Duncan-Smith set on disability benefit changes
Published on 14 May 2012 11:00 AM
Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith is determined to go ahead with plans to change disability benefits.
In an interview with the Daily Telegraph, he vowed to press ahead with reforms that will replace Disability Living Allowance (DLA) with the Personal Independence Payment (PIP), which is due to start for new claimants in April 2013.
This comes after a new impact assessment by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) which states that in 2015-16 it is expected there will be 500,000 fewer individuals aged 16-64 receiving PIP, than there would have been under the current DLA system.
Adults under 65 already receiving DLA will be reassessed over a period of time. The Government will then decide whether to reassess DLA claimants who are 65 and over.
There are currently no plans to change Attendance Allowance which is the disability costs benefit for people disabled after the age of 65.