BRITS claiming benefits could be owed thousands of pounds after an error calculating payments.
One man was awarded £12,000 after contacting the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) to recalculate his PIP payments.
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Personal Independence Payments (PIP) is for those with a long-term health condition and be claimed by those working or not.
There is a mobility component which can increase the amount of money you get, if eligible.
In 2017, a court ruling found that assessments for this element discriminated against people with mental health conditions.
People with certain issues should have been given more points when they were being assessed for PIP.
The DWP has been reviewing previous PIP claimants to see if they should have been awarded more money.
What is PIP?
PERSONAL Independence Payment – known as PIP – is a tax-free benefit available to those aged 16 to 64 whether in work or not with a long-term illness or disability.
It’s available in England, Scotland, and Wales, but tthe rules are different in Northern Ireland.
There are two elements of PIP – a weekly daily living rate worth either £60 or £89.60, and a weekly mobility rate worth £23.70 or £62.55 – how much you get depends on the severity of your condition.
When you first claim you’ll be assessed by a health professional to work out the level of help you can get. This is then regularly reviewed with follow-up assessments.
So far the government has made 6,600 payments totalling £32million.
But the DWP reckon as many as 164,000 are likely to be affected, and that the judgement would cost £3.7billion by 2022.
The department is working its way through the review and contacting claimants if finds are owed backdated payments.
But anyone who thinks they are entitled to the cash can contact them directly and ask them to look into their PIP payments.
The court decision affects PIP claims that were decided between 27 November 2016 and 28 June 2018, Citizens Advice say.
Claims for PIP made after this date take into account the court ruling and those with mental health conditions are fairly treated.
It says that you can ask the DWP to look again if you:
- have a mental health condition that makes going outside difficult
- didn’t get the mobility component of PIP or you got the standard rate of the mobility component
According to Benefits at Work, there are around 20 conditions which successful claimants have suffered from.
- Agoraphobia
- Alcohol misuse
- Anxiety and depressive disorders (mixed)
- Anxiety disorders
- Autism
- Bipolar affective disorder (Hypomania / Mania)
- Cognitive disorders
- Dementia
- Depressive disorder
- Drug misuse
- Learning disability
- Mood disorders
- Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD
- Panic disorder
- Personality disorder
- Phobias
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- Psychotic disorders
- Schizoaffective disorder
- Schizophrenia
- Stress reaction disorders
The organisation which helps people claim benefits, said that if a condition is not listed, it doesn’t mean a claim for backpay wouldn’t be successful, or that if it is listed, that a claim would automatically entitle you to backpay.
How to claim PIP backpay
If you think you’re affected and should be owed backpay for PIP you should look at the original decision letter you received.
The decision must have been made between 27 November 2016 and 28 June 2018.
What to do if you have problems claiming Universal Credit
IF you’re experiencing trouble applying for your Universal Credit, or the payments just don’t cover costs, here are your options:
- Apply for an advance – Claimants are able to get some cash within five days rather than waiting weeks for their first payment. But it’s a loan which means the repayments will be automatically deducted from your future Universal Credit payout.
- Alternative Payment Arrangements – If you’re falling behind on rent, you or your landlord may be able to apply for an APA which will get your payment sent directly to your landlord. You might also be able to change your payments to get them more frequently, or you can split the payments if you’re part of a couple.
- Budgeting Advance – You may be able to get help from the Government for emergency household costs of up to £348 if you’re single, £464 if you’re part of a couple or £812 if you have children. These are only in cases like your cooker breaking down or for help getting a job. You’ll have to repay the advance through your regular Universal Credit payments. You’ll still have to repay the loan, even if you stop claiming for Universal Credit.
- Cut your Council Tax – You might be able to get a discount on your Council Tax by applying for a Council Tax Reduction. Alternatively, you might be entitled to Discretionary Housing Payments to help cover your rent.
- Foodbanks – If you’re really hard up and struggling to buy food and toiletries, you can find your local foodbank who will provide you with help for free. You can find your nearest one on the Trussell Trust website.
Contact the benefits office that is listed on the decision letter and tell them you think the new rules for calculating PIP (introduced after the court ruling) should have given you the higher mobility element.
Tell them you want them to review your PIP decision.
You’ll need your National Insurance number, address and contact details.
You can contact the PIP enquiry line to get hold of your decision letter if you don’t have it, on 0800 121 4433.
The DWP will review your claim and will contact you by letter if you are entitled to money back and tell you how much.
The payments will be backdated to the date of your claim, or when the mobility claimant rules first changed (November 2016), whichever is later.
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