Benefits and Work has published a supplementary guide for carers of young people on DLA who are being reassessed for PIP, as our research highlights the huge variations in success rates. Claiming PIP is not like claiming DLA and being fully prepared for the unfamiliar processes and award criteria can make a real difference to the outcome.
Overall results
DWP statistics for young DLA claimants being reassessed for PIP over the last five years show that, overall:
- 62.8% received a higher award.
- 11.8% received the same award.
- 4.7% received a lower award.
- 20.7% received no PIP award.
So, almost two thirds of young people moving from DLA to PIP get a higher award – but one in five get no PIP at all.
A higher award is one where the young person’s PIP award is worth more money than their DLA award. (These figures only include initial PIP claims, they do not include appeals or repeat applications).
However, the variation in success rates based on health conditions is particularly striking.
For each DLA award, the DWP record the main disabling condition. Where a young person has more than one disability or health condition the DWP decide which health condition they consider to be the main disabling one.
This is where the huge differences show up.
Lower awards
At one extreme, a shocking 85% of young people with diabetes get no award of PIP at all when they move from DLA.
And 61% of young people with cystic fibrosis also get no award.
For asthma, 47% get no award and 13% get a lower award, leaving 60% worse off.
For epilepsy, 25% get a lower award and 20% get no award, meaning 45% are worse off. On the other hand 48% get a higher award, meaning that only 7% remained in the same position.
Higher awards
The majority of young people are better-off as a result of being reassessed for PIP.
So, 73% of young people whose main disabling condition was listed by the DWP as learning difficulties got a higher award.
However, learning difficulties for DLA can cover a very wide range of issues, including Down’s syndrome, fragile X syndrome, autism and Rett disorder.
Unfortunately, much of the DWP’s conditions terminology is outdated and some categories are very broad. You can see a detailed list, with explanations, of DLA health conditions here.
There are similar, though slightly less pronounced, results for:
- Blindness: 65.4% higher award
- Behavioral Disorder (broad DWP category including eating disorders and conduct disorders): 65.1% higher
- Hyperkinetic Syndrome (largely corresponds to ADHD): 65.0% higher
- Deafness: 62.1% higher
- Psychosis (DWP term covering depressive disorder, bipolar affective disorder, other mood disorders): 58.9% higher
- Psychoneurosis (umbrella category for a wide range of anxiety, stress-related and other non-psychotic mental health conditions): 58.7% higher
You can see a full chart of DLA to PIP reassessment outcomes here.
DLA to PIP guide
Our 36 page supplementary guide is aimed at parents and carers supporting young people through the move from DLA to PIP.
The guide gives a clear overview of the whole process, so that you can safely navigate your way through the different stages leading to a PIP award.
It also highlights important differences between the two benefits, including:
- PIP is based on a points system
- The idea of the “average child” is no longer relevant
- Day and night don’t matter anymore
- Aids are assessed very differently
- Supervision is harder to get awards for
- Medical assessments play a much larger role
Case studies are used to show how these differences work in practice.
In addition, the supplementary guide looks at the PIP activities that can be most challenging when making the move from DLA and clearly sets out how to approach explaining your child’s difficulties. Activities covered include:
- Preparing food
- Managing therapy and monitoring a health condition
- Engaging with other people face to face
- Making budgeting decisions
- Planning and following journeys
There’s also a valuable section on how evidence from schools, colleges and apprenticeships can be used to help make the correct award more likely.
Many thanks to Keely Gabriel for creating the new guide.
Members can download a copy of “Child DLA to PIP Reassessments – A supplementary guide for those supporting young people” from this page.
