Thought some of you may be interested in this response.
Thank you for contacting me about support for disabled people and the cost-of-living.
Firstly, I would like to apologise for the delay in my response and thank you for your patience. I have received a large volume of emails since being elected as the MP for Derby North, and have been prioritising constituent casework. I am working to respond to constituents as soon as possible.
I recognise that disabled people often face additional costs for medication and specialist equipment. Anyone with a long-term health condition or disability may be eligible for disability-related benefits such as disability living allowance or attendance allowance. Disability benefits provide a tax free, non-income-related contribution towards those extra costs that someone with a long-term health condition or disabilities can face. For people of working age, those benefits can include Universal Credit (UC), Personal Independence Payment (PIP) or Disability Living Allowance (DLA).
In addition, I note that the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is undertaking a survey of Personal Independence Payment customers to understand more about their disability related needs. This project has an advisory group which includes representatives from disabled people’s organisations, disability charities and academic experts. It is expected to publish findings in Summer 2025. These will help to inform Government policy.
For pensioners, there is Attendance Allowance (AA) which can be worth up to £5,600 a year. I note that entitlement to AA is not based on a claimant’s medical condition, but on whether the claimant need’s personal care and attention, or supervision to ensure their personal safety.
Disability benefits can also be coupled with other forms of support. This can include Pension Credit if the recipient is a pensioner on a low income. Depending on an individual’s circumstances, they may qualify for Housing Benefit. Additionally, it may be possible to claim Carer’s Allowance for someone providing care.
The Government, through the Health Transformation Programme (HTP), is also modernising health and disability benefit services with the twin aims of improving the experiences of those who use them and increasing trust in these services. It is right that the DWP has also engaged with a significant number of stakeholder organisations, establishing positive relationships with representative groups by seeking their expertise before beginning to develop and test new processes.
I hope that this collaborative approach will help the DWP to tailor services to customer needs. Please be assured that, going forward, I will continue to listen and work with disabled people and with the organisations that campaign on their behalf.
Thank you once again for contacting me about this important issue.
Yours sincerely,
Catherine.
| Yours Sincerely,
Catherine Atkinson MP |
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