NEW! PIP Consultation

Consultation downloads (including alternative formats)

Awareness-raising downloads

The Government’s consultation on the criteria for Personal Independence Payments (PIP), which will replace Disability Living Allowance (DLA) runs until 30 April 2012. As the new benefit is so different from DLA, it’s really important to publicize it and encourage as many as possible to respond – not just claimants but people who might support them like Occupational Therapists etc.

As the official consultation documents are difficult to read and understand, the Spartacus team have produced unofficial guides and advice to help as many people as possible to respond.

Responding is important for two reasons:

The government have given assurances about taking responses into consideration so they get the criteria right. This is our big opportunity to avoid the dreadful mess ESA (Employment Support Allowance) has become
If it becomes obvious that they haven’t we can then hold them to account and push them to honour the commitment.

To make sure we can do that please send us a copy of your response to the DWP – we won’t do anything with your responses except count them unless we have to. Let’s make sure the Government knows they’re being watched.

Suggestions for responding to the consultation

We recommend you work through the documents in the order suggested. To try to make things as easy as possible and, we hope, avoid anyone feeling overwhelmed, we have created one big document and also broken it down into bite-size chunks. It’s entirely up to you how you tackle it:

Please could you:

Download either the full document or the separate sections – each bite-size chunk has everything you need to answer the questions it covers.
Download the response form if you want to use ours.
Work through the questions, using the response form to record your thoughts/answers. You don’t have to answer every question although it would be great if you can.
Down load the “how to guide” if you’re a bit stumped for ideas and not sure how to answer the questions.
Email your completed response form, as an attachment, to the DWP – the email address is pip.assessment@dwp.gsi.gov.uk
Once you’ve done that please send us a copy of your response to pipresponse@spartacusforum.org.uk In the body of your email, please could you type: “I give you permission to use the content of the attached response in communications with the DWP in relation to the PIP consultation, without revealing my name and contact details”
Check back here regularly for updates and to see how many responses have been sent.

Consultation downloads

Raising awareness – let’s hit 10,000 individual responses

There are bound to be lots of people who don’t have a clue what’s going on, not just people who get DLA but also professionals involved in people’s support, families and carers of people who get or should get DLA. Part of getting the consultation known about is creating our own Heineken effect – reaching the parts others can’t.

To do this we have created a few ideas and tools to use. Even if you’re scratching your head thinking, but I don’t know anyone, we’re sure you do. We’ve made a little ideas sheet to help you think about the kinds of things you could do:

Tweet about it – look out for tweet ideas
Post up links on your FB page or another forum you might be a member of eg ME awareness UK
Put up a poster – you can download one we have created
Talk to your GP, OT, Physio etc
Ask to put up a poster in the places you might go church, support group, community centre, art group – basically anywhere you go where there might be other people who are affected
Download the ideas guide to help you have a think

Awareness-raising downloads

Note:

There is no comments area on this page; to discuss the consultation or get help, go to the Spartacus Forum at www.spartacusforum.org.uk

Saturday, 17 March 2012