Benefits
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The chances of passing HIV from mother to child during - and after - pregnancy can be reduced to less than one per cent if the right steps are taken.
The UK government published a paper in July 2008 which proposed making a number of significant changes to the benefits system. These proposed changes, that will affect many people living with HIV, formed the basis of the new Welfare Reform Act passed by Parliament
NAT submitted a formal response to the proposals which can be downloaded here. We are now monitoring the implementation of the act to ensure the needs of people living with HIV are considered by the Department of Work and Pensions.
NAT are calling for a benefits system which supports an appropriate standard of living to ensure that people living with HIV who are unable to work may live healthily and with dignity. NAT are a member of the Disability Benefits Consortium and are actively campaigning on benefits reforms.
Disability living allowance ("DLA")
NAT has significant concerns about the way in which the review of the DLA was undertaken and have raised our concerns at a ministerial level. We also actively opposed the decision to extend the review process to over-65s.
If you are living with HIV and want to find out about the impact of recent changes to the special rules of the disability living allowance then please visit the part of our website dedicated to you.
To share your thoughts and experiences regarding HIV and benefit reform, please contact policyandcampaigns@nat.org.uk. If you are living with HIV and have concerns about benefit reform then we would particularly like to hear from you.
Changes to Incapacity Benefit
There are changes to the benefits system for people living with HIV who are unable to work. In the past, people who were unable to work could apply for Incapacity Benefit. For new claimants, Incapacity Benefit has been replaced by Employment and Support Allowance. For claimants already on Incapacity Benefit, the Government plans to move people on to the new Employment and Support Allowance between 2010 and 2013. At the moment, the Department of Work and Pensions has not published details about this transition from Incapacity Benefit to Employment and Support Allowance but NAT are monitoring this and will provide further information when this is available.
Several disability organisations have raised concerns about Employment Support Allowance, particularly the process people go through to see if they are eligible for the new benefit – the Work Capability Assessment. The Citizen’s Advice Bureau has published a report on the Work Capability Assessment, Not Working.
NAT wanted to look at the impact of the Work Capability Assessment on people living with HIV. We are working with HIV service providers George House Trust, Positive East and THT Brighton to look at how the Assessment is considering the needs of people living with HIV. This review will continue until June. If you would to find out more about this project please contact policyandcampaigns@nat.org.uk.
Disability Benefits Survey
The Disability Benefits Consortium (DBC)* - of which NAT is a member- are doing a survey to find out more about experiences of the benefits system.
The online survey can be accessed through the following link - http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/dbcsurvey - and takes no more than 15 minutes to complete.
It includes questions about what people think about work, and if they have ever claimed Employment and Support Allowance – the new benefit for people who cannot work due to ill health or disability. The survey also asks questions about Housing Benefit and Disability Living Allowance to find out more about how people use these benefits.
NAT will be able to use the findings in our policy and campaigns work on how welfare reform will affect people living with HIV. The survey will run until 20 October, 2010.
For any questions about the survey or NAT's work on benefits, contact Sarah Radcliffe, Policy Officer at sarah.radcliffe@nat.org.uk.
*The Disability Benefits Consortium brings together a wide range of disability organisations, cancer charities, older people’s organisations, advice services, carers’ organisations and other organisations. The DBC aims to lobby and campaign on welfare benefits as they relate to disabled people.