Questions you may have about the personal independence payment

When will I get my letter from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP)?

You should have received a letter early in 2013 to tell you:

• more about the personal independence payment (PIP)

• when you might be affected.

What do I need to do when I receive a letter from the DWP?

You don’t need to contact the DWP about this now, even if you get disability living allowance (DLA) at the moment.

Most people currently claiming DLA won’t be affected before 2015.

What do I do if my condition changes?

If your condition changes, or you reach the end of your existing DLA award, then you may be affected earlier. From October 2013 you will be invited to apply for PIP once the DWP has been informed of any changes in your condition.

Even if you get an indefinite or lifetime award of DLA, you’ll have to apply for PIP when asked.

What will happen to my DLA when I apply for PIP?

If you apply for PIP, your DLA will continue until DWP makes a decision about your claim. If you decide not to apply, your DLA will end.

How do I apply for PIP?

The claim process has been broken down into the following stages:

Thinking about a claim

If you are thinking about making a claim for personal independence payment you can find out about it from many places, such as the internet, from leaflets and from support groups - see the section 'Getting more help and information'.

The information will tell you who can claim personal independence payment. It will also help you decide if you want to make a claim.

The DWP will get in touch with people who are getting disability living allowance and ask them if they want to claim personal independence payment.

Making a claim

If you are already receiving DLA when you receive a letter inviting you to make a claim you should telephone the DWP within four weeks from the date on the letter to make a claim.

If you are not already receiving DLA and want to make a claim for personal independence payment you should telephone the DWP.

In both cases you will be asked some questions.

Telling your story

Assessment

If they cannot use the form, you will be asked to go to see a health worker to talk about your claim. The health worker can tell the DWP what your support needs are. After the meeting, the health worker will be able to work out what things you will come up against in your daily life.

Decision

If you have made a new claim for personal independence payment, a DWP Decision Maker, will do the following:

• look at what you have said in the claim form

• look at what the health worker has said after you have been seen by them

• look at anything else you have sent in with the claim form.

When the Decision Maker has looked at everything they will be able to say if you can get personal independence payment.

If the Decision Maker says you can receive personal independence payment they will also say how much you will get and how long you will get it for.

Some people will get personal independence payment and some people will not. But in all cases, disability living allowance will stop being paid.

DLA isn't changing for children or those aged 65 or over (on 8 April 2013) when PIP is introduced.

Does personal independence payment affect other benefits?

PIP will not affect benefits like the employment and support allowance, jobseeker’s allowance or attendance allowance.

If you do receive PIP then you may be able to get other help. This is help like blue badges, free travel on buses and trains or the motability scheme.

Will PIP be affected by universal credit?

Universal credit will replace the current income-related benefits, such as income support, jobseeker's allowance (income-based), employment and support allowance (income-related) and housing benefit, including their components and rates. PIP will not usually have a direct link to entitling adults to additional support within universal credit.