Yahoo News People on PIP warned payments can be stopped for 8 key reasons in DWP crackdown
People on PIP could see their payments reduced or stopped as key reasons have been outlined for the changes. The Department for Work and Pensions is ramping up reviews of Personal Independence Payment to ensure claims are correct ahead of social security reforms that are expected to be part of Labour's first Budget at the end of October.
DWP data shows that 3.1 million PIP claims have been reviewed since 2016, including more than 283,000 here in the West Midlands. The figures reveal that of the West Midlands cases, 53,289 people saw their PIP payments stopped and 22,951 were told the amount was being reduced.
PIP is intended to cover extra costs of a disability or long-term health condition and pays up to £737 every four weeks, equivalent to around £9,500 a year. Major changes have been proposed because of "unprecedented" demand for the benefit, with around 70,000 new claims submitted every month.
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Officials are now stepping up reviews after extra funding was put into the system by the previous government in the Spring Budget so more new claims can be assessed on time, which then frees up resources to deal with the backlog of existing cases that need to be checked. People's PIP payments continue as normal until their review has been carried out, even if they've gone over the fixed term of their initial claim.
Citizens Advice provides some useful advice for claimants and warns that the DWP can stop or reduce your PIP because:
You didn't return a review form in time
You've reached the end of your fixed-term PIP award
You had a medical assessment and the DWP decided your condition has improved
You missed a medical assessment
You told the DWP about a change of circumstances and they decided you can't get PIP any more
The DWP is taking back a benefit overpayment
You have been accused of benefit fraud
You are subject to immigration control
If your PIP has stopped because your fixed-term award has come to an end, there are two possible courses of action. If you weren't sent a form for your claim to be reviewed but still have medical issues, then you should make a new claim for PIP as soon as possible. If you did have a form and have returned it but didn't get any response, contact the DWP to check they received the form and ask when they'll make a decision.
If you didn't return the review form on time, call the PIP helpline on 0800 121 4433 and ask for more time to complete it and send it back. If the DWP doesn't allow this, you'll need to start a new claim from scratch. You can also challenge the decision to stop your PIP if you believe you have a good reason for not returning your form before the deadline, such as being ill or dealing with an emergency at home.
You would need to ask for this 'mandatory reconsideration' of the decision on your claim within one month but Citizens Advice says it is still worth asking if it's within 13 months of the decision, as long as you can justify your late response.
You can also ask for a mandatory reconsideration if the DWP decides your health has improved and it will be reducing or stopping your PIP payments. If you believe your condition hasn't got better, ask your GP or specialist for a letter to back this up and attach it to your paperwork when explaining why the decision was wrong.
Claimants who miss a medical assessment can ask if the DWP will arrange another one. If they agree to a new appointment and then decide you can still get PIP, they will pay you the money you would have got if it hadn't stopped.
People are also warned that some changes in circumstances can lead to a PIP claim being abruptly halted. This includes being in a hospital, care home or prison for more than four weeks or going abroad for longer than is allowed.
If your immigration status changes and you become subject to immigration control, your PIP will be stopped. Your partner or child's immigration status can also affect your benefits, the DWP warned.
Everybody who has no 'right of abode' (permission to live, work, and access public services in the UK) is subject to immigration control. Even if you have indefinite leave to remain (also known as settled status), this is not permanent and can lapse if you've been outside the UK for a specified period.
If you have settled status, you can spend up to five years in a row outside the UK, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man without losing your status. If you have pre-settled status, you must normally stay in the UK, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man for at least six months in every 12 and will lose this status automatically if you spend more than five years in a row outside the UK, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man. Before May 21, 2024, pre-settled status could lapse after a much shorter period of two years.
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