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PIP for people over SPA - automatically indefinite award?
One of our clients got PIP earlier this year, six months after he reached State Pension age. His award is not indefinite, but I got the impression that making the award being indefinite was standard practice for people entitled to PIP post-SPA, is this not the case? I called PIP about this the other week, and was told by the adviser that it is upto the DWP if the person gets an indefinite award, not guaranteed, and that whilst the client could pursue an MR of the decision, it would ‘not be in his interests’ to do so!
Can’t say I’m aware of any provisions for people over SPA to be given indefinite PIP awards.
I’ve been going off this Citizens Advice page:
“If you claim PIP after State Pension age, the DWP will usually give you an ‘indefinite award’. This means there’s no end date. They will usually review the award every 10 years.
If you’re already getting PIP when you reach State Pension age, the DWP will turn it into an indefinite award.”
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/thousands-of-pensioners-to-benefit-from-pip-assessment-overhaul
I have MR’d a couple of awards that took people over SPA but were not indefinite. The DWP refused the MRs but changed the award length to indefinite once the appeals were lodged.
I’ve been going off this Citizens Advice page:
“If you claim PIP after State Pension age, the DWP will usually give you an ‘indefinite award’. This means there’s no end date. They will usually review the award every 10 years.
If you’re already getting PIP when you reach State Pension age, the DWP will turn it into an indefinite award.”
Ah, you’ve just reminded me of this.
Thousands of pensioners to benefit from PIP assessment overhaul
Work and Pensions Secretary Amber Rudd first announced in March that people receiving PIP who have reached State Pension age will no longer have their awards regularly reviewed, instead moving to a light touch review at 10 years.
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/thousands-of-pensioners-to-benefit-from-pip-assessment-overhaul
I have MR’d a couple of awards that took people over SPA but were not indefinite. The DWP refused the MRs but changed the award length to indefinite once the appeals were lodged.
Sorry, just posted same link as you.
Thanks both! So this particular client was awarded May this year, but reached SPA in November 2021. Should I sent an MR of the award date, or just contact PIP more generally to ask that his award be changed to an indefinite one, if this is applied to all people over SPA receiving PIP?
My understanding was that
- there is nothing which currently restricts a pension age PIP award to being indefinite.
- light touch awards will not kick in until the 1st ongoing/10 year awards expire part way through 2023.
- there were recent discussions in Parliament reported on here in the past few weeks i.e. they’re still “discussing” how this works in practice.
- the original intent was that everyone went through an assessment at the end of their current award and would need to raise the need for 10 year light touch explicitly. I suspect on this last point I may be confusing it with the alleged intentions for ESA so I’m happy to be corrected but it would explain why the client above hasn’t been given said award length.
thanks Mike. So the citizens advice page on this I posted above is incorrect? as in if you are awarded PIP after the date you reach SPA it will not (and does not have to) be for an indefinite period of time?
I believe so yes. Happy to be corrected.
Here is the news item I was referring to.