DWP announces Pip changes affecting all 4m claimants
Millions of personal independence payment (Pip) claimants in the UK will soon be subject to new rules on health assessments under government-imposed laws.
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) confirmed on Monday that it would set all award reviews for new claims at a minimum of three years, rising to five years at the next review if the claimant remains eligible.
In most cases this will reduce the frequency of reward reviews for Pip claimants; Uncertainty in re-evaluations is often cited as the main problem of the system.
The DWP says around 60 per cent of reviews currently do not result in any change to the award, and still encourages claimants whose needs have changed to notify the department.
Currently requested by 3.9 million people, Pip is designed to help with the extra costs of living with an illness or disability.
The health benefit is currently being reviewed by Disability Minister Sir Stephen Timms, who aims to make it “fair and fit for the future”. The review is intended to report in the autumn of this year.
The payment was at the heart of Labor’s plans to cut welfare spending last year; Proposals to change the assessment criteria to make it effectively harder to claim have been met with fierce opposition from campaign groups and politicians.
Ministers backed down on the plans in late June after more than 100 Labor MPs threatened to vote against the government on the measures. The concession and review were announced by Sir Stephen amid debate over the legislation.
Commenting on the new changes, Sir Stephen said: Independent: “Reforming the social assistance system to better meet the needs of people with disabilities is a priority for the government.
“A big part of this is ensuring Pip is future-proof and fair – and we are taking an important step to improve the system through new legislation that will reduce the frequency of scrutiny for many existing Pip customers.
“This will make the system more efficient by freeing up the capacity of healthcare professionals to deal with the backlog of inherited assessments, and will also remove unnecessary pressure on disabled applicants whose circumstances rarely change from each review.
“We are also increasing face-to-face assessments for Pip to 30 per cent of all assessments from 6 per cent in 2024. My review is also exploring how we can support Pip for the future, and we have opened a call for evidence for people to share their views on how Pip should be reformed.”
Fazilet Hadi, Head of Policy for Disability Rights UK, said: “Reducing the frequency of PIP reviews makes sense for both disabled people and the DWP, so often our needs remain the same and reviews only cause anxiety.
“The increase in face-to-face examinations is concerning as they can be physically and emotionally demanding. The Government needs to ensure that reasonable accommodations are made for assessments and examinations under the Equality Act.”
“We encourage disabled people to respond to the Pip review. The Pip is a lifeline for many of us and contributes to our additional disability-related costs. We need to see levels reviewed and fairer eligibility and assessment processes put in place. The idea that the Pip should be used as a passport to the health component of universal credit also needs serious scrutiny.”
