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The timetable for moving working age disability living allowance (DLA) claimants onto personal independence payment (PIP) has been put back by two years, until after the next election, for people with indefinite or lifetime awards of DLA.
From April 2013
The new timetable will begin with a pilot from 8th April 2013 for new claims to PIP in the North West and part of the North East of England. Postcodes affected are:
CA, CH (except CH5, CH6, CH7 and CH8), LA (except LA27, LA28, LA62 and LA63), CW, FY, L, PR, WA, WN, BL, DH, DL (except DL6, DL7, DL8, DL9, DL10 and DL11), M, NE, SR, and TS (except TS9).
From June 2013
From June 2013, all new claims from anyone aged 16-64 will be for PIP instead of DLA throughout the whole of Great Britain.
The only exception will be renewal claims from a fixed term DLA award which is due to expire before the end of February 2014, where the renewal claim will still be for DLA rather than PIP.
From October 2013
From October 2013 the following DLA recipients will begin to have to claim PIP:
Children turning 16 will have to claim PIP when their existing fixed term award is coming to an end.
People reporting changes of circumstances which might affect their rate of payment, such as an improvement or deterioration in their condition, but not issues like going into a care home or hospital or changing address.
People with a fixed-term DLA award which expires from the end of February 2014
Anyone who chooses to make an application for PIP, including people who have a fixed-term or indefinite award of DLA.
From October 2015
From October 2015, everyone still getting DLA will have to make a claim for PIP. Claimants will be selected randomly rather than by area or age, although the DWP say that they will “invite claims as early as possible from recipients who have turned 65 after 8 April 2013, when PIP was first introduced.”
The DWP does not now expect to complete the reassessment of all existing DLA claimants for PIP until March 2018.
