PIP and premiums in ESA, IS etc.

Hello,

My understanding is that many people are going to be moved onto PIP before they are moved onto UC, so will spend possibly years getting PIP with IRESA, IS, IRJSA etc.

Has it been confirmed that PIP doesn’t entitle you to any premiums in these benefits?

So someone on DLA high care and IRESA WRAG could successfully be moved to PIP, but would lose their SDP and EDP (and DP if on JSA, IS etc) and just be left with basic ESA plus the WRAG component?

I knew this was happening when UC came in, but have only just twigged that it actually starts next year when PIP arrives.

And do local authorities know how much they are going to lose through a lower income from Fairer Charging? All those lost SDPs will make a big difference to their income.

Cheers

Jane

From http://www.dwp.gov.uk/docs/pip-detailed-design-consultation.pdf (March 2012)

“7.8   We are carefully considering the transition of both the income-related benefits to Universal Credit and DLA to Personal Independence Payment between 2013 and 2017; this includes, for example, the position of the current premiums for disability. We intend that Personal Independence Payment will act as a gateway to support that is provided through the existing income-related benefits prior to the introduction of Universal Credit and the reassessment of current claimants onto the new system.

7.9   In line with our commitment we will broadly maintain the current passporting arrangements during this period. One of the main premiums relates to disability . Our intention is that any component/rate of Personal Independence Payment will provide entitlement to the disability premium; the standard or enhanced rate of the daily living component will provide entitlement to the severe disability premium, and the enhanced rate of the daily living component will provide entitlement to the enhanced disability premium. “

Thank you. For once I was being too pessimistic!

Thinking about this the other way round, does anyone have an answer to the following situation.
Someone moves across to UC while DLA is still in payment, they get transitional protection to cover the loss of the Disability premiums paid because DLA is in payment. Then the person moves across to PIP so no longer entitled to the Enhanced or Severe Disability premiums, will they retain their transitional protection, if so, how?
Getting a sore head thinking about this.

I don’t think this potential transitional protection does apply in UC. The points that Jon quoted relate specifically to ‘existing income related benefits’. Once you are on UC there are no premiums, whether you are on DLA or PIP.

I don’t think that it’s possible to say for certain until full details of UC transitional protection are available (TP is completely missing from the draft UC regs published so far)  but I’d *guess* it would work like this

1) Claimant moves onto UC - they should get a UC transitional addition to compensate for loss of DP/SDP/EDP;

2) Claimant then moves from DLA->PIP - it looks like that’s not a ‘significant change in circumstance.’ (*) so the transitional allowance continues (subject to erosion / loss due to other changes of circs.)

(* - see http://www.dwp.gov.uk/docs/ucpbn-transitional-protection.pdf part 6 for a list )