Following a review by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), thousands of people who claim Personal Independence Payments (PIP) or who were denied the benefit entirely could be entitled to backpay. The DWP is looking into past claims made by deaf or hearing impaired people following a decision by the Upper Tribunal, according to The Mirror.
As part of the PIP assessment, it relates to whether people who are deaf or hearing impaired are considered to be able to wash or bathe safely. If a claimant is not able to hear a standard fire alarm while washing or bathing, although the risk from a fire is low, the DWP will now consider whether a visual alarm – such as an aid or appliance – is needed.
They will also examine whether supervision would be a requirement if a visual alarm would be inappropriate. New guidance on the Gov.uk website confirms the DWP will be reviewing claims made on or after August 21 2020. This includes those where PIP was not awarded at all, according to the Daily Record.
In a statement on Gov.uk, the DWP said: “We are now looking at PIP claims from deaf or hearing impaired people who may be affected by this change. This includes reviewing some claims we decided on or after 21 August 2020, including ones where we did not award PIP.
“We are not planning to ask you to provide any further evidence or invite you for an assessment as part of this review. We will be looking at information we already have about your hearing impairment from your PIP claim.”
The DWP said it will write to you, if your claim needs to be reviewed. It did not say how long this process could take. “If we decide that you should get more PIP, then your award will usually be backdated to 21 August 2020,” it continued. "If you claimed PIP after 21 August 2020, it will usually be backdated to the date you started getting PIP.”
The DWP will not look again at your claim if:
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You were awarded the enhanced rate of the daily living part of PIP continuously since August 21 2020
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A tribunal has made a decision on your claim since August 21 2020
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It decided not to award you PIP before August 21 2020
You should consider applying for PIP again if you think you may now be eligible but were turned down before. The change to PIP law will apply to all new claims and has been applied to all PIP decisions since May 17 2021.
How much you could receive in backdated payments
The DWP told The Mirror that this review will only impact that Daily Living component part of PIP – not the Mobility component. Claimants can only move from no award to standard payments, or standard to enhanced payments, the DWP said.
Someone going from no PIP on August 21 2020, to receiving the Daily Living standard award today (April 5) could potentially be owed backpay of around £5,064. Or someone going from standard to an enhanced rate for the same timeframe would potentially get £2,498.
This figure was worked out using the Benefits and Work PIP Payment Calculator but it depends on your circumstances and when the DWP decide you should be awarded backpay. PIP payments will rise by 3.1 per cent on April 11, in line with other benefits including Universal Credit.
What is PIP and how much is it worth?
PIP is designed to help those who have an illness, disability or mental health condition. The decision to award you this benefit is based on how your condition affects your life, rather than the illness itself.
For example, you may be entitled to the extra support if your condition means you struggle with moving around. PIP isn’t means-tested, so it doesn’t matter how much you’re earning or how much you have in savings.
Applicants are instead assessed by a health professional to work out what you could be entitled to, and your benefit will be regularly reviewed. Those who can claim PIP must be aged between 16 and the state pension age.
You also need to have lived in England, Scotland or Wales for at least two of the previous three years. If you qualify for PIP, you could currently get between £23.70 and £152.15 per week – over four weeks, this would be £94.80, or a maximum of £608.60. The rates are rising though from April 11 – see below.
PIP is made up of two components – a daily living rate and a mobility rate – and you can be entitled to both or just one of these. You will be paid the following amounts per week depending on your circumstances:
Daily living
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Standard rate: £60.00 (rising to £61.85 from April 11)
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Enhanced rate: £89.60 (rising to £92.40 from April 11)
Mobility
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Standard rate: £23.70 (rising to £24.45 from April 11)
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Enhanced rate: £62.55 (rising to £64.50 from April 11)
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