On this page you can find out when and how the introduction of Personal Independence Payment (PIP) will affect you if you are blind or partially sighted and receive Disability Living Allowance (DLA).
Are all blind and partially sighted people who receive DLA affected by the introduction of PIP?
No, not all. PIP is a benefit for people aged 16 to 64, so if you are 65 or older, the change to PIP will not affect you. If you are under 16, the change to PIP will only affect you when you turn 16.
I am blind or partially sighted and receive DLA. Will I automatically receive PIP?
No, not automatically. The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) will ask you to make a claim for PIP. Only when you pass the assessment for PIP will you start to receive it.
When will DWP ask me to make a claim for PIP?
From October 2013 until October 2015
DWP will ask you to make a claim for PIP if:
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your DLA is due for a renewal
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or you turn 16
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or you report a change in your circumstances
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or you want to have your claim for DLA re-assessed.
From October 2015
If none of the above applies to you, DWP will write to you from October 2015 to ask you to make a claim and assess you under the criteria for PIP.
If you received an indefinite or long-term award of DLA
You will still be asked to make a claim for PIP if you received an indefinite or long-term award of DLA. Our factsheet gives more details about this process.
It is important that you start your claim within four weeks
When DWP contact you inviting you to make a claim for PIP, it is vital that you contact them to start your claim within four weeks. If you do not start your claim within four weeks, DWP will suspend your DLA. You can still make a claim for PIP after this, and if you do it within a further four weeks DWP will reinstate your DLA whilst you are making your claim for PIP.
If my claim for PIP is successful, will I get the same amount as I did for my DLA?
The assessment criteria for PIP are different to those for DLA, so there is no guarantee that you will get a similar award and therefore a similar amount of money. How much DWP awards you will depend on your individual circumstances.
The good news is that the campaigning that thousands of you did to enable some registered blind people to claim the higher rate of the mobility component of DLA has not been lost: if you have severe sight loss and receive the higher rate of the mobility component of DLA and use a white cane or guide dog for all journeys, you will be eligible for the enhanced rate mobility component.
Comparing the rates for PIP with DLA
As PIP is not coming in until April 2013, these rates apply from that date.
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The standard rate for the daily living component will be worth the same as the middle rate care component of DLA. For 2013-14, this will be £53 a week.
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The enhanced rate for the daily living component will be worth the same as the highest rate of the care component of DLA. For 2013-14, this will be £79.15 a week.
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The standard rate for the mobility component will be worth the same as the lower rate of the mobility component of DLA. For 2013-14, this will be £21 a week.
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The enhanced rate for the mobility component will be worth the same as the higher rate of the mobility component of DLA. For 2013-14, this will be £55.25 a week.
Just as for DLA, the rates for PIP will rise with inflation.
If my claim for PIP is successful, will it last for the same time as my award did for DLA?
Not necessarily. DWP may decide to award you PIP for a short period of time, a longer period of time or perhaps even indefinitely. This will depend on your individual circumstances and how likely there are to be changes in your circumstances.
DWP will review all PIP awards on a regular basis unless you receive PIP because you have a terminal illness.
Further information
Read our information about PIP details, applying for PIP and appealing a PIP decision and for more details about PIP and how DWP will introduce it, take a look at our factsheet:
If you have any concerns about the introduction of PIP please call our Helpline on 0303 123 9999 or email helpline@rnib.org.uk. You can also sign up for our PIP email updates.
Please note that we can only give advice about benefits for blind and partially sighted people and their carers or dependants.