Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will make it her policy that existing disability living allowance recipients who are awarded a higher rate of Mobility or Daily Living allowance after applying for personal independence payment (PIP) because their health has deteriorated are awarded those higher rates from the date of their PIP application.

When existing Disability Living Allowance (DLA) recipients begin to get paid a new award of Personal Independence Payment (PIP) a single rule is applied, which is the subject of statutory Regulations, regardless of their circumstances or the outcome of the claim. PIP is a different benefit to DLA and the statutory arrangements maintain the level of DLA paid while the claim to PIP is being processed to ensure continuity of payment. The arrangements also provide for a minimum four week run on to provide additional, limited support to those seeing a decrease in financial support. For those entitled to PIP, the rules also operate to allow a smooth transition without running the risk of over or underpaying anyone and represent the fairest outcomes for the majority of claimants going through the process of being reassessed for PIP.

These arrangements have been in place since DLA to PIP reassessment activity commenced from October 2013 and we have no plans to change them.