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Historic Benefit rates

Wibbles

When I first became disabled (in 1990) - I received just £27 per week in Mobility Allowance (Pre DLA) - This eventually was converted to DLA which increased my payment to around £40 per week (mid care component) and when this was converted to PIP - I receive £184.30 per week

So payments have increased considerably over the last 35 years !

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Comments

colejames

Hi Wibbles,

I am somewhat confused by your post especially by the PIP value. The PIP value that you have quoted is the maximum figure I believe. PIP itself is made up of two sections Daily LIving and Mobility. The mobility allowances are set at £28.70 as standard and £75.75 for enhanced. Enhanced benefit will only be awarded to a minority of PIP claiments, knowing how difficult even getting PIP is.

Therefore the majority of claimants will be receiving £28.70, as an increase from £27 in 1990, I would suggest that payments have not increased considerably over the last 35 years. If you took the enhanced figure of £75.75 in comparisson to £27.00 in 1990, I still don't think it can be called a significant increase as we was talking a quarter of a century of inflation or 25 years. During that time we have been fortunate not to have experienced high inflation such as in the 1970s or 80s but I would suggest that the last couple of years of higher inflation will have wiped out any possible increase, even if it was there in the first case.

Wibbles

https://forum.scope.org.uk/discussion/comment/979677#Comment_979677

33% of all PIP awards are at the highest rate for both components.

Yes I admit that there is a difference between standard mobility and enhanced care & mobility. But as far as actual amount of money received by myself - £27 in 1990 is equivalent to £66.43 today (with inflation)

theme79

the trouble with making comparisons is that whilst you can play with the £27 in 1990 and use the Bank of England inflation calculator which gives you an equivalent today of approx £65 or if you use DLA date if 1992 and £40 then £86.60 - you’re not comparing like with like !

General inflation doesn’t apply to disability costs which are substantially higher than non disabled people - of any age.

Also the systems of support have been eroded with many funding streams removed from central government and NHS to local at a time when local authorities funding was slashed so they can’t even if they wanted to help many with their care and living arrangements and actually services are constantly being removed or closed down as LA are near bankrupt

The position of those of us who have lived our whole lives as disabled people has seen multiple changes but in the last 10-15 years since the crash and money is tight it is us and other disadvantaged groups who have been hit hardest both in terms of pure support medically, socially and economically but now also we face vilification as lazy, leaches …. And that old mantra of Victorian society rears it ugly head who are ‘THE DESERVING AND UNDESERVING’

so even IF which i dispute - and your view of the cash you receive is positive - the overall budget, attitude and support has suffered dramatically and is in a downward spiral

poppy123456

https://forum.scope.org.uk/discussion/comment/979774#Comment_979774

Are you currently going through a review? If so then your award is extended for up to 1 year, not 1 year exactly.

Any new decision that's made will overrule your current award and that new decision is likely to be made within the next year. Even though backlogs are long, they are not that long.

My previous PIP award was extended in June 2024 and I had my decision in October 2024.

colejames

https://forum.scope.org.uk/discussion/comment/979706#Comment_979706

Hi,

Erm doesn't you're response that 33% get the enhanced payments still agree my comment that majority will not get the top rate of PIP?

The Bank of England inflation calculator is based on CPI. CPI replaced RPI and there are still debates to this day that RPI is a more accurate figure for most households. Cynics suggest that CPI was made the norm by a government wanting to cut costs as CPI is gernerally less than RPI because the two methods of calculation used different data to calculate inflation. If RPI was used over the period then we would see a loss rather than a gain.

Theme79 is right in noting that on average disabled people have higher costs of living and some of those may not be obvious. I drive an automatic car as my son has issues with his left leg. It is a simple solution which answers the needs of both of us however in the UK automatic cars are a minority production wise and therefore significantly more expensive. This is compounded by the fact that it tends to be the more expensive car models which have an automatic version. It also means that when you come to look for a car, there are a lot less secondhand automatics on the market compared to manual so car dealers maintain that difference in value. This has been a cost that I have had to shoulder but to compound it, I have always had to use a loan to buy the car so I have had the interest payments on top of the extra costs. Each time I have bought a car, it has been more expensive than the predecessor (that I have driven until it fails) and the gap between manual and automatic has increased, increasing the repayments. I would imagine that have a modified car would be even more of a coat difference and those vehicles will be a lot more complicated to find.

Having said all that, I admire and wish that I had your positive attitude and view on life but I'm probably too old, too cynical and too used to politicians.

NDmummy

I too am confused Wibbles, £110.45 increase for those awarded Enhanced for both components is hardly a significant increase over 35 years. That equates to £3.**** increase per year.

Wibbles

https://forum.scope.org.uk/discussion/comment/980464#Comment_980464

Be pleased that you do not live in US !!

In fact - many other countries do not offer NON-MEANS tested benefits (PIP) at all.

Many countries offer time limited benefits

Switzerland offers much better benefits if the disabled claimant is working !

worried33

https://forum.scope.org.uk/discussion/comment/979706#Comment_979706

What was the eligibility criteria for that 1990 style mobility benefit? Has to be factored in as well. One could to fool the population, double the benefit rate, but then change the criteria so only 1/10 qualify. Its the oldest trick in the book. You have doubled support whilst reducing expenditure by 80%.

Nearly every sickness/disability reform will increase the payments for the highest scoring claimants, but at the same time reduce the safety net (case load), my council are doing it currently with council tax support, those most in need will get support increased from 80% to 100%, but the overall support given is to be dropped with some going from 60% to 0%.

Wibbles

https://forum.scope.org.uk/discussion/comment/981285#Comment_981285

I don't live in US - I was just saying - with what is currently going on over there….

Wibbles

https://forum.scope.org.uk/discussion/comment/981295#Comment_981295

To be honest - I don't remember

I do know that I was assessed locally - the Disability Employment Advisor at the job centre arranged everything - in fact I don't even remember - it could have been a paperwork assessment.

I was on long term sick leave at the time and when I was re-employed - I was told that I no longer qualified for the benefit and would have to stop claiming it - this, I later discovered was untrue and it was to improve the stats of the local job centre.