Close to three million people in the UK are currently claiming financial support through Personal Independence Payments (PIP) as a result of mental health issues, long-term illness or disability. However, many others are putting off claiming for the benefit, wrongly assuming that they are ineligible to receive support.
PIP is a benefit which is delivered by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), with 2.9 million people in the UK currently able to access a whole range of additional assistance including Council Tax Reductions, benefit top-ups and free or discounted public transport. Of that total figure, 305,279 people living in Scotland are receiving financial support of between £24.45 and £156.90 each week.
The benefit is paid every four weeks so this amounts to between £97.80 and £627.60 every payment period. Below are a list of 11 often mistaken myths that stop people applying for PIP.
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Myth 1: PIP will not be paid to people who are working
Fact: PIP can be claimed by people who are in or out of full or part-time work. You also do not need to have paid National Insurance contributions to qualify, as seen in The Daily Record.
Myth 2: Working will affect the amount of PIP you receive or stop payments completely
Fact: PIP is not means-tested or taxable and is not affected by income gained from employment.
Myth 3: People with savings cannot claim PIP
Fact: PIP is not affected by savings, however large or small.
Myth 4: The eligibility criteria for PIP is the same as Disability Living Allowance
Fact: PIP has different eligibility criteria and is not based on the health condition or disability someone has.
Claims are assessed based on how that condition or disability affects someone’s ability to safely carry out day-to-day living tasks such as cooking, washing and communicating or moving around outside their home.
Myth 5: Everyone who receives DLA will automatically be eligible for PIP
Fact: There is no automatic transfer from DLA to PIP - people aged over 16 and under State Pension age will receive a letter inviting them to apply.
Myth 6: PIP is only for people with physical disabilities
Fact: This is wrongly assumed by many people, but the most common reason for a claim is for support with a ‘hidden’ disability.
There are hundreds of thousands of people across the UK receiving PIP to help them cope with a mental health condition, including stress, anxiety and depression.
The assessment criteria for PIP reflects a more complete consideration of the impact of individuals’ health conditions or impairments whether it’s physical, sensory, mental or cognitive.
Myth 7: PIP claims will not be considered for three months
Fact: If you want to claim PIP for the first time there is a three month qualifying period (this is the period during which you have had a health condition or disability) and the needs arising from your condition or disability must be expected to last for a further nine months.
The qualifying period starts from when your eligible needs arise and not from when you make a claim.
Myth 8: PIP claims take months to process
Fact: The ongoing impact of the coronavirus pandemic has meant that a new PIP claim can take up to 22 weeks from the point of initially contacting the DWP to register a new claim until an award letter is received.
Myth 9: There will be a break in payments between moving from DLA to PIP
Fact: There are no breaks in payment and the award letter will explain what payments you will receive and when.
Myth 10: You cannot send additional information with the ‘How your disability affects you’ application form
Fact: The ‘ How your disability affects you ’ form gives you the opportunity to tell the DWP how your disability affects your daily life, both on good and bad days and over a range of activities.
You should return the form with supporting evidence already held on file.
Examples of evidence that is important for you to provide includes:
- prescription lists
- care plans or diary of daily care needs
- GP or outpatient clinic letters
- medical test results
- hospital discharge letters
- statement of special educational needs
certificate of visual impairment
reports or information from professionals such as a GP, hospital doctor, specialist nurse, occupational therapist, physiotherapist, social worker, support worker or counsellor
The supporting evidence you send should be relevant to your condition and not be more than two years old - always send photocopies, never originals.
Myth 11: If you disagree with the DWP decision you cannot present any further evidence
Fact: You can discuss the reasons for the decision with the DWP Decision Maker and identify whether you have any further information that hasn’t been considered.
If you disagree with the decision you can ask the DWP Decision Maker to look at it again, this is known as a Mandatory Reconsideration.
