PIP, or Personal Independence Payment, is a state benefit designed to help with the costs associated with long-term ill health. To be eligible, a person must be aged between 16 and state pension age.
When a claim is put through, a five step process will then be followed:
- Claimants will be sent a “How your disability affects you” form
- The claimant will then be required to fill out the form using notes that came with them to help
- The form will need to be returned to DWP and claimants will have 28 days to do this. DWP will then start processing the claim when they receive the form.
- If more information is needed an independent health professional will send the claimant a letter to invite them to an assessment over the phone. They’ll be asked questions about their ability to carry out activities and how their condition affects their daily life
- Finally, the claimant will receive a letter telling them whether they’ll get PIP or not. If it is awarded, claimants will be told how much they’ll get, when they’ll be paid and the date their PIP will be reviewed to they can continue to get the correct levels of support
During this process, if a claimant is unhappy with a decision made, they can have it challenged under mandatory reconsideration rules.
This will force the Government to look at their decision again and claimants can ask for reconsideration by phone, letter or online form.
The Government urges benefit claimants of all kinds to speak with the office managing their claims before asking for a reconsideration and claimants can also request an explanation in writing.
Where a mandatory reconsideration request is made claimants will need to give the date of the original decision and their personal details such as addresses and National Insurance numbers.
Claimants will need to explain what part of the decision they think is wrong and why.
Evidence can be sent to support the claim and this can include medical evidence, reports on care plans from specialists or further bank statements.
When the request is put through the benefits office involved will start the process and eventually provide claimants with a mandatory reconsideration notice, telling them whether they’ve changed the decision.
Should a claimant still be unhappy with the Government’s actions, they can appeal to the Social Security and Child Support Tribunal if they think the decision in the mandatory reconsideration notice is wrong.
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