Personal Independence Payments (PIP) claimants could be at risk of losing their benefits. Currently, approximately 3.6 million individuals claim PIP for a range of reasons.
The benefit is designed to assist those living with a disability, long-term illness or physical or mental health conditions that result in higher daily living or mobility costs. Typically, PIP claimants can receive between £28.80 to £184.30 per week.
However, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) could halt payments entirely for various reasons. This could mean those dependent on PIP may lose an essential source of income.
Often, this can occur due to errors on the part of the claimant but may also be due to a decision made solely by the DWP. Read below to see why you may lose out on your PIP claims…
You failed to tell the DWP of a change in circumstances
The DWP mandates that you must contact the PIP enquiry line immediately if your circumstances change. The DWP states that the following changes must be reported promptly:
- you need more or less help with daily living and mobility tasks
- your health professional tells you that your condition will last for a longer or shorter time than you reported before
- you start or stop getting pensions or benefits from an EU country, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein
- you go into foster care or into the care of a local authority or health and social care trust
- you plan to go abroad for more than 4 weeks
- you go into a hospital, a hospice, a nursing home or a care home
- your immigration status changes and you’re not a British or Irish citizen
- your husband, wife, civil partner or a parent you depend on starts or stops getting benefits from an EU country, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein
- a medical professional has said you might have 12 months or less to live (you could get PIP at a higher rate under ‘special rules for end of life’)
- you go into a residential school or college
- you’re imprisoned or held in detention
A change in circumstances means the DWP thinks you don’t need PIP anymore
In some cases, a change in circumstances could mean that the DWP believes you are no longer eligible for PIP.
According to official DWP guidance, the aforementioned changes “can affect your PIP award. Depending on the change your PIP could go up, go down, stay the same or stop.”
It’s crucial to always provide accurate information to the DWP, as the guidance emphasises that providing incorrect information could result in court proceedings or a penalty.
The DWP is claiming an overpayment
The DWP may claim an overpayment in some instances, where they may have mistakenly given you more than you’re entitled to.
In such cases, you will receive a letter explaining the error and why the DWP believes it occurred. Once an overpayment is confirmed, the money owed to the DWP will typically be deducted from future payments gradually until the outstanding amount is settled.
You failed to attend a medical assessment
Citizens Advice points out that PIP claimants must attend their medical assessment or their PIP claim will be automatically rejected. It advises claimants to contact their assessment provider immediately if they know they cannot make the appointment while providing a valid reason – this allows the provider to potentially reschedule the appointment.
