Brits on the Personal Independence Payment (PIP) have been warned by an advocacy forum that a newly introduced review form may be ‘designed’ to trigger a loss of benefits or a reduction in payments.
Introduced by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) back in November with the objective of creating a simpler, more concise process than its previous version, the form is now under scrutiny from critics. They have warned disability benefit claimants that the form seems “designed to encourage claimants to give as little evidence as possible and thus risk losing or reducing their award.”
Claimants are required to fill out the PIP Award Review form when their benefit period is up for assessment. They need to detail how their disability affects their daily life and the continuation of their financial support hinges on these responses.
READ MORE: Brits applying for PIP benefit worth up to £737 can use handy tool to make claim
Moving from a hefty 38 pages to a more manageable 25, DWP officials aimed to streamline the PIP review process. Nevertheless, changes to the questions could present pitfalls for the unwary.
While the PIP review form has been made simpler, the questions could catch claimants out
(Image: Getty)
Rather than focusing on how individuals cope with their condition compared to before, the form’s queries are strikingly similar to the original PIP claim document. As a result, Benefits and Work, a benefits and employment advocacy forum, is strongly advising claimants to include extensive details in their responses to prevent the discontinuation of their benefits.
People are being prodded to supply full detail on a new, less spacious form for benefit claims, despite reduced space hampering comprehensive responses.
The revised paperwork for claim adjustments shrinks the input area compared to the generous A4 page provided in original applications, potentially complicating the claimants’ efforts to fully explain their circumstances. The forum highlighted the struggle, noting: “Many readers have had to go to tribunal to get their award reinstated after losing it on review.”
After introducing the condensed form, DWP stats indicate a worrying uptick in PIP awards being diminished or stopped – 19% completely lose PIP at assessment, with another 7% experiencing reduced benefits.
Benefit and Work advises: “Our advice is never to be restricted by the boxes on a PIP review form, but instead, use as many additional sheets as is necessary to give detailed evidence about your needs.”