People who made a claim for Personal Independence Payment after 21 August 2020 might be able to get more than £5000 back pay.
The Department of Work and Pensions is looking into claims made by deaf or hearing impaired people before that date - and you might be able to get the money even if your claim was turned down at the time .
The DWP review relates to whether people who are deaf or hearing impaired are considered to be able to wash or bathe safely, as part of the PIP assessment. If a claimant is not able to hear a standard fire alarm while washing or bathing, the DWP will now consider whether a visual alarmis needed. They will also look at whether supervision would be necessary.
Read more: Rule change sees DWP fast track claims
New guidance on the Gov.uk website confirms the DWP will be reviewing claims made on or after August 21, 2020, including those where PIP was not awarded at all, reports the Daily Record.
In a statement, the DWP said it was not planning to ask for any further evidence or assessment as part of this review, and it will write to people affected. The statement also confirmed that any new award will usually be backdated.
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 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.
However, the DWP will not look again at your claim if you were awarded the enhanced rate of the daily living part of PIP continuously since August 21, 2020, a tribunal has made a decision on your claim since August 21, 2020 or 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.
PIP is designed to help those who have an illness, disability or mental health condition. It 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. The decision to award you this benefit is based on how your condition affects your life, rather than the illness itself.
PIP isn’t means-tested so it doesn’t matter how much you’re earning, or how much you have in savings. If you qualify for PIP, you could currently get between £23.70 and £152.15 per week, although this is rising by 3.1% to £24.45 and £156.90 on April 11.
