Disabled people missing out on £24million every month because of PIP delays

15 August 2023 , 10:45

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PIP claimants say they've had to wait years for a review (Image: Getty Images)

Disabled people are missing out on an estimated £24million every month because of delays to Personal Independent Payment reviews.

PIP is a benefit designed to help working age adults living with an illness, disability or mental health condition. Awards typically last between nine months and ten years, then you normally need to renew your claim - but Citizens Advice claims people have been left waiting years for a decision.

The charity found more than 430,000 people are currently waiting for a PIP review. Some are facing delays of more than two years. These people are twice as likely to say they can rarely or never cover their essentials each month, Citizens Advice said, as bills continue to rise during the cost of living crisis.

Just under two thirds (61%) of the people Citizens Advice helped with food bank referrals in the past six months were disabled or had a long term health condition. The number of people seeking support from the charity with issues related to PIP reviews has increased by 19% in the last six months, compared to the same period last year.

The decision to award you PIP is based on how your condition affects your life, rather than the illness itself. If you’re successful in your claim, you could get between £26.90 and £172.75 per week.

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Shirley, who is retired and lives with long-term health issues, told Citizens Advice she was forced to cut back on food and transport after huge delays to her PIP review.

When her PIP was due for review in December 2021, Shirley sent off all the relevant forms and required medical information to the DWP, but the review took two and a half years to be processed. Shirley, who lives in Hertfordshire, was eventually granted an enhanced PIP award in May 2023.

210,000 people made a new claim for PIP between January and April 2023.

She said: “I kept asking for updates but all they said is that I'd hear from them in due course. One person said to me on the phone ‘I don't know what you’re moaning about, you’re getting money aren't you? While you’re getting money why complain. There's people who haven't got any’.

“My physio kept telling me to buy a sling or a support, or something that would help my arm. But I didn’t have the funds to do this - I couldn’t afford the things I needed for my health.

“Last Christmas I didn’t even have a pound to put on my gas and electric and things got worse as travelling to and from physio was costing me a lot on diesel.”

Matthew Upton, Acting Executive Director of Policy & Advocacy at Citizens Advice, said: “PIP can act as a lifeline for so many people with extra living costs linked to their health condition. But right now, hundreds of thousands are being left in limbo while they wait for a health assessment with little clarity as to when their claim will be reviewed.

“Delays don’t just pose a financially agonising wait; they can take a significant emotional toll on people every single day.

“At a time when rising prices are putting immense pressure on disabled people’s budgets, we need a system that efficiently and effectively helps people with extra living costs - not one that causes more harm.”

A DWP spokesperson said: “We support millions of people every year and our top priority is they get the benefits to which they are entitled as soon as possible. We are recruiting more staff, increasing resourcing and making constant improvements to deliver a more efficient PIP service, and no one will miss out on money they are owed as any arrears are paid once their review has been concluded.”