A simple misconception could be preventing people from making successful applications
New claims for Personal Independence Payments currently only have a success rate of around 43%. But one simple mistake on the application form could be holding people back from qualifying in the eyes of the Department for Work and Pensions.
PIP is not awarded based on your diagnosis but rather on how it affects your day-to-day life or mobility. To gauge this, the PIP form asks claimants how much difficulty they experience with a number of different tasks, from cooking to planning a journey, and points are given based on how much assistance they require.
However, many people may understate their difficulties at this part of the assessment and those with fluctuating conditions may base their answers on how they do on their better days.
If an applicant doesn’t thoroughly and accurately describe the difficulties they are living with, the DWP may not be able to award them the points needed for them to qualify for the benefit, according to PIP Guide.
When answering these questions, the DWP advises keeping in mind whether you can do the tasks:
- Reliably
- Timeously
- Repeatedly
- Safely
At the end of the application, your points for all the activities are added up to get your score. Currently, you need to score at least eight points for the lower daily living rate of £76.70 and 12 or more for the enhanced rate £114.60 per week.
For the mobility element, you need a minimum of eight points to qualify for the standard £30.30 weekly rate and 12 points to get the enhanced weekly rate of £80. If you qualify for the enhanced rate of both payments this could equate to around £778 per month.
Many disabled people also have a tendency to downplay their needs or difficulties as a coping mechanism to avoid feeling embarrassed, like they are a burden or sounding like they are constantly complaining.
However, understating their needs on the PIP application can also potentially see their claim being rejected or receiving a lower rate than they may actually be entitled to.
People who struggle to include all the necessary details on their applications or need help with their claim can speak to Citizens Advice for help, as well as local disability support groups.
The PIP Guide also recommends: “Always provide real-life examples and describe what happens on your worst days.”
Over the last five years, the DWP has only given PIP awards to 43% of new claims under the normal rules according to the latest Government data. This excludes cases that were withdrawn, went through DLA reassessments or used the Special Rules for End of Life (SREL).
