1. The role of Derby Advice Welfare RightsMoney Advice Benefit checks Help with claim packs Help with problems with the DWP Help with challenging decisions Representation at appeal hearings Help with budgeting and drawing up financial statements Advice about priority and non- priority debts Negotiate with creditors Advice about insolvency options Advice about court preoceedings

2. Derby Advice – 01332 643395 Face to face appointments at the Council House Telephone advice – 01332 643395 Home Visits E-mail advice – derby.advice@derby.gov.ukderby.advice@derby.gov.uk Advice at Outreach Sessions

3. Derby City – Early Impact of Welfare Reform Demand on Housing and Advice Services Increase in rent arrears/homelessness Increased demand on food banks Increase in numbers of claims for discretionary housing payments Increase in advice about pay day lenders Increased demand for tribunal representation Increase in numbers of benefit sanctions Changes in profile of residents seeking advice Impact on economy Impact on health

4. Group Discussion What queries do patients raise with you about benefits? What expectations do patients have about how you can respond to their queries? How can you respond to patient’s queries about benefits?

5. September 2013 Benefits that patients may currently be claiming: Employment Support Allowance for those who are unfit for work Disability Living Allowance for those with mobility or care needs between the ages of 0-65 Attendance Allowance for those aged over 65 with care needs Carers Allowance for people looking after someone else with a health problems for at lest 35 hours per week Industrial Injuries Benefit for those of working age who have had an accident/industrial injury at work Housing Benefit for people on low incomes in rented property Income Support to top up the income of lone parents with pre-school age children and some carers and disabled people Child Tax Credit for low income families with dependent children Working Tax Credit for working people in low paid jobs

6. How does Welfare Reform Affect the benefits that patients can claim (1)? Personal Independence Payment (PIP) replaces Disability Living Allowance (DLA) for claimants aged 16-65. No new claims for DLA accepted after June 2013. Existing DLA claimants will be assessed using new PIP rules between October 2013 and Summer 2016 It is expected that around 500,000 current DLA claimants will not be awarded PIP on reassessment – most claimants will undergo a medical undertaken Capita Potential losers? – those currently receiving low rate care DLA, those with mobility needs, people who require supervision due to a mental health problem or sensory impairment

7. How does Welfare Reform Affect the benefits that patients can claim (2)? Universal Credit replaces most means tested benefits including income support, job seekers allowance, employment support allowance, housing benefit, child tax credit and working tax credit Implementation date in Derby unknown Implications for claimants – expectation that claims are made online, payments are monthly directly to the claimant (including housing costs) Winners (?) – those moving into low paid work or changing hours of work Losers (?) – digitally excluded, disabled claimants, disabled children

8. How does Welfare Reform Affect the benefits that patients can claim (3)? “Bedroom Tax” from April 2013 working age tenants in Council or Housing Association properties who are assessed as having “spare” bedrooms have their Housing Benefit reduced by 14% (one spare bedroom) or 25% (two or more spare bedrooms) Who is affected? disabled adults, single people, people who have responsibility for children for part of the week What can they do? Stay in their current property and pay the shortfall, move to a smaller property, get a lodger, apply for a discretionary housing payment

9. How does Welfare Reform Affect the benefits that patients can claim (4)? Changes to Council Tax – from April 2013 all working age people liable to pay Council Tax in Derby City have to pay at least 20% of their Council Tax bill Benefit Cap – from July 2013 no household with a single person can receive more than £350 per week in total benefits and no household with a lone parent or couple can receive more than £500 per week in total benefits Child Benefit rates frozen and means tested Up rating of benefits limited to 1% until 2016 Entitlement to contribution based Employment Support Allowance limited to one year

10. Group Discussion How do you think the benefit changes introduced through welfare reform will affect patients? How do you think the benefit changes introduced through welfare reform will affect GPs? Will the changes place different responsibilities on GPs?

11. Personal Independence Payment (PIP) Replaced Disability Living Allowance for working age people (16-65) from June 2013.There will be a qualifying criteria of 3 months backward test and a 9 months forward test. Attendance Allowance will remain in place and those over the age of 65 yrs in receipt of DLA will carry on receiving the benefit for as long as they meet the qualifying criteria Two components  Daily Living Component  Mobility Component Two rates  Standard rate  Enhanced rate

12. Personal Independence Payment (PIP) Replaced Disability Living Allowance for working age people (16-65) from June 2013.There will be a qualifying criteria of 3 months backward test and a 9 months forward test. Attendance Allowance will remain in place and those over the age of 65 yrs in receipt of DLA will carry on receiving the benefit for as long as they meet the qualifying criteria Two components  Daily Living Component  Mobility Component Two rates  Standard rate  Enhanced rate

13. As well as being assessed via a claim pack you will have to attend a medical with a health professional. If you are in receipt of DLA and report a change in condition from October 2013, or will reach the end of a fixed term award, you will be reassessed for Personal Independence Payment. From October 2015 all those of working age who still receive DLA will be asked whether they wish to claim Personal Independence Payment. The DWP will write to you at some point before Spring 2016 to let you know how and when you can make a claim for Personal Independence Payment. If you are assessed as not entitled to Personal Independence Payment, or choose not to claim it, you will not be able to retain your DLA as an alternative.

14. PIP Amounts Daily Living ComponentMobility Component Standard Rate £53.00Standard Rate £21.00 Enhanced Rate £79.15Enhanced Rate £55.25 These rates are the same as the high and middle rates of the care component of DLA (but there is no equivalent to low rate care) and the high and low rates of the mobility component of DLA.

15. PERSONAL INDEPENDENCE PAYMENT DAILY LIVING COMPONENT STANDARD RATE ‘Limited ability’ to carry out a prescribed list of activities 8 – 11 points ENHANCED RATE ‘Severely limited ability’ to carry out list of activities 12+ points MOBILITY COMPONENT STANDARD RATE ‘Limited ability’ to carry out a prescribed list of activities 8 – 11 points ENHANCED RATE ‘Severely limited ability’ to carry out list of activities 12+ points

16. Daily Living Activities Preparing food Taking nutrition Managing therapy or monitoring a health condition Washing and bathing Managing toilet needs or incontinence Dressing and undressing Communicating verbally Reading and understanding signs, symbols and words Engaging with other people face to face Making budgeting decisions

17. Mobility Activities Planning and following journeys Moving around