by Plans to reduce the backlog of Personal Independence Payment (PIP) by hiring new staff have been welcomed by campaigners, who say the system has been “plagued with arrears for too long”.
Disability equality charity Scope said it was “good to see the DWP pulling its fingers out” after the department announced it had hired more than 100 new staff to review PIP to tackle a growing backlog and historical delays. They plan to hire 2,000 new assessors.
But some campaigners have warned they remain “concerned” about the knowledge of case managers who carry out assessments to determine a person’s level of support, and the “apparently low levels of training they receive”.
The move, announced at the end of last week, is part of a wider overhaul of the benefits system, which has been taking place since Sir Keir Starmer’s Labor came to power.
Here’s what you need to know about the overhaul, and how it could affect you.
What is PIP?
Personal Independence Payment (PIP) is a welfare benefit designed to help working-age adults with the extra costs of living with a health condition or disability.
It replaced Disability Living Allowance (DLA) in 2013, and is available to those aged between 16 and state pension age.
The payments can help with the extra costs of living with a disability or long-term health condition, such as higher heating bills, special diets, equipment or taxi fares.
Problems with PIP
Long delays in payment, invasive assessments and refusals to pay out affected PIP applicants.
For many people claiming the benefit, it can be a long time before their claim is even processed.
As at 31 May 2024, there were 392,000 reviews out in England and Wales. Without significant change, it could take 10 years to clear the backlog, according to research by the charity Disability Rights UK.
Work and Pensions Minister Stephen Timms admitted that “many” benefit recipients are “waiting longer than expected for their review”.
Some claimants have criticized the invasive assessment process that assesses the severity of their disability, which in some cases has re-traumatized claimants such as veterans.
The level of PIP a person receives depends on how many points they “score” during the assessment – as well as whether they are eligible for the payment at all.
Historically, a large number of applicants have had their PIP payments reinstated through appeal.
The DWP says 70% of appeals are lost because claimants provide new evidence, but disability charities dispute that figure, saying 59% of cases are dismissed even though they provide the same evidence.
What are the changes?
The DWP says it will train new case managers to work on less complex claims, giving more experienced case managers more time to review more cases.
There were 1,847 full-time caseworkers in August 2023. In August 2024, this increased to 1,948, with further recruitment planned.
Timms told Civil Service World on 3 October: “We are actively recruiting additional case managers to meet the increased demand for PIP, which means we are now able to start deploying additional resources on award reviews. This will increase the number of review cases we can complete ‘in-house’”.
The companies that carry out workplace assessments have also changed.
A PIP assessment – as well as Work Capacity Assessments for other benefits such as ESA and Universal Credit – will only be assessed by one provider in one region, rather than several different ones.
Previously, individuals would fill out a form and then be assessed by a healthcare professional. Now, people can expect to be assessed by a staff member who works across an entire region.
The change in assessor will not affect the current assessment process. Assessment appointments must still be made within 90 minutes of the claimant’s home, and in a land location for accessibility.
The government has plans to reform the assessment process for claiming PIP, which will be set out in due course.
What was the reaction?
The move was also praised by disability equality charity Scope, which said it was “good to see the DWP pulling its finger out” because PIP has been “participating in arrears for too long”.
David Southgate, Policy Manager told Yahoo News: “It’s also important that they do more to get the assessment right, and get disabled people the support they need to live their lives.
“Life costs more if you’re disabled. Scope research shows that these costs are on average £1,010 per month for disabled people to have the same standard of living. The low amount that PIP provides does not go far enough as it is.”
Linda Burnip, founder of Disabled People Against Cuts, said “any move to reduce waiting times for claims being dealt with is positive.”
“However, we are still concerned about the knowledge of case managers and the low levels of training they receive,” she said.
The DWP insisted that “despite the grim legacy this government faces” it is “taking immediate action to ensure vulnerable people are supported and protected”.
A spokesperson told Yahoo News: “Promoting the rights of disabled people, so that their views and voices are heard, is at the heart of this government, and we are committed to ensuring that disabled people and people with health conditions are there to access financial support through PIP. in a timely manner.”
How to claim PIP?
Firstly, any potential recipients must check their eligibility. They can do that here.
They are then instructed to call the government’s new PIP claims hotline, where you will need to provide contact details, and key information such as your date of birth, National Insurance number, doctor’s name and bank details. If you can’t make a call yourself, someone else can do it for you, or add to the call.
The government will then send any potential recipient a form to complete.
From there, it may be necessary to assess the applicant for further information through a work capacity assessment (WCA). This will assess the severity of a person’s disability to see how much funding can be made available.
Currently, there are two layers for everyday life and mobility. For the former, the standard rate is £72.65 a week, and the enhanced rate is £108.55 a week. For mobility, the standard rate is £28.70 per week, and the enhanced rate is £75.75 per week. The rate depends on how many points you “score” during the assessment.
The DWP will then make the decision as to whether that person is eligible for PIP payments.
