Key policy and campaign issues

1. Key policy and campaign issues February2013

2. Key issues: • Independent Living Fund • Welfare Reform - Bedroom tax - DLA/PIP - Universal credit • Public Sector Equality Duties update

3. Independent Living Fund (ILF) • Who is it for? Disabled people with high support needs • Decision to close to the ILF date: December 2012. • When will it close? 2015 • Involves transfer of funds from an independent body to Local Authorities • Judicial review of consultation on 13 & 4 March - re run of consultation? • Plans for transfer are ‘well underway’ - DWP

4. Independent Living Fund (ILF) – CAMPAIGNS ACTIONS • Campaigns pack - http://www.inclusionlondon.co.uk/Independent-Living-because-we-are-worth-it • Organise a meeting with local councillors/MPs/directors of adult services to urge a commitment to ringfence ILF monies • Send us case studies that show how current LA packages do not meet the same needs

5. Welfare Reform Act • Brief information and timetables for implementation of: • Bedroom tax • Personal Independence Payment, (PIP) • Universal Credit

6. What is the under occupation penalty or Bedroom tax? Under new housing benefit rules the size criteria allows one bedroom only for each person or couple living as part of the household. • Exemption: Disabled tenant or partner who needs non-resident overnight carer will be allowed an extra bedroom.

7. Who does it effect? • All claimants seen as having at least one spare bedroom: This includes: • Disabled people, including people living in adapted or specially designed properties • Couples who use their ‘spare’ bedroom due to impact of an impairment. • Parents whose children visit but are not part of the household. •  April 2013: Those over State Pension Credit (SPC) age will not be affected, including where only one member of a couple is over SPC age. •  Under Universal Credit: Mixed age couples - both will need to be over pension age not be affected by the bedroom tax.

8. How much money will be cut? An average of £14 a week. Housing association tenants are expected to lose £16 a week on average, according to Government estimates. When does it come in? April 2013 to tenants of working age.

9. Impact on disabled people? Disabled people could lose: • Employment • Care packages • Local support networks • Room to store essential equipment • Right to family life • http://www.housing.org.uk/policy/welfare_reform/%E2%80%98under-occupation%E2%80%99_penalty.aspx • http://www.dwp.gov.uk/adviser/updates/size-criteria-social-rented/

10. Bedroom Tax – CAMPAIGNS ACTIONS • Template letter for MPs • E-petition - http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/45141 • Sign up to the Campaign for Benefit Justice statement and promote the Benefit Justice Summit on 9th March • Find out what’s happening in your local area and signpost members (eg Camden United for Benefit Justice)

11. Personal Independence Payment (PIP) • Disability Living Allowance will be abolished or those of working age, (16 – 65) . • Claimants will receive a letter inviting them to claim PIP. • There is no automatic entitlement - you have to claim PIP.

12. Rates & how much? • Daily Living component Standard rate: limited ability - £53.00 Enhanced rate: severely limited ability - £79.15 • Mobility component Standard rate: limited mobility - £21.00 Enhanced rate: severely limited mobility - £55.25 Complete activities • safely • to an acceptable standard • repeatedly; and • in a reasonable time period. • http://www.disabilityrightsuk.org/f60.htm

13. Change in criteria for enhanced rate mobility component • 20% cut in budget – DWP estimated 500,000 people will loose the benefit. • In addition - if you can walk just 20 metres you won’t qualify for the enhanced rate mobility component. Previously the criteria was 50 metres. • Therefore numbers loosing DLA/PIP likely to be higher. • Claimants could lose up to £1800 a year, as well as a Motability vehicle. • Leigh Day solicitors and Doughty Street Chambers challenging decision. • http://www.mssociety.org.uk/ms-news/2013/02/government-makes-key-concession-pip • http://janeyoung.me.uk/2013/02/06/call-to-arms-challenging-pip-regulations/

14. When will PIP be introduced? • New claims • April 2013 – in Merseyside, North West England, Cumbria, Cheshire and North East England. • June 2013 – new claims for Personal Independence Payment will be taken from all parts of the country.

15. Other PIP claimants October 2013 – if you have a change in how a health condition or ‘disability’ affects you, or reach the end of an existing award of DLA , or are approaching the age of 16, you will be invited to claim PIP. From 2015 – DWP will start to contact everyone else receiving DLA http://www.dwp.gov.uk/policy/disability/personal-independence-payment/#wpi

16. Personal Independence Payment (PIP) – CAMPAIGNS ACTIONS • Template letter to send to MPs • Petition - http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/38182

17. Universal Credit Universal credit will replace: • income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance • income-related Employment and Support Allowance • Income Support • Child Tax Credits • Working Tax Credits • Housing Benefit.

18. When does Universal Credit start? • April 2013 in North-West of England. • New claimants: From October 2013 • From April 2014, all new claims will be for Universal Credit. • Existing claimants: They will move onto Universal Credit in line with a phased approach – expected to be completed by the end of 2017

19. Universal Credit Problems include: • Online applications - support needed. • New computer system – will it cope? • Monthly rather than fortnightly payments; payments to you not to your landlord • Some disabled people will loose out; according to the Holes in the safety net report, for example: up to 116,000 disabled people who work could be at risk of losing around £40 per week.4 http://www.disabilityrightsuk.org/holesinthesafetynet.pdf

20. Universal credit – CAMPAIGNS ACTIONS • Cumulative impact assessment – template letter for MPs ahead of opposition day debate • Evidence collection – stories and case studies • Let members know about local PCS picket lines on the 20th March • Let members know about Unite Community membership http://www.unitetheunion.org/growing-our-union/communitymembership/

21. Review of public sector equality duties update • Reviewed by independent panel. • Concerns about the review, including: • Membership of the review panel: • None of the protected groups covered by the Equality Duties are represented on the panel. • Only equality organisation represented - the Chair of the Equality and Human Rights Commission. • Not clear if there will be a public call to evidence

22. EDF members met with Equalities Minister on 13 February Concerns about opportunity to give evidence was raised: Result: DDPO’s meeting with Chair of panel, and Gov’ lead on the review, on 13 March.

23. Public Sector Quality Duty – CAMPAIGNS ACTIONS • Cases needed where the PSED has been used to evidence its importance and usefulness • Template letter for the Minister for Equalities • http://www.inclusionlondon.co.uk/public-sector-equality-duties-action-needed

24. Adult Social Care – CAMPAIGNS ACTIONS • Respond to the All Party Parliamentary Groups on call for evidence on Adult Social Care. Deadline 19th March • http://www.scope.org.uk/campaigns/social-care-and-support/appg-inquiry-social-care • National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence’s (NICE) role will expand to include social care. • 12 week consultation on set of NICE quality standards and guidance for social care will run till 26 April 2013. • http://www.dh.gov.uk/health/2013/02/nice-socialcare-2