 8 points for the standard rate
• 12 points for the enhanced rate

As with daily living above, you only score the highest points that apply to you from each activity but you can add points from each mobility activity together to reach your final total.

This PDF from Citizens Advice lists the PIP Descriptors

Any award made will be regularly reassessed to make sure you are getting the right support. If your condition deteriorates before the planned review date, you can ask for an early review but seek advice first as when you ask for a reassessment the whole of your claim will be looked at and the award can go up or down. Seek advice before requesting reassessment by calling our office 01733 265551

In the claim form you are asked for detailed information on how your disability affects you during both daytime and night-time hours. We strongly advise you to get experienced help to complete the forms. Telephone us on 01733 265551.

The claim form will take around one hour to complete. The benefit is not affected by savings, income or national insurance contribution history. It is not taxable and will never harm any other benefits you may already receive. The benefit is paid to help you remain independent within your own home.

Claim forms can be downloaded and printed from www.gov.uk/attendance-allowance, or you can Telephone 0800 7310122 and they will send them to you.

We advise you to call for the claim forms as any payment you may be awarded will start from your first payday following your phone call. However, if you download and print your own forms, the benefit would only start from the payday after the completed forms are received back at DWP.

Our trained advisors here at Disability Peterborough can support anyone who is physically disabled living in Peterborough and surrounding areas, Telephone 01733 265551 for an appointment.

Age UK also offer support, Telephone 01733 564185

We recommend that you have a full benefits check if you are awarded Attendance Allowance as you or your family/carer may be entitled to additional benefits.

Most benefits can be reduced or lost when you go into hospital. Attendance Allowance can be paid at full rate for the first 28 days. The situation with other benefits is complex. It is very important that you inform the office that provides your benefit of the date of your admission and discharge. Failure to inform the benefits agency can result in recoverable over payments.

You can make your claim online, or by calling the NSESA helpline 0800 3285644

Once you have made your claim, you will be sent a medical questionnaire asking how your condition affects you and after this has been returned, you are likely to be asked to have a work capability assessment. This assessment may be repeated periodically while the benefit is in payment. The Work Capability Assessment looks at your physical and mental abilities, as well as learning difficulties.

We recommend that you seek experienced help to complete the medical questionnaire. We can support you if you are physically disabled and live in Peterborough or surrounding areas, Telephone us on 01733 265551

More information is available on the Government Website www.gov.uk/guidance/new-style-employment-and-support-allowance, or via the New Style Employment Support helpline 0800 3285644

This is only available on existing claims.

You will need to apply for Personal Independence Payment if you are of working age and making your first claim. If you have an existing claim for DLA and were born after 06/04/1948, you will eventually be moved onto the replacement disability benefit Personal Independence Payment. DWP will automatically contact you when you have been selected for this reassessment.

However, if you are on DLA and report a change in your care needs, this change will automatically trigger a move to PIP. We strongly recommend that you get advice before contacting DWP.

People born on or before 06/4/1948 will not be affected by the changes and will remain on DLA.

Going into hospital

Most benefits can be reduced or lost when you go into hospital. Disability Living Allowance can be paid at full rate for the first 28 days. The situation with other benefits is complex.

It is very important that you inform the office providing your benefit of the date of your admission and discharge. Failure to inform the benefits agency can result in recoverable over payments.