Thousands of disabled Britons have been left in limbo, waiting for months on end to have their needs assessed by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).
However, a significant shift in policy by the new administration could see these waiting times start to decrease.
Instead of undergoing a review or assessment by a healthcare professional, Jobcentre managers are set to take on a larger role in deciding Personal Independence Payment (PIP) claims.
In response to the increasing number of reviews and evaluations, DWP officials have begun recruiting case managers in large numbers to meet the demand.
Labour Minister Sir Stephen Timms confirmed the change to PIP in response to a parliamentary question, stating that assessments will be expedited with case managers making “decisions on reviews, avoiding the need for a functional assessment.”
This alteration in how disabled claimants are assessed for PIP was unveiled as the new DWP contracts for regional benefit assessments were either brought in-house, or consolidated to one private provider for each part of England to boost efficiency.
However, the DWP conceded that these providers might “take some time” to carry out the vast number of assessments now required, amid a surge in long-term disability and sickness.
Around 3.4 million individuals are currently receiving financial assistance through Personal Independence Payment (PIP), which is disbursed monthly at two different rates, a standard and an enhanced rate.
The standard rate offers £290 per month to those with eligible disabilities, while the enhanced rate provides £434 for those with more severe needs, reports the Manchester Evening News.
However, many recipients are facing extensive delays, sometimes waiting months for their assessments or reviews for the higher rate.
In a candid admission, Minister for Social Security and Disability, Timms, acknowledged the backlog in his written response: “We continue to prioritise new claims to PIP to ensure claims are put into payment as quickly as possible. Unfortunately, this means many customers are waiting longer than expected for their review to be undertaken.”
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is aiming to alleviate the bottleneck by empowering benefits case managers to make more decisions regarding PIP reviews and assessments, bypassing the need for healthcare professional oversight.
Minister Timms elaborated that case managers will exercise this judgement “where sufficient evidence/information is available,” promising that this would result in claimants getting “a decision faster” than under the current system. He also noted that most PIP assessments conducted by professionals are now performed over the phone to expedite the process.
According to the forum Benefits and Work, these alterations mean “more PIP reviews but fewer assessments” for claimants. However, they also highlighted that a DWP trial of these changes earlier this year concluded that “the system worked best if consultation with a health professional took place in every case.”
The new Labour DWP administration has also implemented changes so that claimants with severe health issues and disabilities are no longer subject to unnecessary reviews. Minister Timms stated: “We’ve introduced a change for customers with the most severe conditions, on the highest level of support, who now receive an ongoing PIP award which is only subject to a light touch review every 10 years.”
