Declaration By Lambeth SOS

This declaration was agreed at our Peoples Assembly on May 21 2011. Please bring amendments to our next assembly.

http://lambethsaveourservices.org/2011/05/24/we-agree-our-declaration/

The Lambeth ‘People’s Assembly’, 21 May 2011

The Lambeth ‘People’s Assembly’ showed that there is a lot of controlled anger in Lambeth ready to be harnessed into action/s. As a 'people's assembly' it lived up to its title. There was a wide cross-section of people and groups from, mainly, across the borough. 

John McDonnell gave a contemporary take on the deficit and how this government was mismanaging the recovery. While Ted Knight made a very good contribution from a historical perspective.

Kingsley Abrams received a rapturous welcome when introduced as the only Labour Councillor to make a stand against the cuts. Councillor Abrams was swiftly punished by the Labour Group in Lambeth and suspended for three months, ostensibly for comments alleged to have been made; but, in reality for breaking Party discipline.

Councillor Abrams

Ruth Cashman, a librarian and trade unionist working in Lambeth, drew a picture of the range of cuts across the borough going on to explain the wider implications surrounding the closure of libraries, the elimination of park rangers and the sacking of park rangers.

Anita Wright spoke passionately on education. She also flagged up the importance of the Lambeth Trades Council within the SOS and across the fight against the cuts.

I chaired the disability workshop. Sadly, we didn't have time to cover all 17 or 18 areas of cuts; and, by agreement we focused on how we as a group could pull together and fight against and assist one and other on benefits' cuts.

Future events for disabled people in Lambeth include the Lambeth Pan-Disability Forum’s ‘Protest and Survive’ meeting. This is an open meeting for disabled people in Lambeth, and interested parties, to meet and discuss how we as a group can resist the Tory cuts. It was also agreed that we fully support whatever action was taking place on 30th June.

Seán McGovern speaking

Left to right seated at table

Ellen Lebethe, Anita Wright and Richard Farnos

Ellen Lebethe, Lambeth SOS and Lambeth Pensioners Action Group, gave a grave account of the services elderly people in the Borough were losing; however, this gloomy news was tempered by Ellen’s indomitable fighting-back attitude.  

Queers Against the Cuts spokesperson, Richard Farnos, told how the LGBT community was disproportionately dependent on resources, including health. Communities should not be divided to “fight for the crumbs from the table,” he said.

The assembly was encouraging. There is a real passion out there for action. Hopefully, future assemblies will attract more people; hopefully we can get across to those thousands of people who think they're not political, yet if the surface were scratched deep enough their political soul would be bared.

Lambeth Pan Disability Forum Thursday 9 June

Hello Everyone

The Lambeth Pan-Disability Forum will be meeting next on Thursday 9 June between 2 and 4 pm. Our meeting will take place, as usual, on the 1st Floor of 336 Brixton Road, SW9 7AA (the Lambeth Accord building).

We'll be discussing issues around the cuts as well as the Lambeth Country Show. So, please come along and have your say.

Thanks

Seán 

Direct Action, yes. Reckless behaviour, no!

Was the driver of the bus aware of two people handcuffed to the rear of his vehicle? Can anyone imagine the horror of two protestors being dragged behind a bus; because, I doubt the driver could see the wheelies below window level and in effect in a ‘blind’ position, as they don’t have mirrors there.

While I applaud direct action; and fully agree with the right to a fully integrated and accessible transport system, I don’t agree with what could result in reckless behaviour.

As a trade unionist in a union that organises bus drivers I’ve had some approach me with their concerns on this very issue. No bus driver would drive off knowing there were people attached to his or her bus. And, the ones I spoke to feared that one day someone may carry out this form of protest without their knowing; and, they are terrified of the consequences.

So, may I suggest when you are carrying out this kind of action, please, let the driver know. It isn’t fair to put other workers on the spot like this. 

Oh, My God!

While chairing the TUC Disability Conference this morning one of the staff quietly spoke to me on my use of offensive language. As you might imagine I was mortified and began wracking my brain(s) as to what I’d said to offend someone, or people.

Probably blushing, I asked the official what exactly I’d said that had excited the complaint. “You said, ‘for God’s sake’” she replied grinning broadly. Of course, relieved, I laughed explaining that as a Catholic atheist some vestiges of my formative years of indoctrination had, sadly, stuck with me.

This conversation took place off mike. However, I was a little disconcerted not wanting a protracted off-agenda debate to take place; and asked whether I should apologise. ‘No’, was the response. Just as well really, for I may have apologised by saying “Good Lord. Did I really say that? I’m very sorry.”

This post isn’t an attempt to make light of the fact that language can offend and perceive to be offensive. Had I used ‘thank Christ for that’ or used the term ‘Jesus, Mary, and Joseph’, which I often do when expressing my sadness and anger at some act of injustice or another, then fair enough; though, these were the Irish Catholic mild oaths with which I grew up.

They weren’t spoken in order to offend, but rather as an expression of exasperation or even sadness of a given event or happening.

As far as I recall on the issue of ‘disability language’ the only word of contention that I recall from the two-day conference was ‘vulnerable’. Although it was used on several occasions the context tended to be in and around two of the guest sessions, one on disability hate crime and the other was the BlackTriangle FaceBook social networking site.

Language can be a tricky tool; and, in the wrong hands quite dangerous. However, we need to be careful how we get our message across to other people. When someone uses explicitly offensive or hurtful language they need to be pulled up straight away and told they’re out of order.

Tell me, what we do when people use language, which to all intent and purpose is inoffensive, yet different groups within the disability ‘community’ find offensive. An example I’ve come across is ‘disabled people’ versus ‘people with disabilities’ (phrases that I interchange in speech). People have told me off for using ‘vision impaired’ instead of ‘visual impaired’ – I’ve use the former ever since a blind friend of mine objected to the latter on the basis that he regarded ‘visually impaired’ suggested he was ugly; and, he is of the opinion that ‘vision impaired’ is a more accurate description.

Recently, while taking part in a breaking down barriers education course another of the class members complained about the use of politically incorrect language and terminology. Considering we were all disabled and activists, the protestations seemed inappropriate. When challenged all she could come up with was the use of ‘disabled people’ instead of, in her school of thought, ‘people with disabilities’.

At this point I told the tutor that if we’re going to have every single thing we say dissected and politicised that I’d be off. Who wants to take part in a course where one person attempts to gag the majority on what are quite frankly issues of personal preference. Yes, there is a fine line between proper and improper language. And, where it is patently obvious that someone is being offensive, especially in a group of disabled people, in my experience, they’ll be brought to book in double quick time.

As things are with us now, we need, more than ever before, greater engagement with other groups of people under attack by this vicious Tory regime. Whatever alliances we forge must be on equal terms. And for this to happen we’re going to have to educate many people, especially in language and phraseology. My fear is that if we become overly proscriptive with people who wish to join forces with us, we could be in danger of, not so much alienating ourselves, but more putting others on the defensive, scared to say things in case they inadvertently ‘offend’.

So, going back to the ‘god’ expletive; was I the sinner or sinned against?

Protest and Survive!

Dear Comrades

The Lambeth Pan-Disability Forum is holding a 'Protest and Survive! meeting on Thursday 2nd June, 2011. The meeting will be held at the Accord Centre, 336 Brixton Road, London, SW9 7AA from 6 pm to 8 pm. Disabled people, friends and family are most welcome. So, come along and lend your voice to an ever-growing protest movement against these savage cuts and the dismantling of OUR Welfare State!

Speakers include:

• Councillor Kingsley Abrams (Independent Labour)
• Roddy Slorich Disabled People Against the Cuts
• Ellen Lebethe Lambeth SOS and Lambeth Pensioners and Lambeth 
• Ray Ludford Lambeth Trades' Council

Seán McGovern

Chair of the Lambeth Pan-Disability Forum

Yes, Atos does kill!

On another site someone wrote in defence of Atos Origin the following:

“Guys I would advise caution…. Atos kills no-one! It’s the impact of their assessment that has such diabolical results but the decisions to alter benefits is down to the DWP – that leads to the dispair etc.”

We know from people who have worked for Atos, used their systems and been instructed to find in favour of the DWP, that an Atos assessor is a key part of the whole process.

If Atos had any scruples or professional integrity it would point to the short fallings of the computer questionnaire and refuse to operate a system that has such obvious built-in bias. The fact that they continue to assist with an obviously flawed (even the designer of the system believes it is not fit for purpose) system makes them as guilty of the deaths of poorly assessed people as their paymasters the DWP.

Thanks AfterAtos

After Atos, thanks for doing what you do; by exposing this scum, Atos Origins, and all the other poverty pimps out there snout-deep in the spoils of our Welfare State, you’re carrying out a real service to disabled people.

If they do close you down. Fuck them; we’ll open up another site; and another. They may have the power to manipulate our medical tests to boost their own bank balances; but as long as we have the strength to shout ‘Foul!’ and ‘Killers!’ the profits they make will stink and our words will ring in their ears as they spend it.

Atos Origin Launch Legal Threats

Atos Origin is threatening an anti-Atos site, ‘After Atos’ with legal action. The administrators of the site received a copy of ‘Cease and Desist’ notice (link below) from the organisation who ‘carry out’ ‘medicals’ on behalf of the DWP.

http://afteratos.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/Cease-and-Desist-Letter.pdf

‘After Atos’ hasn’t yet decided whether to comply with the notice or take another stance. Please, visit their site (link below) and bolster their fight against the forces of neo-con evil with a resounding message of solidarity and support!

http://afteratos.org/2011/05/20/atos-receive-cease-desist-letter-atos-origin/

Birmingham City Council care funding cuts unlawful

web ref: www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-birmingham-13455068

19 May 2011

Birmingham City Council acted unlawfully over a decision to reduce its provision of care for disabled people, High Court judges have said.

The judgement has implications for local authorities in England and Wales.

Thursday's ruling said local councils must abide by existing disability laws to eliminate discrimination.

It said councils must take account of people's disabilities, even where that involves treating disabled persons more favourably than others.

Karen Ashton of Public Law Solicitors: "Disabled people have a voice

'Climate of cuts'

Across the UK there are 122 councils, as well as Birmingham, that currently only provide care to people with either substantial or critical care needs.

The judges said all public bodies had a duty to follow the disability discrimination law, while acknowledging that placed "significant and onerous" obligations on local authorities.

Nick TriggleHealth correspondent, BBC News

The social care system is creaking at the seams. A combination of the ageing population and squeeze on spending means Birmingham is not alone in needing to make cuts.

One of the easiest ways for councils to do this is to raise the eligibility threshold at which people are entitled to help. There are four levels of need - low, moderate, substantial and critical.

Most councils are already at substantial - 116 out of 150 to be precise - leaving them with only one option - restricting support to only those with the severest need.

This, of course, excludes many people who have for years been relying on social services and raises the question whether their rights have been infringed.

Many believe this judgement tips the balance back towards the individual by suggesting that councils can no longer take it for granted that they can keep on cutting back on social care - a statutory service after all - just because money is tight.

The families of four severely disabled people fought Birmingham council's spending cuts decision and took legal action against the authority.

Solicitor Karen Ashton represented the families and welcomed the High Court ruling in London saying it gave disabled people a voice in law.

'No new money'

She said the council's proposed policy would have had "devastating" results.

"With consequences of this kind, then councils must look if savings can be made elsewhere," she added.

Birmingham City Council said it welcomed the greater clarity of its duties with regard to the Disability Discrimination Act 2005.

Peter Hay, the council's strategic director of adults and communities, said: "The original dilemma between reducing services in different areas remains.

"There is no new money as a result of the judgement and hard choices about meeting growing needs with fewer resources will have to be made by local authorities."

The Conservative-Liberal Democrat run authority had proposed the cuts as part of a plan to save £212m.

In April a court sitting in Birmingham made an interim judgement that the council had acted unlawfully and this latest ruling is the full finding.

'Strong message'

In a statement Unison said: "The council should rightly be condemned for defending the indefensible. Thousands of vulnerable people in the city would have been put at risk if it were not for the intervention of the courts."

Deafblind charity Sense said the ruling should be a warning to all authorities.

Click to plaIts head of legal services Kari Gerstheimer said other councils in England and Wales may be considering making similar cuts to social care.

"We hope that this judgement sends a very strong message to those councils, that we are in a climate of cuts.

"But even in a climate of cuts there are choices to be made and a civilised society does not choose to cut services to people with the greatest need - that's disabled people."

Previously the council said it had identified £118m worth of cuts by 2014-15 from its adult and communities directorate and needed to save £308m in total in the next four years due to the central government cuts outlined in the Spending Review.

It said only people whose needs were judged to be "critical" would qualify for council-funded care. Following the Adult social care judicial reviewon Thursday, the council said it would revise its plans and re-run the public consultation.

A council spokesman added: "It is important to point out that Mr Justice Walker has said that we were considerate and thoughtful of disabled people, in making our new offer, that our consultation was extensive but that it needed to be fully informed by impact assessment."

Lambeth Pan Disability Forum Thursday 19th May

The meeting of the Lambeth Pan Disability Forum scheduled for tomorrow, Thursday 19th May, is cancelled due to unforeseen circumstances. Please accept my apologies for the short notice and any inconvenience this may cause.

I will post a new date for this meeting as soon as I can.

In the struggle

Seán

The Lambeth People's Assembly

The

Lambeth People's Assembly

Is Holding a Conference on Cuts

In the Assembly Rooms

Lambeth Town Hall

SW2 1RW

On Saturday 21 May 2011 from 12 - 4pm

Lambeth Pan Disability Forum Thursday 19th May

Hello All

You'll be pleased to hear that the Lambeth Pan Disability Forum is holding its next monthly meeting on Thursday 19^th May. The meeting begins at one o’clock in the afternoon and we hope to finish two hours later at three o’clock. We meet, usually on the first floor meeting room, of the Lambeth Accord building (please, ask at reception if unsure where to go), which is at 336 Brixton Road, London SW9 7AA.

Please, try to come along. There are a number of important issues under discussion; these include the government cuts, transport, the Lambeth CIL and the Lambeth Country Show.

Hope to see you all there.

Sean

Chair of Lambeth Pan Disability Forum

Why I Missed 11 May 'Hardest Hit March'

My intentions were honest; but, the London traffic, and more annoyingly, my bladder, let me down today. Given that on a good day I can usually get over to the Victoria Embankment in around twenty minutes; leaving home at 10:50 am to get to the rallying point of the march seemed adequate.

Transport for All Director, Faryal Velmi, on the ‘Hardest Hit’ March, May 11^th 2011

10:30 took a whizz; in the car and off by 10:50, with 2.8 miles to travel. Piece of pie, I hear you say. Not so, rebuts I. Oh no; get to Nine Elms, and traffic is naughty, lots of the stuff, mostly impeding my efforts to get to where I’m hoping to get, on time...

At 11:35 we’ve remained static outside St Thomas’ Hospital for about twenty minutes; our position giving such an appearance of permanence that the road workers are nonchalantly weaving in and out of the traffic with fully laden wheelbarrows; even stopping for a tea break in the middle of the road – yes, they knew something we didn’t; they knew they controlled the temporary traffic lights.

Here I use ‘temporary’ in its loosest of senses. At least with temporary there is some promise of normalcy returning within a reasonable time frame. Not here, the wait was interminable.

By now my bladder is doing that thing it does when it wants emptying – getting on my bloody nerves! But, once it starts, my mind then becomes a slave to its needs; so I slavishly obey, and we’re forced to turn around to find a toilet. Within a couple of minutes we’re at Vauxhall; from here it’s as well I go home and use my own loo.

On the road again at 12:10, this time we take Vauxhall Bridge – those road workers won’t lure me into their ‘temporary traffic lights’ trap again! Now we’re doing well; past Millbank Tower (where I discover there is a cinema attached to the complex) we drive; and, suddenly the flow slows down. Here we go again, another traffic jam – seems there’s some kind of demo in the Westminster area (that’s what happens when democracy is extended to the masses – they clog up the roads with marches!’).

Being a bit slippery, as I’m wont to be, we slide down Horseferry Road, and I direct my PA to a shortcut; one that’ll take us around the demo bring us to the Methodist Central Hall, from here to Parliament Square, up Whitehall, do a right at Horse Guards, and Bob’s your uncle, Fanny’s your aunt and we have kippers for tea – it’s great when a well-executed plan slips effortlessly into action.

Doing a deft bit of navigating around the back of streets, mostly famous for Tory Party leadership challenge intrigues, we come out into Great Smith Street – time now is 12:30. Should make the march in another 10 minutes, or so I reckon.

However, I wasn’t reckoning on another set of temporary (for temporary read perpetual) traffic lights way ahead of us at the top of Great Smith Street. Once again the forces of the mighty utility companies and nature were joined to thwart my plans. By 12:50, and only having inched an inch or three, my bladder, bless it, made its feelings known to me.

Now I’m totally pissed off – pun or no. Again, there are places to pee in the vicinity; but, disabled parking in Westminster’s as rare as a compassionate Tory. Sure, I could get dropped off; however, if I needed any help in the loo there’s no one to assist. The Blue Badge scheme is great; I can park up in a town in a country hundreds of miles from my home; a country whose language is a, foreign language to me; but, I’ll be able to use the Blue Badge scheme. I try to park less than two miles from my home and Westminster make life impossible.

If you’ve got this far, well done. You have great perseverance; and, if perseverance was featured in the WCA you’d be on JSA. Needless to say, I didn’t make the march today. For all those of you who battled and fought their way from around the country, I humbly thank you for your tenacity; and, I hope you will find it within your capacious hearts to forgive a crip with a weak bladder for not being able to get there from a distance of three miles.

Is Atos Penalised for the Large Amount of Errors it makes in its WCA Assessments?

Given the number of successful appeals against Atos assessments for ESA is quite large; is Atos penalised in any way for the errors its assessors make during medical assessments for migration between Incapacity Benefit and ESA, or if unlucky, JSA.

If a building company made errors on the scale that Atos is making them they’d be subject to penalty clauses. Similarly, when we in the workplace mess up we’re, usually, disciplined in some way.

The Tories have for decades promoted private industry over the public sector. The disciplines of the market, we’re informed, ensure that the private sector is more efficient than its over indulged cousin, the public sector. Therefore, it is more economically advantageous for us to use private sector contractors, such as Atos, to carry out DWP medical assessments.

This is the same argument the Tories made when privatising our railways in 1993. Under private management we’d get a cheaper and more efficient service. Nearly twenty years later the privatised railways cost us more than under the old British Rail management – obviously, taking into account cost of living rises in the intervening years. The UK’s privatised rail system is also the most expensive in Europe.

Is it any surprise then that companies such as Atos bid tenaciously for government contracts? Where else, apart from the finance sector, can you expect to be rewarded for failure on such a massive scale?

Why aren’t the readers of the Heil and Telegraph dipping their pens into their wells of poison and scratching vicious letters off complaining about the millions of pounds that Atos is costing the DWP in appeals against their shoddy assessing.

Newspapers correct incapacity benefit claims after Full Fact complaint

Several newspapers, the Heil, Telegraph, and Sun, have, after much pressure, from Fullfact.com, finally admitted they ran erroneous articles relating to the numbers of IB claimants who failed the WCAs, and were thus deemed fit for work. The papers in question have agreed to print corrections.

Next stop the DWP. Much of the misreporting around the migration from IB to ESA or JSA via the WCAs was taken from DWP’s briefings. This in turn has led to lazy journalism. Newspapers appear to have forgotten what the role of a reporter is. It isn’t to take the word of an individual or government department.

No, such information should serve only as a source of information from which the reporter then goes and investigates. It’s called researching the story. In my trade union activities I get to talk to NUJ members. They are not happy with their colleagues in the Heil, Sun etc, nor indeed local newspapers, blithely returning copy that is little more than propaganda put out by government departments.

The media, including the press, is not there to serve governments. Quite the opposite in fact, they’re there to inform the public of, amongst other things, the excesses of government. Sadly too many of our newspapers are doing the governments bidding; acting as propaganda machines helping to drive forward draconian legislation.

CCTV Eyes

Look out for the camera

The government spy

Perched up high

The telltale eye.

Look out for the snitch

Whose curtain will twitch

As surreptitiously

And, viciously

They call the grass line.

Look out for the hack

From the Daily Heil

He’ll lie and dissemble

And, his copy

Won’t resemble

Your truth.

Look out for ATOS

Who may profess

To be fair

Yet will assess

You fit for work

Though you’re dying.

Look out for the MP

Who’s after your vote

He’ll promise

You heaven,

To float your boat;

For just one more term

The treacherous worm!

No Such Thing as a Lousy Job!

Funny thing work. Some would have it there’s no such thing as a bad job; especially if you’re a disabled person who feels worthless if not working. When someone tells you they feel suicidal because they can’t get work; and, by not working they consider themselves of less value to society than someone in employment, I begin to reconsider my views on lousy jobs.

Fortunately, the person of whom I’m speaking is receiving medical guidance for his condition – but sadly no prospects of work. Because, as a union rep I’m not qualified to deal with my members’ mental health issues – only offer an ear and signposts, where I can.

Disabled people who can work are all too often poorly qualified for ‘decent’ jobs. Some are failed by the education system; others who acquire disability in adulthood and later life find their previous qualifications and skills inadequate for the type of jobs are able now to tackle.

That disabled people are dependent on third parties to seek out their employment is of course problematic. The third party ‘job placer’, while needing to match work seekers to jobs with a degree of interest and security, still has a different motivation to the person seeking employment.

The ideal we must strive towards is that where the disabled job seekers chances of getting the job fall solely on their qualification to do the job. Once this is determined any exterior factors, such as reasonable adjustments should be considered. Sure, this is an aspiration; and like all aspirations will be subject to doubters and opponents; but, this doesn’t mean we shouldn’t press for a better future.

Job providers should be paid entirely by outcomes

http://www.peoplemanagement.co.uk/pm/articles/2011/05/report-urges-american-approach-to-welfare.htm

My ‘Google Alert’ usually throws up mundane stuff of no interest to me; so much so that recently I during a blitz on unwanted emails I almost ‘unsubscribed’ from this service – glad I didn’t.

The story it brought me today is interesting and, possibly, a positive for disabled people seeking employment. As many of us are aware the current programmes the government has put in place to assist disabled people into employment are not working.

Remploy’s Work Programme, for instance, operates a revolving door approach to placing disabled people into jobs. When Remploy boasts it has secured jobs for 6,500 people 2007/8, this doesn’t mean that they found gainful employment for 6,500 individuals; no, it means they achieved 6,500 placements. Some of the placements would involve the same person more than once.

A US scheme pioneered by ‘America Works’ has come up with a method that eliminates the Remploy double count system. While I’m sceptical of most employment related ideas that cross the pond; this one at least makes the ‘job provider’ work for their money.

Rather than the government paying a company like Remploy on performance, an upfront payment for finding somebody a job; the ‘America Works’ system is reliant on employment longevity. Whereas Remploy is paid the full amount even if the job seeker only lasts a few months, AW is paid in increments stepped from 30 to 180 weeks!

By today’s employment expectations a job that lasts for almost 3½ years is quite rare. Because the scheme has succeeded in the US doesn’t mean it will have a successful transition here; however, anything that is based on results rather than the in-out-in-out-in-out Remploy model of securing employment for disabled people is worth investigating.

PIP Fact Sheet: Courtesy of 'Disability Alliance'

Personal Independence Payment

This factsheet gives a basic introduction to the proposed personal independence payment (PIP). It is based on what we know so far and will be updated as we get more information.

You can find out detailed information about the current benefit system in Disability Alliance's Disability Rights Handbook, available to buy at www.disabilityalliance.org/drh36.htm

All our publications are available at www.disabilityalliance.org/shop.htm. You can also place an order by contacting Disability Alliance on 020 7247 8776 (this is not an advice line) or by fax on 020 7247 8765. All our factsheets are available at www.disabilityalliance.org/fact.htm.

What is PIP?

The personal independence payment (PIP) replaces working age disability living allowance (DLA) from 2013-14.

Part 4 of the Welfare Reform Bill 2011 currently going through Parliament contains proposals to introduce PIP.

What are the rules?

To get the personal independence payment you must:

· be age 16-65

· satisfy the daily living and/or mobility activities test for 6 months prior to claiming and to be likely to continue to satisfy this test for a period of at least 6 months after claiming.

As yet there are no plans to extend PIP to children under 16 or claimants who are over 65. However migration from DLA may apply to these groups at a later date.

Draft regulations on the daily living and mobility activities test have now been published.

How much is PIP?

Personal Independence Payment will have two components:

· daily living component

· mobility component

Each component has two rates.

· daily living component standard rate – If the person’s ability to carry out daily living activities is limited by the person’s physical or mental condition; and the person meets the required period condition.

· daily living component enhanced rate – if the person’s ability to carry out daily living activities is severely limited by the person’s physical or mental condition; and the person meets the required period condition.

· mobility component standard rate – if the person is of or over the age prescribed for the purposes of this subsection; the person’s ability to carry out mobility activities is limited by the person’s physical or mental condition; and the person meets the required period condition.

· mobility component enhanced rate - if the person is of or over the age prescribed for the purposes of this subsection; the person’s ability to carry out mobility activities is severely limited by the person’s physical or mental condition; and the person meets the required period condition.

As yet the amounts for these rates have not been set.

People with a terminal illness (same definition as for DLA) will automatically receive the daily living component enhanced rate and will not have to satisfy the period condition for the mobility component.

People in care homes, hospitals or prison will not receive PIP.

The Activities tests

In order to qualify for any component of PIP you will have score points in relation to certain activities.

The activities for daily living are:

1. planning and buying food

2. preparing and cooking food

3. taking nutrition

4. managing medication and monitoring health conditions

5. managing prescribed treatment other than medication

6. washing, bathing and grooming

7. toileting and managing incontinence

8. dressing and undressing

9. communicating with others

The mobility activities are:

1. planning and following a journey

2. moving around

As yet we do not know the points awarded for each task within these activities or how many points are required to satisfy a particular component.

Daily Living Activities

1. Planning and buying food and drink.

a. Can plan and buy food and drink unaided.

b. Can buy food and drink only with continual prompting.

c. Can plan food and drink only with continual prompting.

d. Can plan food and drink only with continual assistance.

2. Preparing and cooking.

a. Can prepare and cook a simple meal unaided.

b. Can prepare and cook a simple meal only with the use of an aid or appliance.

c. Can prepare and cook a simple meal only with continual prompting.

d. Can cook a simple meal using a conventional cooker only with continual assistance.

e. Can prepare a simple meal for cooking only with continual assistance.

f. Can cook a simple meal using a microwave only with continual assistance.

g. Can prepare a simple snack only with continual assistance.

3. Taking nutrition.

a. Can take nutrition unaided.

b. Can take nutrition only with the use of an aid or appliance.

c. Can take nutrition only with the use of a therapeutic source.

d. Can take nutrition only with intermittent assistance or prompting.

e. Can take nutrition only with the use of a therapeutic source and with intermittent assistance.

f. Can take nutrition only with continual assistance.

4. Managing medication and monitoring health conditions.

a. Does not receive medication or need to monitor a health condition; or can manage medication and monitor a health condition unaided or with the use of an aid or appliance.

b. Less than once a day requires continual assistance or prompting to manage medication or monitor a health condition.

c. Once a day, requires continual assistance or prompting to manage medication or monitor a health condition.

d. Twice a day, requires continual assistance or prompting to manage medication or monitor a health condition.

e. At least three times a day, requires continual assistance or prompting to manage medication or monitor a health condition.

5. Managing prescribed therapies other than medication.

a. Either is not prescribed therapies or can manage prescribed therapies unaided or with the use of an aid or appliance.

b. Where prescribed therapies are required for up to 3.5 hours a week can manage only with intermittent assistance.

c. Where prescribed therapies are required for between 3.5 and 7 hours a week, can manage only with intermittent assistance.

d. Where prescribed therapies are required for between 7 and 14 hours a week, can manage only with intermittent assistance.

e. Where prescribed therapies are required for at least 14 hours a week, can manage only with intermittent assistance.

6. Washing, bathing and grooming.

a. Can wash, bathe and groom unaided.

b. Can bathe unaided but can groom only with the use of an aid or appliance.

c. Can bathe unaided but can groom only with continual assistance from another person.

d. Can wash unaided but can bathe only with the use of an aid or appliance.

e. Can wash unaided but can bathe only with continual prompting.

f. Can wash unaided but can bathe only with continual assistance.

g. Can wash, bathe and groom only with continual assistance.

7. Managing Toilet needs or incontinence.

a. Can manage toilet needs or incontinence unaided.

b. Can manage toilet needs or incontinence only with the use of an aid or appliance.

c. Can manage toilet needs only with continual assistance.

d. Can manage incontinence of either bladder or bowel only with continual assistance.

e. Can manage incontinence of both bladder and bowel only with continual assistance.

8. Dressing and undressing.

a. Can dress and undress unaided.

b. Can dress and undress only with the use of an aid or appliance.

c. Can dress and undress unaided but can only select clothing appropriate for the environment or dress in the correct order with intermittentprompting.

d. Can dress and undress lower body only with intermittent assistance.

e. Can dress and undress unaided but cannot determine appropriate circumstances for remaining clothed.

f. Can dress and undress upper body only with intermittent assistance.

g. Can dress and undress only with continual assistance.

9. Communicating with others.

a. Can communicate with others unaided.

b. Can communicate only with communication support.

c. Cannot, even with communication support, understand or convey a choice to an unfamiliar person.

d. Cannot engage socially with other people due to such engagement causing either-

(i) overwhelming psychological distress to the claimant; or

(ii) the claimant to exhibit uncontrollable episodes of behaviour that would result in substantial risk of significant distress to either the claimant or another person.

e. Cannot, even with communication support, understand or convey choice to a familiar person.

f. Cannot, even with communication support, understand a simple verbal or non-verbal instruction or warning from another person.

g. Cannot, even with communication support, convey a basic need by either verbal or non-verbal means.

Mobility Activities

1. Planning and following a journey.

a. Can plan and follow a complex journey unaided.

b. Cannot follow any journey alone due to such a journey causing overwhelming psychological distress to the claimant.

c. Can follow a complex journey only–

(i) if the journey has been planned by another person; or

(ii) with the continual prompting or intermittent assistance.

d. Cannot follow any journey due to such a journey causing overwhelming psychological distress to the claimant.

e. Can follow a simple journey only -

(i) if the journey has been planned by another person; or

(ii) with the continual prompting or intermittent assistance.

2. Moving around.

a. Can move at least 200 metres unaided or with the use of a manual aid.

b. Can move at least 50 metres but not more than 200 metres either unaided or with the use of a manual aid.

c. Can move up to 50 metres unaided.

d. Can move up to 50 metres only with the use of a manual aid.

e. Can move up to 50 metres only with the use of a manual wheelchair propelled by the claimant.

f. Can move up to 50 metres only with the use of an assisted aid.

g. Cannot either–

(i) move around at all or

(ii) transfer from one seated position to an adjacent one unaided.

What the rules mean

aid or appliance - a device to improve either a physical or mental function or both. It includes a prosthesis but does not include an aid or appliance ordinarily used by a person without a physical or mental condition which limits that person’s ability to carry out daily living or mobility activities;

assistance - physical intervention by another person

assisted aid - a wheelchair propelled by another person or an aid or appliance propelled by a motor;

bathe - take a bath or a shower;

buy -

(a) determine how much money is required to purchase food and drink

(b) assess the availability of the money referred to in (a) and

(c) purchase online, by telephone or in a shop

continual - throughout the entire duration of the activity;

cook - heat food at or above waist height

communicate - convey and understand information in the claimant’s native language

communication support -

(a) support from a person trained to communicate with people with limited communication abilities: or

(b) use of an aid or appliance

complex journey - a journey:

(a) which involves more than one mode of transport; or

(b) to an unfamiliar destination

groom -

(a) comb or brush one’s hair

(b) wash one’s hair; and

(c) clean one’s teeth, above a level of self-neglect

intermittent - for at least half the duration of the activity

level of self-neglect - a level that is considered socially unacceptable

manage incontinence - manage evacuation of the bowel or bladder including using a collecting device or self-catheterisation but not clean after evacuation

manage medication - take medication at the time advised by a healthcare professional

manual aid - an aid or appliance other than a wheelchair or an aid or appliance propelled by a motor.

medication - prescribed medication

mode of transport - includes walking

monitor a health condition -

(a) detect significant changes in a health condition; and

(b) take action advised by a healthcare professional,
without which the health condition is likely to deteriorate significantly

plan - in the context of food, means determine what food and drink the claimant reasonably requires and, where the claimant’s physical or mental condition requires a specific diet, determine what food and drink is required for that diet

prepare - in the context of food, means the activities required to make food ready for cooking or eating

prescribed therapies - therapies prescribed by a healthcare professional to be carried out at home.

prompt - remind or encourage and references to prompting are to prompting by another person

simple journey - a journey:

(a) which involves only one mode of transport; or

(b) to a familiar destination

simple meal - means a cooked, one course meal for one using fresh or frozen ingredients

snack - an uncooked meal using fresh or pre-prepared ingredients

take nutrition -

(a) cut food into pieces

(b) convey food or drink to one’s mouth; and

(c) chew and swallow food or drink; or

(d) take nutrition by using a therapeutic source

therapeutic source - means parental or enteral tube feeding using a rate limiting device such as a feed pump;

toilet needs -

(a) get on and off the toilet; and

(b) clean oneself after using the toilet; and

unaided - means without:

(a) the use of an aid or appliance; or

(b) assistance or prompting

wash - means clean one’s face, hands and underarms above a level of self-neglect.

Where can I get more help or information?

You can view draft regulations for PIP on the DWP website at http://tinyurl.com/67a88qp.

You can view information on the Welfare Reform Bill at www.disabilityalliance.org/welfarereformbill.htm.

9 May 2011