(Minister of State for
Disabled People, Health and Work): I would like to
update the House on the improvements my Department is making in
Personal Independence Payment (PIP). The guidance available to
PIP Case Managers was updated in August 2018 to ensure those who
are awarded the highest level of support whose needs are unlikely
to improve or will deteriorate receive an ongoing award with a
light touch review at the 10 year point. Following on from the
introduction of that guidance in August, we have now commenced
activity to review the claims of existing claimants on the top
level of support to identify those individuals who, in light of
the new guidance, should be receiving an ongoing award. This is
still in the early stages and being dealt with in date order,
prioritising claimants whose awards are coming up for an award
review, but commencing this activity is a really important step
to reducing the number of individuals having to undergo an
unnecessary award review where their needs are only likely to
deteriorate.
A copy of the guidance for Case Managers has been placed in the
House of Commons Library and is available at: http://data.parliament.uk/DepositedPapers/Files/DEP2018-1113/UIN_174062_-_Award_period_guidance_10.10.18.pdf
The light touch review process and guidance itself has not yet
been developed, but we aim to do so well in advance of the first
such reviews taking place. We intend to consult with stakeholders
as part of that process.
My Written Statement of 25 June 2018 (HCWS793) informed the House
that my Department had begun an exercise to identify anyone who
may be entitled to more support under PIP as a result of the MH
and RJ decisions of the Upper Tribunal. The MH decision broadened
the interpretation about how symptoms of overwhelming
psychological distress should be assessed for the purpose of
mobility activity 1 in PIP. The RJ decision concerned how the
Department considers a claimant to be carrying out an activity
safely and whether they need supervision to do so. I committed to
regularly updating the House of developments regarding this
administrative exercise.
The Department has today published an ad hoc release of
Management Information on the administrative
exercise: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/dwp-ad-hoc-analyses#2018
As at 23 November 2018, 140,000 cases had been cleared, of which
1,000 had been paid arrears. The average payment made is
approximately £4,500. We are monitoring the numbers of, and
reasons for, revised awards closely and making regular quality
checks in order to ensure that our decision making is accurate
and fair.
Given the complexity of the exercise we have started at a
relatively small scale to test our processes and ensure they are
effective before ramping up. At the same time we have recruited
over 250 additional staff to increase resources available for
this exercise, with more to follow over the coming months.
In addition, we are redirecting resource from other areas of PIP.
This means the administrative exercise will conclude in 2020.
Some DLA to PIP reassessments that would have taken place in
2019/2020 will move to the following year. I believe that
prioritising cases where claimants are entitled to arrears is the
correct approach.
Further information on how the administrative exercise is being
undertaken is set out in an updated Frequently Asked Questions. I
will deposit a copy of this document in the Library.
Furthermore, I would like to inform the House that the Department
implemented another Upper Tribunal decision on
17th December and will commence a review
exercise in the New Year.
This exercise regards the decision in OM which was handed down on
the 23rd November 2017. This decision refers to
DLA claimants transferring to PIP, who failed to attend or
participate in their PIP consultations, and who had their DLA
terminated as a result, but where, subsequently, DWP Decision
Makers or Tribunals have decided the claimant had a ‘good reason’
for not attending or participating. The decision states that in
these instances claimants’ DLA awards should be reinstated, until
a final decision on their PIP claim, and back paid, as necessary.
We accept that the same approach applies where claimants who
failed to provide information or evidence were later found to
have ‘good reason’ for the failure to comply.
The Department has been working at pace and taking the necessary
steps required to implement the ruling. We expect around 4,600
people to gain as a result of this review exercise, all claimants
who benefit from the Upper Tribunal decision will be notified by
the Department.
