The data also shows that more than 1.5m (39%) of all 3.8m PIP claimants have been issued with an award of five years or longer.
DWP handing some PIP claimants payments for next 10 years ‘without a review’
The Personal Independence Payment claimants most-likely to get Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) payments for 10 years before a review have been revealed. More than 3.8 million claimants are currently in receipt of PIP from the DWP.
The DWP has previously said that over 1,000 new PIP awards are being issued every day. The data also shows that more than 1.5m (39%) of all 3.8m PIP claimants have been issued with an award of five years or longer.
More than 58 per cent of people claiming PIP for a visual disease have a monthly award of up to £749 for five years or more. More than half of all claimants with general musculoskeletal conditions (50.8%) such as arthritis, muscle or joint pain, have been given a longer award, along with 49.5 per cent of people with a neurological condition such as epilepsy, multiple sclerosis and muscular dystrophy.
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For people thinking about making a new claim for PIP, or ADP, it’s important to be aware award lengths carry and can last between nine months and up to 10 years, however, DWP data only records awards given up to ‘five years or longer’.
DWP guidance explains how the decision maker will make an award of PIP based on the impact of the claimant’s health condition or disability on their daily life and their ability to live independently.
It adds: “The length of award will be based upon each claimant’s individual circumstances.” Guidance from the DWP also says most claimants will have their award regularly reviewed, “regardless of the length of the award” in order to make sure “everyone continues to receive the most appropriate level of support”.
Some claimants will be given a limited term award for a fixed period of up to two years.
The DWP says these awards will not be reviewed. Limited awards with no review date are given where the claimant’s health condition may be reasonably expected to improve.
A ‘light touch’ review is typically awarded to claimants who have very stable needs which are unlikely to change over time, high level needs which will either stay the same or get worse, a planned award review date due on or at State Pension age or a special rules for end of life claim due when of State Pension age.
The DWP guidance states: “These claimants would not usually be expected to have a face-to-face assessment at review.”
