There has been a significant fall in the award rates for new PIP claims in the last two months for which figures are available, according to the latest DWP statistics. DLA to PIP reassessments award rates have also fallen over the last two years.
The award rate for new claims quoted by the DWP in its PIP statistics is 45%. However, this is the total award rate for April 2013 to April 2018 and excludes withdrawn claims. If withdrawn claims are included, then the award rate is 43%.
The monthly breakdown, on the other hand, shows that award rates including withdrawn claims for 2018, were:
- Jan 2018 42%
- Feb 2018 43%
- Mar 2018 37%
- Apr 2018 36%
There are sometimes fluctuations in award rates.
But the figures are nevertheless concerning because apart from in April 2017, when the rate plummeted to 32%, you would have to go back to January 2016 to find an award rate as low as 37%.
Meanwhile, DLA to PIP reassessment award rates are showing a longer term fall.
The DWP are claiming an award rate of 72%. Again, this is the figure for the whole period from 2013 to 2018.
The overall award rate for the 12 months to April 2017 was 73%.
For the 12 months to April 2018 the rate falls to 69%.
The fall may be explained by the changes to PIP regulations introduced in January 2017 which have now largely been overturned by the courts, though the DWP is continuing to follow them whilst allegedly still creating new guidance for staff.
The success rates for mandatory reconsiderations (MRs) remain very low.
By the end of April 2018, 410,100 MRs had been registered for new claims and 370,800 for reassessed DLA claims.
The success rate for new claim reconsiderations was just 17%. For DLA to PIP reassessments the success rate was slightly higher at 23%.
