OVER 74,000 personal independence payment (PIP) claimants may face a wait of up to ten years for a payment increase due to a massive backlog in award reviews.
The delay means tens of thousands of individuals are currently receiving lower payments than they are entitled to.
PIP helps with the extra cost of living pressure associated with those suffering from a long-term illness, disability or mental health conditions.
The payments are made up of two parts - one part for living and another part for mobility.
Plus, for each component, there is a standard and an enhanced rate.
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The maximum you can receive from the government benefit is £184.30 a week.
How much you get also depends on how your condition affects you.
However, a new Freedom of Information request submitted by Benefits and Work shows that hundreds of thousands are waiting indefinitely to have their claims reviewed.
As of May 31, 2024, there are 392,000 outstanding PIP award reviews in England and Wales.
However, the DWP does not have a clear timeline for addressing this backlog, citing an unprecedented surge in new claims as the primary cause.
Recent quarterly PIP statistics show the DWP managed to reduce the backlog by only 10,000 reviews last quarter despite registering 120,000 new reviews and clearing 130,000.
At this pace, clearing the entire backlog would take almost a decade.
A DWP spokesperson said: "The main reason for the length of time to complete PIP award reviews is very high demand for PIP.
"We are seeing unprecedented numbers of new claims being made.
"To manage this demand and ensure cases are put into payment as soon as possible, we are prioritising these claims."
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DWP statistics over the past five years for planned award review outcomes reveal that:
- 19% resulted in increased awards
- 54% were maintained at the same level
- 7% saw a decrease in awards
- 20% were disallowed
Applying these percentages to the current backlog of 392,000 claims suggests:
- 74,480 claimants are receiving lower PIP awards than they are entitled too
- 27,440 claimants are receiving higher awards than they are entitled to
- 78,400 claimants may no longer be eligible for PIP
The DWP's ongoing struggle to clear the backlog means that tens of thousands of claimants will continue receiving notices that their reviews are delayed, maintaining their current payments.
For those affected, it is a waiting game with no clear end in sight.
However, there are a number of freebies you could take advantage of in the meantime.
CHECK FOR PIP FREEBIES
Claiming PIP makes you eligible for a number of additional extras that you might not be aware of - but could save you some cash.
For example, if you're on either the daily living or mobility part of PIP you might be able to get money off your council tax bill.
But the amount you can get off varies depending on how much PIP you actually receive and where you live.
You have to contact your local authority to find out what discount you're entitled to, and it might ask for a PIP letter as proof.
You can use your PIP award letter to apply for a blue badge, although some councils can charge up to £10 for it.
Blue badge parking spaces tend to be closer to the front of shop entrances, making your experience easier.
You could also be entitled to a complete vehicle tax exemption if you're on PIP, depending on your circumstances.
If you're on PIP and depending on whether you have a qualifying disability, you might be able to get your NHS prescriptions free too.
We've previously listed all the PIP freebies and discounts you could get.
