A major review of the PIP system is underway
Benefits experts have warned that people often get the rules wrong for PIP and miss out on support as a result. Advocates at financial support group Money Wellness have shared their thoughts on how the DWP benefit could be improved. This comes as a major review of the support scheme is in its final stages, with the Government soon to be presented with proposals to change the benefit.
As the review team put together its final suggestions for the DWP to consider, the team at Money Wellness say some things should stay the same. External relations manager Rebecca Lamb said: “PIP should continue to do what it was set up to do, which is help with the extra costs of living with a disability or long-term health condition. The review has proposed keeping it non-means-tested with cash at the heart of the award, and we’d support that.
“Cash matters because the extra costs vary so much from one person to the next. For some people, it goes on transport, for others it’s equipment, and for others it’s higher energy bills because they’re at home all day.”
People needlessly miss out
She pointed out a key area where people get the rules wrong when it comes to PIP, potentially missing out on hundreds of pounds as a result. Ms Lamb said: “One thing a lot of people don’t realise is that PIP isn’t affected by your income, your savings or your partner’s earnings, and you can claim it whether you’re working or not.
“We speak to people regularly who’ve ruled themselves out on that basis when they didn’t need to.” How much you get in PIP depends on to what extent your condition affects you.
The most you can get is £194.60 a week, or just over £10,000 a year – a huge amount of income to miss out on if you mistakenly think you don’t qualify. A previous interim report as part of the review argued that the current PIP system is no longer fit for purpose.
A series of workshops are taking place in September and October to shape the final recommendations. DWP minister Sir Stephen Timms is co-chairing the review. He said they expect to present their recommendations to MPs by November.
Changes are needed
Looking at what does need to change, Ms Lamb said the application process needs to be streamlined. She said: “The application and assessment cause people the most difficulty, so that’s where we’d want the focus to be. It’s easy to forget that someone filling in a PIP form may be dealing with the very problems they’re being asked to describe.
“If you have severe fatigue, memory problems, poor mental health or a condition that fluctuates, then a long form, gathering medical evidence and keeping on top of correspondence is a lot to manage. The review found the process is hardest for people with fluctuating, less visible or multiple conditions, and those are exactly the people the benefit exists to support.”
She said another thing people often overlook when it comes to going through the application process, is you can ask for reasonable adjustments to help you with the assessment of how your health condition affects you.
These can include:
- Extra time for your assessment
- A phone or video assessment rather than a face-to-face one
- Having someone with you to help with the assessment
- A copy of your assessment report.
