The government has announced a review of all 1.6 million personal independence payment (PIP) claims following a High Court ruling.
A change to the eligibility criteria for the benefit in 2017 meant that people couldn’t say that they were unable to take a familiar journey if this was due to ‘psychological distress’. In December the High Court found that this discriminates against people with mental health issues.
The government has said that claims for PIP will be reassessed to see if people are entitled to more support. It is estimated that around 220,000 people could be given a higher payment.
What will it mean if you get PIP?
The Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) will review their records of claims, not claimants themselves. If you get PIP, you will not need to contact the DWP and you will not need to have another face to face assessment. If the DWP find that the ruling alters how much you are paid, they will contact you directly.
The DWP will also review PIP claims that were rejected that would have qualified under this ruling.
No timetable for the review has been published yet.
Personal Independence Payments (PIP)
If you are aged under 65, you can apply for Personal Independence Payments (PIP) to help with some of the extra costs caused by living with a long-term condition. Entitlement to PIP is based on an assessment of how your condition affects you. It is not means tested, which means you can receive the payments even if you have a job. PIP replaced Disability Living Allowance (DLA) (link is external) for new claimants from June 2013. People currently receiving DLA who were aged under 65 on 8 April 2013 will be moved to PIP over the next few years.
