DWP PIP update as more than 400,000 people win benefit award after logging appeal
by Kieran Isgin · ChronicleLiveOver the past five years, more than 400,000 benefit claimants have successfully been awarded Personal Independence Payments (PIP) after undergoing a mandatory reconsideration. This process allows individuals who have had their initial PIP claim denied to challenge the decision with the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), leading to a re-evaluation of their claim.
The free service is applicable to a variety of benefits including PIP, Attendance Allowance, Carer's Allowance, Income Support, among others. Official data reveals that 34 per cent of the 1.3 million mandatory reconsiderations lodged for PIP resulted in a positive outcome over the last five years.
PIP is designed to help those with a disability, long-term illness or physical or mental health condition cover additional daily living or mobility costs. Successful PIP claims can range from £28.70 to £184.30 per week, paid every four weeks, equating to between £114.80 and £737.
A claimant could be awarded the highest rate of both and receive the maximum, £737.20 each pay period, or the standard rate of both, £405.40.
Disability minister Sir Stephen Timms has disclosed in Parliament that over the last five years, some 32,000 people were initially given zero points for their PIP claims but later received the enhanced rate following a mandatory reconsideration. Despite this success, there are alarms over the growing period it takes to finalise a mandatory reconsideration, reports the Manchester Evening News.
Current records suggest the average waiting time spiked from 37 days in December 2023 to 71 days in July 2024, though Mr Timms has acknowledged a slight decrease to an average of 69 working days as of September 2024. A DWP representative assured the Sun: "We support millions of people every year and our priority is they receive a supportive service and get the benefits they are entitled to as soon as possible. We are learning from appeals and working closely with our assessment providers to improve our processes and decision making."
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Who is eligible for PIP?
To qualify for PIP, individuals must have health conditions or disabilities affecting daily activities or mobility for three months with the anticipation of continuity for at least nine additional months.
Typically, you must have resided in the UK for a minimum of two out of the last three years and be present in the country at the time of application. Besides the criteria mentioned above, if your condition necessitates assistance with any of the following, you might want to consider applying for PIP:
- making decisions about money
- engaging and communicating with other people
- preparing, cooking or eating food
- reading and understanding written information
- dressing and undressing
- managing your medication
- washing, bathing or using the toilet
- moving around
- planning a journey or following a route
How to submit a new PIP claim
You can kick-start a new claim by getting in touch with the DWP.
All necessary details for application are available on the GOV. UK website here.
Before making the call, make sure you have:
- your date of birth
- your doctor or health worker’s name, address and telephone number
- dates and addresses for any time you’ve spent abroad, in a care home or hospital
- your bank or building society account number and sort code
- your contact details
- your National Insurance number - this is on letters about tax, pensions and benefits
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