From 2013, Disability Living Allowance (DLA) will be replaced by Personal Independence Payment (PIP) for people of working age.

PIP will have a different application form, assessment process and criteria to DLA.

For most people, the application process will include will include a face-to-face assessment with an independent healthcare professional. To ensure the assessment for PIP is as fair as possible to deafblind people, we are calling on the Government to ensure that:

• The assessment gives due weight to the needs of deafblind people, especially in relation to communication, mobility and access to information
• Written evidence from medical, social care and other specialist professionals is collected before any face-to-face assessment
• Assessors have access to specific information and training on deafblindness
• The face-to-face assessment is accessible to deafblind people
• Deafblind people avoid having unnecessary face-to-face assessments where there is sufficient written evidence

Read Sense's current briefing on reform of DLA and Personal Independence Payment.

Read our response to the consultation on the second draft of the PIP assessment criteria (April 2012).

Testing the PIP assessment

As part of our engagement with the Government’s reform of DLA, a group of deafblind people and family members took part in the testing of the first draft of the assessment for PIP in summer 2011.

Deafblind people and families reported back to us that 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.

Sense published a report on individuals’ experiences and recommendations for the Government on how to ensure the needs of deafblind people are met during the PIP assessment.

Read the Sense report on the testing of the first draft PIP assessment criteria.