BY
David BentleyContent Writer (Money and Travel)
• 06:00, 21 JAN 2024
More people are having their claims for Personal Independence Paymentchecked as the Department for Work and Pensions steps up reviews. Figures show that more than 480,000 people have had their benefits stopped, while 230,000 saw their payments reduced.
The majority, however, stay on the same amount and some are awarded a higher payment if their medical conditions have got worse. Many recipients of the disability benefit will be having their cases reviewed if they have been on the same payment for the maximum period of 10 years.
The latest and most recent statistics show that in the 12 months from the beginning of November 2022 to the end of October 2023, the DWP carried out 454,926 planned award reviews. That compares with 318,195 in the previous 12 months, meaning the number of reviews has gone up 43 per cent in a year.
In the quarter up to the end of October 2023, there were 106,771 reviews undertaken compared with 87,567 in the corresponding quarter in 2022, a rise of 22 per cent.
READ MORE:
• DWP issues new PIP update after 70 per cent of claimants win their case at tribunal
• DWP names 20 top medical conditions paying up to £9k in PIP disability benefits
PIP claims usually come up for review after a specified period. Those given an ongoing award with no end date – usually people with very high levels of functional impairment – have a minimal ‘light touch’ review after 10 years. Those who went on PIP just after it was first introduced in 2013 will now be up for such a review.
PIP review outcomes since 2016
• Award increased: 415,556 claims, 18 per cent of total
• Award maintained (at same level): 1,115,572 claims, 50 per cent of total
• Award decreased: 230,485 claims, 10 per cent of total
• Award disallowed: 486,724 claims, 22 per cent of total. These included 246,482 whose PIP was stopped after they failed a new assessment, 30,674 who did not turn up for the assessment and 209,568 whose PIP was cancelled before the assessment based on the information provided in the forms they had filled in
• Total award reviews: 2,248,337
In a narrower period of the past five the percentages are almost the same.
In October 2023 alone – the most recent month for which figures are currently available – 38,627 planned reviews of PIP claims were carried out. Of those, 20,971 claimants had their award maintained at the same level, 7,897 were given higher payments, 3,501 had their payments reduced and 6,258 PIP claims were disallowed, meaning their payments were immediately stopped because the DWP decided the person was no longer entitled to the benefit (2,926 failed their assessment, 404 didn’t attend the assessment, and 2,928 were disallowed before the assessment on the basis of the forms they submitted).
Reviews are also triggered when people report a change of circumstances, such as their existing illness getting worse or a new medical condition developing. There were 9,778 of these types of reviews carried out in October 2023, with most having their payments kept at the same level (5,090), some getting a higher payment (3,943), a small number given less money (183), and the remaining 321 claims being stopped (the majority for failing the assessment).
Last year, Citizens Advice said that more than 430,000 people were left waiting for long periods for a review of their PIP benefit – some for over two years. A new streamlined process was introduced in August 2023 following criticism of delays. In some cases, a new shorter PIP renewal form is being used and a face-to-face health assessment is no longer required unless a person’s medical condition has changed.
A DWP spokesperson said: “We support millions of people every year and our top priority is they get the benefits to which they are entitled as soon as possible. We are recruiting more staff, increasing resourcing and making
constant improvements to deliver a more efficient PIP service, and no one will miss out on money they are owed as any arrears are paid once their review has been concluded.”
DWP delays leave 430,000 people waiting for PIP cash – some for over two years
People are missing out on an estimated £24 million every month, according to new research from Citizens Advice
Hundreds of thousands of people on the DWP’s PIP benefit are not getting the cash they’re entitled to because of lengthy delays, new research claims. Citizens Advice says it believes people are missing out on a staggering £24 million a month.
Personal Independent Payment (PIP) is a benefit designed to help people cope with the extra costs of having a disability, long-term illness or mental health condition. It can be used to help pay for things such as medical equipment or transport, depending on someone’s needs.
But the research from Citizens Advice has found more than 430,000 people are currently waiting for a review of their PIP benefit – with some left waiting for over two years. It comes at a time when disabled people are some of the worst affected by the cost of living crisis as many say they rarely or never cover their essentials each month. Just under two-thirds (61 per cent) of the people Citizens Advice helped with food bank referrals in the past six months were disabled or had a long-term health condition.
Citizens Advice’s latest report found that, in the last six months, the number of people seeking support from the charity with issues related to PIP reviews increased by 19 per cent compared to the same period last year. Between January and April 2023, 210,000 people made a new claim for PIP, but the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has not recruited and trained enough staff to keep up with demand.
Citizens Advice is warning that people are often left months, sometimes years, waiting for a PIP review, which can cause significant stress and anxiety on top of significant financial implications. Delays can also disrupt their access to other benefits.
It highlighted the case of Shirley from Hertfordshire, who is retired and lives with long-term health issues. A deterioration in her health and three hospital admissions during the pandemic exacerbated her existing conditions and increased her care needs. When her PIP was due for review in December 2021, Shirley sent off all the relevant forms and required medical information to the DWP, but the review took one and a half years to be processed.
During this time Shirley was forced to cut back on food and transport as her health and financial stability worsened. She was eventually granted an enhanced PIP award in May 2023. She said: “I kept asking for updates but all they said is that I’d hear from them in due course. One person said to me on the phone ‘I don’t know what you’re moaning about, you’re getting money, aren’t you? While you’re getting money why complain? There’s people who haven’t got any.’
“My physio kept telling me to buy a sling or a support, or something that would help my arm. But I didn’t have the funds to do this – I couldn’t afford the things I needed for my health. Last Christmas I didn’t even have a pound to put on my gas and electric and things got worse as travelling to and from physio was costing me a lot on diesel.”
The DWP has taken steps to halve wait times for new PIP applications from six to three months, but hundreds of thousands still face long waits for a review of their payments. Citizens Advice is calling on the Government to increase its efforts to make sure disabled people are receiving the right level of support.
Its recommendations include: building on existing efforts to make greater use of paper-based decisions and bypassing the need for time-consuming health assessments; making sure all increased PIP payments are backdated, and taking steps to prevent disruptions to other benefits linked to PIP entitlement.
Matthew Upton, Acting Executive Director of Policy & Advocacy at Citizens Advice, said: “PIP can act as a lifeline for so many people with extra living costs linked to their health condition. But right now, hundreds of thousands are being left in limbo while they wait for a health assessment with little clarity as to when their claim will be reviewed. Delays don’t just pose a financially agonising wait; they can take a significant emotional toll on people every single day.
“At a time when rising prices are putting immense pressure on disabled people’s budgets, we need a system that efficiently and effectively helps people with extra living costs – not one that causes more harm.”
A DWP spokesperson said: “We support millions of people every year and our top priority is they get the benefits to which they are entitled as soon as possible. We are recruiting more staff, increasing resourcing and making constant improvements to deliver a more efficient PIP service, and no one will miss out on money they are owed as any arrears are paid once their review has been concluded.”