Baroness Manzoor – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Manzoor on 2016-01-18.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many people with multiple sclerosis have scored a minimum of half their points for (1) standard rate, and (2) enhanced rate, of Personal Independence Payments daily living through aids and appliances descriptors.

Baroness Altmann

For Multiple Sclerosis:

3,500 individuals were awarded Standard Daily Living, of which 3,050 (87%) scored at least half of their daily living points from aids and appliance descriptors.

3,110 individuals were awarded Enhanced Daily Living, of which 790 (25%) scored at least half of their daily living points from aids and appliance descriptors.

These figures relate to PIP normal rules awards made during the period April 2013 to 30th September 2015.

DWP are currently running a consultation to seek views on the way that aids and appliances are taken into account when determining entitlement to the daily living component of PIP. The department wants to make sure that the policy on this is meeting the intent of focusing support on those with the greatest needs and is keen to hear views from all interested parties, especially disabled people and disability organisations.