Pressure on govt increases over planned benefit changes

By Charlotte Beugge

The government's plans to reform Disability Living Allowance face a hurdle in the House of Lords today when a group of cross-benchers, including Paralympic gold medallist Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson, will demand changes to the plans.

The government wants to replace Disability Living Allowance with a new benefit, Personal Independence Payments (PIPs), by 2015. To get PIPs, applicants will have a face-to-face medical test.

According to the government, the changes will mean 500,000 fewer people will get PIPs than the 3.2 million currently getting Disability Living Allowance - and this will save the government £600 million a year.

Disability Living Allowance was introduced in 1992 and is for people aged under 65 who have physical or mental disabilities severe enough for them to need help caring for themselves or walking, or both.

It has two components determining how much is paid. Already, the government has made one change to PIPs and will not double to six months the time people must wait before getting the benefit.

But a group of peers and charities want further changes, including, according to a report in The Times, dropping the word "disability" from the benefit's name.

Lady Grey-Thompson, who won 11 Paralympic gold medals, told the paper: "There is an assumption that lots of people are disabled and because they have a blue badge they have this amazing deal in society."