DWP update as minister confesses extreme length of time benefit claimants wait for review
Minister for Disabled People, Health and Work, Sarah Newton, has admitted that claimants are facing 'significant delays' in having their Personal Independence Payment (PIP) claims reviewed
The admission comes after a report by the National Audit Office (NAO) found that the average waiting time for a PIP review had increased from 13 weeks in 2015 to 21 weeks in 2018. The NAO also found that the number of PIP reviews had increased by 50% over the same period.
Newton said that the DWP was 'working hard' to reduce the waiting times, but admitted that there was 'more to do'. She said that the DWP was 'committed to ensuring that people get the support they need as quickly as possible'.
The DWP has been under fire in recent months for its handling of PIP claims
In December 2018, the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) published a report which found that the DWP had 'failed to meet its own targets' for processing PIP claims. The PAC also found that the DWP had 'not done enough' to support claimants who were struggling to cope with the application process.
The DWP has since announced a number of changes to the PIP assessment process, including:
- Reducing the number of face-to-face assessments
- Introducing a new telephone assessment service
- Providing more support to claimants who are struggling to complete the application form
The changes have been welcomed by some, but campaigners say that they do not go far enough
The Disability Benefits Consortium (DBC) said that the changes were 'a step in the right direction', but added that they were 'not enough to address the fundamental problems with the PIP system'. The DBC called for the DWP to 'scrap PIP' and replace it with a new system that is 'fair and accessible'.
The DWP has said that it is 'committed to improving the PIP system'
A DWP spokesperson said that the department was 'working hard to reduce the waiting times for PIP reviews and to improve the support that we provide to claimants'. The spokesperson added that the DWP was 'committed to ensuring that people get the support they need as quickly as possible'.
