PIP claimants facing near-10-year wait for benefit uplift amid review backlog

PIP claimants could be facing lengthy delays in the wait for their award review

Some benefit claimants could be trapped in a decade-long limbo due to a backlog in reviews, it has emerged. A staggering number of personal independence payment (PIP) beneficiaries might face a wait of up to a decade for their awards to be reassessed and possibly increased.

A backlog crisis at the Department for Work and Pension (DWP) is the culprit, as new applications pour in like never before. A Freedom of Information request by Benefits and Work revealed that a jaw-dropping 74,000 individuals are getting short-changed on PIP, yet they're staring down a nearly 10-year slog till their situation is rectified, with a whopping 392,000 reviews pending in England and Wales.

An alarming revelation from the request is that the DWP only managed to chip away 10,000 reviews from the backlog during the previous quarter, even though they processed 130,000 reviews in total, 120,000 of which were new cases. Benefits and Work have pointed out that at the rate things are going means almost a decade will pass before the pileup is cleared completely.

A DWP spokesperson conceded in the FOI: "The main reason for the length of time to complete PIP award reviews is very high demand for PIP. We are seeing unprecedented numbers of new claims being made. To manage this demand and ensure cases are put into payment as soon as possible, we are prioritising these claims."

The department has outlined several measures to tackle the backlog, including hiring more healthcare professionals, case managers and assessment providers. In the last five years, Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) data shows that 19% of award reviews resulted in an increase, 54% remained the same, 7% saw a decrease, while 20% were disallowed.

Applying these percentages to the current backlog of 392,000 would mean 74,480 individuals could see an increase when their awards are finally reviewed, 27,440 might be receiving higher awards than they should, and 78,400 could have their PIP benefit removed.

The delay will not see any recipient’s benefits going out of payment while waiting for a review and awards will be extended where necessary to ensure claimants don’t find themselves out of pocket. During the review, claimants are able to use a blend of assessment methods, such as phone, video and face-to-face, for a more efficient process.

PIP comprises two components, each with two different rates. The parts, rates and total amount a claimant receives depend on how their disability impacts them, which is reviewed over time as their conditions may change.

The benefit is designed to help offset the additional costs associated with living with a long-term disability, illness or mental health condition. The first component covers daily living expenses, while the second caters for mobility needs, with both offering a standard and enhanced rate.