The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) recently published new proposals to help more disabled people and those with health conditions to start, stay and succeed in work. The Health and Disability White Paper was published in March and sets out ways the UK Government plans to transform the entire Personal Independence Payment (PIP) service.
Improvements in the report include details on finding out about “benefits through to decisions, eligibility and payments, delivering a new, more user-friendly service built around people’s needs”. Minister for Disabled People, Tom Pursglove MP, recently explained that the proposals also include introducing the option to apply for PIP online.
In a written response to shadow work and pensions minister, Vicky Foxcroft MP, he said: “The programme is developing the new digital PIP service carefully and incrementally, designing it around the needs of claimants.”
The DWP Minister continued: "We have begun offering the new online apply service to a small number of claimants, initially, as we introduce this service gradually and carefully. We have already introduced a digital version of the PIP2 health questionnaire, which is now offered to the majority of those making a claim.
“The programme is planning to fully evaluate the new services it is developing, using a range of methods. Our approach to evaluating the services will change and evolve as they are developed.”
He continued: “Overall, the programme is taking a long-term, phased approach, that will move us away from the current ways we are operating, gradually and carefully. The programme is currently focused on building the foundations and creating the environment to enable us to begin to transform these services for the future.”
Mr Pursglove also recently confirmed that a small-scale test of the new online apply service for PIP is underway as a limited service, initially offering it to a small number of claimants who call the phone line to begin their claim for PIP.
He said: “Currently, we are offering the service to 60 claimants a day. Call agents offer the voluntary option to claim online to claimants within scope of the current service until the daily limit is met.”
The following groups will be incrementally included as we grow the scope of the service:
- anyone applying in an official capacity, such as appointees
- anyone with a Welsh or Northern Ireland postcode
- anyone applying for special rules
- anyone with a previous or existing PIP or DLA [Disability Living Allowance] claim
- those without a National Insurance number or with a GY or JY postcode
The latest figures from the DWP show that at the end of January 2023, the number of people claiming PIP had risen to more than 3.25million, including 319,336 living in Scotland. However, that figure does not include the 23,660 Scots now in receipt of Adult Disability Payment (ADP).
ADP replaced new claims for PIP in Scotland last August and all existing cases are set to transfer from DWP to the devolved Social Security Scotland IT system by the end of 2025. Of the 23,600 people now on ADP, 11,650 people were new applicants and 12,010 were existing PIP transfers.
Processing times for ADP is now at an average of 79 working days, some 16 weeks, but during a debate in Parliament last month, Mr Pursglove announced that the PIP processing time has come down from 16 weeks to 14 weeks, on average.
PIP processing times peaked at 26 weeks in August 2021.
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