As the DWP ramps up the number of personal independence payment reviews, Benefits and Work takes a look at the official figures for PIP review success and failure rates and discovers that they paint a very misleading picture.
According to the DWP, planned award review outcomes are:
- Award Increased 19%
- Award Maintained 51%
- Award Decreased 9%
- Award Disallowed 21%
Whilst these figures may well be accurate, they mask wide variations according to your current award level.
Benefits and Work has now published tables giving the rates for every combination of PIP award.
So, for example, whilst on average 51% of review claimants keep the same award, this drops to just 30% for claimants who are only getting the standard rate of the mobility component and rises to 67% for claimants getting the enhanced rate of both components.
On the other hand, whilst overall 9% of claimants have their award decreased on review, a much larger 19% of claimants getting enhanced daily living and standard mobility will see their award reduced, whilst only 2% of claimants getting enhanced mobility on its own will see their award fall to standard mobility.
In the same way, the percentage of claims that are ended altogether for any reason ranges from 12% for claimants getting standard daily living with enhanced mobility to 36% for claimants getting just standard mobility.
Clearly it’s not just the level of award that makes a difference, the statistics are likely to vary by condition – something that we hope to look into in the future. And a great deal will depend on whether there have been any changes in your level of need.
But what is most important is that, even if your condition is unchanged or has deteriorated, you should take the review process very seriously indeed. Check deadlines, keep copies, get proof of posting and be aware that just ticking the unchanged boxes and providing no detailed evidence or up-to-date examples is a risky strategy.
Because even claimants with the enhanced awards of both components can lose out on review: 8% fail before their assessment – presumably because the DWP decide they didn’t return their review form in time - 1% don’t show for their assessment, and 5% fail the assessment itself. So 14% in total lose their award altogether, whilst another 18% still get an award but at a lower rate.
You can look up what the success and failure figures are for your own level of award here.
