Benefits and Work is hearing from numerous members who have received a letter from the DWP telling them that their PIP award has been extended, usually by nine months.
The letter reads:
‘We suspended Personal Independence Payment (PIP) Award Reviews because of the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.
We have now begun reviewing PIP awards again and we may look at some awards later than we originally planned. To make sure that you still receive your payments we have extended your award until . . .”
The letter then gives a new end date for the award, typically 9 months after it was originally due to end.
The letter goes on to say that the claimant does not need to contact the DWP and that the DWP will contact them before the new end date, to review their award.
We have heard from members whose award was due to end as far off as 2029 but who have now been told it has been extended into 2030.
The letters appear to be the ones that Justin Tomlinson referred to earlier this month, when he admitted that over half of the 1.6 million claimants who are having their PIP awards extended had still not been informed.
