Nearly a quarter of all PIP claimants approach Citizens Advice for help
Personal Independence Payment (PIP) has overtaken Employment Support Allowance (ESA) as the most common problem people come to Citizens Advice for help with.
The equivalent of nearly a quarter of all PIP application and reassessment claimants for April 2015 came to the charity for help with the benefit.
Figures show 11,500 people sought guidance from Citizens Advice about PIP, compared with 52,000 new claimants and reassessments the DWP recorded in the same month.
As with ESA, disabled people are confused about whether they qualify for PIP and others are experiencing distress and financial troubles as decisions about their applications are delayed. . .
The top three PIP problems reported to Citizens Advice in the last year are:
- over 100,000 queries about eligibility for PIP;
- over 50,000 making and managing a claim issues, including problems with delays;
- PIP challenges and appeals issues have increased, now standing at over 20,000.
While DWP figures show delays for PIP have fallen to an average of 11 weeks for new claimants, Citizens Advice evidence shows some disabled people are still waiting over a year and that delays to decisions have resulted in many people falling into debt with some relying on support from family members.
Gillian Guy, Chief Executive of Citizens Advice, said:
“People’s ability to live independently is at risk due to PIP failures. People are experiencing problems with every part of the PIP application process, causing a huge amount of stress and anxiety for those going through a very difficult time.
Shew added:
“ESA has proved a huge challenge with people complaining of problems with the application process, medical assessments and delays to awards. With PIP now the number one problem people come to Citizens Advice with, the Government must avoid repeating the mistakes made with ESA and focus on its safe and steady implementation.”
While DWP figures show delays for PIP have fallen to an average of 11 weeks for new claimants, Citizens Advice evidence shows some disabled people are still waiting over a year and that delays to decisions have resulted in many people falling into debt with some relying on support from family members.
To read the full Citizens Advice press release visit their website.
See also the following independent.co.uk article - One in four claiming disability benefits faces serious difficulties including delays, unfair dismissals and confusion over eligibility
Disability Right’s UK’s Guide to Claiming PIP is free to download @ http://disabilityrightsuk.org/personal-independence-payment-pip