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PIP Delays
latest stats show backlog of 290,000 at end of July 2014 -
https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/personal-independence-payment-april-2013-to-july-2014
delays are ‘unacceptable’, admits minister ...
Just wanted to have a rant….
PIP2 completed and received by DWP at the beginning of January this year for a client that has several conditions that will never get better and one that is potentially life threatening.
Following at least several calls to chase up an assessment, we are still no further forward.
Client calls today to say that he has received a text message stating that “it may take 26 weeks or longer for your claim to be processed”.
I am now awaiting a call back from the decision makers team - Grrrr
I had 4 PIP claims that were put in in Sept and Oct 2013 which were still awaiting medical assessments. Over the last couple of weeks I put in 4 separate complaints to ATOS on behalf of the claimants and have received replies with assessment dates for all 4 now so I would suggest a complaint to ATOS (or whichever provider is doing the assessments in your area).
Just a quick point further to the original post: I have just seen a case where a claim was made in April and the form was not returned for many months, but was accepted late.
The Atos assessment took place within two months of the form’s being returned - about six months from the first point of contact . I would never suggest that any politician is a bare-faced liar, but it appears that the time taken to return the form has no bearing at all on the overall length of the wait.
A claimant who has waited over six months for a decisions on their PIP claim has launched judicial review proceedings against the DWP, but planned changes to the law mean that such challenges may soon be impossible.
Solicitors Irwin Mitchell are representing Ms C, from Kent, who has suffered with severe depression for most of her life and was diagnosed with ME and high blood pressure in 2009. The condition causes severe physical exhaustion and a host of other health problems. She applied for PIP in January 2014 after her condition worsened and she was forced to leave her job.
Ms C said:
“The delay has had a massive impact on my life. I applied for PIPs so I could look after myself, but without it I can barely eat and only ever leave my house for a weekly trip to a supermarket.
“While PIP wouldn’t solve all of my problems, without it I just feel financially and socially isolated.”
Irwin Mitchell’s Public Law team argues that the Secretary of State’s practice of taking approximately six months or more to determine PIP claims is unreasonable, given that the purpose of PIP is to support disabled people of working age who have extras costs caused by long-term ill health or a disability.
Solicitor Anne-Marie Irwin said:
“The delays are putting people at a significant disadvantage and if their PIP claims are granted it would meet the additional financial costs which arise because of an illness or disability and so enable them to benefit from a greater quality of life.
“It is clear that urgent action is needed on this issue.”
However, a bill currently going through the House of Lords will make it virtually impossible for ordinary people to seek judicial review of unfair decisions, because they will potentially be liable for massive legal costs from the outset of the case. The bill also makes charities who support judicial reviews liable for costs.
In the future a claimant wishing to bring a case in the same way as Mrs C would have to be prepared to face having costs of tens of thousands of pounds awarded against them, even when they can scarcely afford to feed and clothe themselves.
Combined with the Conservative party’s stated aim of repealing the Human Rights Act, the possibility of claimants getting justice in the future seems to be diminishing rapidly.
You can read more about the case of Mrs C on the Irwin Mitchell website.
Here’s a link to the Irwin Mitchell press release on the PIP challenge -
IDS has said the delays are unacceptable, that should be enough to conclude the case shouldn’t it?
I’ve just taken a look through the PIP statistics here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/personal-independence-payment-april-2013-to-october-2015
I’m far from a stats genius but as far as I can see the median assessment times from claim to decision rose to 52 weeks in September 2014. So half of all cases were taking longer than a year to get a decision! No wonder they left London PIP transfer to last.