1

What is it all about?

2

3

Contents Page

What is Welfare Reform all about? 4

Employment and Support Allowance 5 Disability Living Allowance (DLA) 7

Personal Independence Payment (PIP) 8 Universal Credit 9

The Scottish Welfare Fund 12

What will I need to do? 14

4

There are basic benefits: these

benefits make sure that everyone in the United

Kingdom gets the money they need to live on

These benefits are for those who

Are looking for work.

Have health problems /

disabilities.

Are working but do not have

a lot of money.

Some will change to become

Universal Credit.

What is Welfare Reform all about?

Disability Living Allowance

This money helps you to manage the extra cost of

having a disability.

Changes to Personal Independence Payment

Severe Disablement Allowance

Incapacity Benefit

Income Support (on the basis of incapacity)

Some big changes to benefits

These are known as Incapacity Benefits and they will

be replaced by Employment and Support

Allowance (ESA)

5

The DWP looks at all the

information that came from

your assessment meeting.

As-

A lot of people will never have had to go to a medical—this will

be a big change.

Employment and Support Allowance

You will have to fill in a new questionnaire (a pink

form) about how well you can do some things..

You can send in your own letters written by any

agencies that support you.

You may have to go to a medical assessment. You

can take someone with you, and be sure to tell

them how things really are for you.

You will be reassessed for Employment and

Support Allowance (ESA). This is what the new

benefit is called.

If you are asked to go to the as-

sessment and don't go, your

benefits might stop.

6

Remember if your are worried you can

get help from your support worker.

You will be awarded either the ...

Work related

Activity

Group

Support Group—

nothing else will

happen; you will be left

alone and get your

money as normal. You

will not go to the Job

Centre Plus

or

You will have reviews more often in both

groups and you may need to fill in the pink form

again.

Employment and Support Allowance

You will receive payments of Employment and

Support Allowance. You may need to go to the Jobcentre to meet

with an Adviser.

You may be asked to try something new like

Voluntary work, but you will not be forced to

look for work.

7

Disability Living Allowance (DLA)

Personal Independence

Payment (PIP)

You will speak to them on the

phone first.

Medical Assessment In Scotland ATOS staff will assess you and you

will be awarded points depending on how

much help you need to be independent...

On a daily basis (Daily Living).

And your ability to get around (Mobility)

Decision

A decision will be made on whether you are entitled to PIP. The number of

points you are given determines if you will get the Standard or Enhanced

Rates (similar to the High and Middle levels of DLA )

If so you will get:

Daily Living Component - Standard or Enhanced

And/or

Mobility Component - Standard or Enhanced

“Now they have sent me a

form to fill in”.

8

Personal Independence Payment (PIP)

If you get the new PIP you will need to have your

claim reviewed a lot more. Some people will get the

Payment without having a Review, but not many.

If your support worker cant help they will find out who

can and help you to get more information.

Some people

will get less

money.

If you are told that you are

not getting any money, you

can Appeal the decision.

If you receive the Enhanced

Mobility Element of PIP, you are

eligible for the Motability Scheme.

You will still get a blue badge if you receive the mobility

component of Personal Independence Payment (PIP) and

-scored 8 points in relation to the ‘moving around’ activity

-Or scored 12 points in the mobility activity for planning and

following a journey

If you get any rate of the Daily Living Component,

someone can claim Carers Allowance for you.

Get advice before doing this as you could lose

money.

Carers Allowance

9

You will get your money every month (12

payments every year). It will be sent to your

bank account. This means that

you will have to work out your

budget for a longer time.

Universal Credit The new single payment for people in receipt of the following benefits:

Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance Income-related Employment and Support Allowance Income Support Working Tax Credit Child Tax Credit Housing Benefit It is meant to make it easier for people to move into work:

By being easier to understand By being a singe monthly payment.

People who are in work and on a low income, will get Universal Credit as well as those who do not work.

Most people will apply online but there will be other arrangements for those who cannot do this.

Your rent gets paid as part of this payment (Housing Benefit comes straight to you). You must pay this rent to your Landlord.

10

If you are successfully transferred to your new

benefit you will get Transitional Protection

-a little bit more in your monthly payment, to

make sure you are not worse off (top up).

BUT you will not get Transitional

Protection if your circumstances

change for example going from a

being a Single Person to being in

a Couple (joint claim).

Paying your Rent

Housing Benefit Can help you to pay

towards your rent. This will be paid to you

along with all your other benefits in one

payment. You must pay this to your landlord.

BUT...You might have to pay towards

your rent if you have a spare bedroom

11

If you have a spare

bedroom that you don't

need—you will get less

Housing Benefit.

Your Housing Benefit may be affected by the number of

bedrooms you have in your house.

There should be 1 bedroom each for each

adult/couple except if you are a

couple.

Exemptions:

You will not have to pay this (are exempt) if

You need a carer (not a relative) to stay

overnight (a sleep over)

You are State pension age

You are in “exempt” supported accommodation

This means that I

may have to pay

something towards

my rent.

If you have an extra bedroom you

can choose to stay in your home

but you will have to pay extra from your

benefits. Or you can move to a smaller house.

Your Housing Association who looks after your

home—including your rent, will be in touch with you

to help you. They will give you information and

support to decide what you need to do.

12

The Scottish Welfare Fund (used to be the Social Fund)

Grants or vouchers

The help you will get will be:

Crisis Grants – to make sure you have a

safety net in an emergency. Just in case

you need help to be safe or to make sure

you get help if you are ill.

Community Care Grants – This will

help to make sure you stay in your home

and to be independent. For example you

may get a new cooker if your old one

breaks down.

This might be harder to

get. It’s difficult and I

need to fill in a form with

a lot of questions again!

13

You might need more help with working

out your money—to make sure you can

buy your food and pay your bills

We need to make sure that your

support worker knows how to

support you well during the time

of changes to benefits.

You might need more support to go to the

meetings—there will be more forms to fill in. You

might feel a bit anxious with having to meet new

people and speak about your life.

You might have to

spend more time

meeting with the

people who

assess and

review you and your money.

How might

these changes

affect me?

Remember you can get help

from your support worker.

All these changes will not happen at once. They

will take time—over the next few years until 2017

14

Open your mail on the day it arrives.

Ask someone to help make sure you understand

everything.

If you have a form to fill in, get help from someone you

can trust.

Get a folder to keep all your important letters.

Forms and Letters

Medical Assessments

For ESA and PIP you may be asked to go for a medical

assessment.

This is to help DWP understand your support needs.

You must go to the appointment. Or phone to rearrange.

Find out where the appointment is, maybe you could have

a practice journey if you are not sure where you’re going

Ask someone like a relative or Support Worker to go with

you.

What will I need to do?

15

Don’t be shy about explaining your needs.

If you don’t explain your needs during the interview, your

benefit might be refused and you will have to Appeal or

claim Jobseekers Allowance

How can I prepare?

Safe Access to a Computer

With Welfare Reform, most people will be expected to

claim benefits Online

It’s important to have private access to a computer

You will need an email address to claim benefit Online

Go to the library and find out about getting an email

address (you only need one)

Practice using it by emailing a few friends

Keep your password safe (it’s as important as your PIN)

16

You must have a bank account to receive Universal Credit.

You can ask for one that has no overdraft facility.

Ask about charges. Some banks charge more than others.

Bank Accounts

You will need to have Identification (ID) if you

want to open a bank account or apply for a new

benefit.

To be prepared start collecting your ID now.

Identification

Savings Challenge

The new system might lead to

delays in payments

Aim to save up enough to cover you

if you didn’t get your money for two

weeks

Set it up in a different place to

where you bank, that way it’s less

tempting to spend it

Pay bills most

important first:

1. Rent (keep a roof over your

head)

2. Gas/Electric (keep you warm)

3. Food (we all need to eat)

4. Council tax (it’s the law)

5. TV, Phones etc