New Sense report on the testing of the draft assessment for Personal Independence Payment
24 November 2011
Sense has published a new report on the experiences of deafblind people who volunteered to take part in the testing of the draft assessment for Personal Independence Payment (PIP). From 2013, PIP will replace Disability Living Allowance (DLA) for people between 16 and 64.
The report outlines how individuals had very varied experiences, including stressful ones, and how the test assessments were inconsistent.
Assessors had a variable understanding of the impact of deafblindness and for a number of the participants there were difficulties around access to information and the right communication support.
Although not every deafblind person’s experience was negative, Sense’s report makes some key recommendations to the DWP to make sure the assessments are accessible to deafblind people and their needs are identified:
- Ensure the PIP assessment covers mobility and communication needs, not just physical impairments and personal care.
- Ensure the assessment process is accessible to everyone by providing necessary communication support and information in accessible formats.
- Provide assessor with information on deafblindness so they have a level of understanding of the impact of having both a sight and hearing impairment.
- Give due weight to written evidence by health and social care professionals who understand deafblindness and the impact on each individual.
Sue Brown, Head of Public Policy at Sense, said:
"The Government is insisting that face-to-face assessments will bring consistency, yet these tests have proved inconsistent.
"We are keen to work with the DWP to ensure the allowance goes to the people who need it. But the process and the assessors must treat deafblind people fairly."
Personal Independence Payment & deafblind people: Learning the lessons from testing the first draft assessment criteria in Summer 2011
Download the PIP report (PDF 749KB)
Download the PIP report (text 20KB)
Find out more about Sense’s campaigning work on changes to DLA and how to get involved.