The PIP guidance now reflects a recent legal decision
on the interpretation of people’s needs for supervision in order to
carry out activities safely.
This change will lead to approximately 10,000 claimants receiving
an extra £70 to £90 a week by 2022/2023.
Minister for Disabled People, Health and Work, , said:
Personal Independence Payment (PIP) contributes to the
additional costs which disabled people face and provides
greater opportunities for them to lead full, active and
independent lives. Twenty nine per cent of people
on PIP receive the
highest level of support, compared to 15 per cent under
Disability Living Allowance.
We regularly review the guidance that case managers use to make
decisions about someone’s eligibility for PIP. These updates will
help us continue to ensure people with the highest costs
associated with their disability or health condition are
receiving the most support.
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) will be going
through all existing cases to identify anyone who may be entitled
to a higher rate of PIPas a result of the
judgment, which was handed down on 9 March 2017. Anyone who is
affected will be contacted by DWP, and their payments
will be backdated to the judgment.
In addition, a number of affected individuals will benefit from
the following:
- clarifications to the assessment criteria for activities 7
(communicating verbally) and 9 (engaging with people face to
face) under the daily living component of PIP so that claimants
can score points for both activities
- changes to the criteria for activity 1 under the mobility
component of PIP to reflect the
challenges that may be faced by people with sensory difficulties
if they experience disruptions to a journey
The Minister for Disabled People, Health and Work has made
a written ministerial
statement on the PIP changes.
