PIP claimants warned they may have to give money back to DWP as one in 100 overpaid
by Linda Howard, Sonia Sharma · ChronicleLivePeople who claim Personal Independence Payments from the Government may have to pay money back as many were overpaid last year.
PIP helps people with extra costs if they have a long-term health condition or disability and they have difficulties doing everyday tasks because of their condition. The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) delivers PIP as well as other benefits such as Universal Credit and State Pension to more than 23 million people across Britain.
However, figures published in the 2024 Fraud and Error in the Benefit System report, show that the total number of benefit overpayments during the last year was £9.7b (3.7%), an increase on the £8.3b figure for 2023. The data shows that some £21.6b was spent on PIP last year, a significant increase on the £17.7b in 2022/23, and that figure is expected to rise as the number of people receiving up to £737.20 each month has reached a record-breaking high of 3.6m.
But the figures also show that while overpayments fell from £200m in 2022/23 to £90m last year, it could result in claimants having to pay money back to the DWP, reports the Daily Record. The DWP said the main reason for PIP overpayments is claimant error (0.3%), where someone has failed to report a change in their circumstances, specifically an improvement in their condition.
The report explains that the proportion of PIP claims overpaid last year was one in 100, the same rate as the previous year. It also said this accounted for £6 in every £10 overpaid.
The DWP says on its website: "You could be taken to court or have to pay a penalty if you give wrong information or do not report a change straight away." It explains that changes in your circumstances can affect your PIP award - it could go up, go down, stay the same or stop.
If you’ve been paid too much, you may have to repay the money if you did not report a change straight away, gave wrong information or were overpaid by mistake. More details are below.
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Report a change to your needs or circumstances
You must contact the Personal Independence Payment enquiry line straight away if:
- you need more or less help with daily living and mobility tasks
- your health professional tells you that your condition will last for a longer or shorter time than you reported before
- a medical professional has said you might have 12 months or less to live (you could get PIP at a higher rate under ‘special rules for end of life’)
- you go into a hospital, a hospice, a nursing home or a care home
- you go into a residential school or college
- you go into foster care or into the care of a local authority or health and social care trust
- you’re imprisoned or held in detention
- you plan to go abroad for more than 4 weeks
- your immigration status changes and you’re not a British or Irish citizen
- you start or stop getting pensions or benefits from an EU country, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein
- your husband, wife, civil partner or a parent you depend on starts or stops getting benefits from an EU country, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein
Further information about how you can report a change is available here. There are also general details on the website about PIP and eligibility rules.
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