Personal Independence Payment (PIP) claimants must report certain changes or risk losing their monthly payments, the DWP has warned.
The benefit is targeted to help people who need extra help with daily tasks due to long-term illness, disabilities, or physical or mental health conditions.
Eligible claimants can receive up to around £798 a month at PIP’s highest rate, however, Britons must remain on top of their applications to avoid facing a penalty.
A statement on the DWP website reads: “[PIP claimants] could be taken to court or have to pay a penalty if you give wrong information or do not report a change in your circumstances.”
The DWP then lists several important changes in circumstance a person must report, as these changes could affect their eligibility for the benefit.
What changes in circumstance have to be reported for PIP?
Those claiming or applying for PIP must report the following changes to the DWP:
- Personal details, for example, name, address or doctor
- someone is acting on your behalf and that person changes
- If more or less help is needed with daily living and mobility tasks
- If a health professional tells you your condition will last for a longer or shorter time than you reported before
- If a medical professional has said you might have 12 months or less to live (you could get PIP at a higher rate under ‘special rules for end of life’)
- You go into a hospital, a hospice, a nursing home or a care home
- You go into a residential school or college
- You go into foster care or into the care of a local authority or health and social care trust
- You’re imprisoned or held in detention
- You plan to go abroad for more than four weeks
- Your immigration status changes and you’re not a British or Irish citizen
- You start or stop getting pensions or benefits from an EU country, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein
- Your husband, wife, civil partner or a parent you depend on starts or stops getting benefits from an EU country, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein.
These changes can affect the rate of a person’s PIP award. Depending on the change, their PIP could go up, go down, stay the same or stop.
If a person doesn’t report a change or a mistake, they might be paid too much and may have to pay some of the money back.
To report a change in circumstance, claimants are advised to contact the PIP enquiry line on 0800 121 4433.
There are options available for those who need extra help, such as having someone be added to the call, or people can ask a trusted person to speak on their behalf.