Personal Independence Payment (PIP) is a new benefit that will be brought in from April 2013, to cover the additional costs disabled people face. At the same time, Disability Living Allowance will be phased out.

In the summer of 2011, the Government piloted the assessment for PIP.  Eighteen deafblind people volunteered to take part and, of these, ten were asked to do so.

Sense asked the deafblind people who took part to tell us about their experiences. These were mixed, with some positive and some stressful. We used this information to write a report.

Following publication of this report:

• National media took up the story
• The issues were raised in Parliament, with the Minister for Disabled People, Maria Miller, being questioned about it during a Work and Pensions Select Committee
• The company who carried out the pilot on behalf of the Government met with Sense

There is still a long way to go and much work to be done before the PIP assessment process will work properly for deafblind people. But by taking part in the pilot assessment and telling us their experiences, deafblind people have helped to start us in a strong position.