The DWP has today issued an updated timetable bringing forward the date when claimants with an ‘indefinite’ or ‘lifetime’ award of disability living allowance (DLA) will have to claim personal independence payment (PIP). Claimants will now start being assessed for PIP from 13 July 2015, instead of from October.{jcomments on}
The decision is a deliberate snub to campaigners and to the courts after delays in processing PIP claims were found to be unlawful just last month.
Although the DWP argued at the time that they had greatly improved the speed with which claims were being dealt with, there are still many thousands of PIP claimants waiting for an assessment.
The first postcodes where DLA claimants with an indefinite award will start to be transferred are:
BB; BL; DE; LE; M; OL; PR; ST; WA and WN.
These postcodes cover parts of the following areas:
Blackburn, Bolton and Bury, Derby, Leicester, Manchester, Oldham, Preston, Stoke-on-Tent, Warrington, Wigan.
Atos carry out assessments in postcode areas:
BB; BL; M; OL; PR; WA and WN.
Capita carry out assessments in postcode areas:
DE; LE; ST.