PIP claimants urged to contact DWP over important date for extra pay | Personal Finance | Finance

People who were claiming Personal Independence Payments (PIP) before June 28, 2018, may be owed extra pay from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). PIP is paid to more than 3.6 million people in the UK who have a long-term physical or mental health condition that makes carrying out everyday tasks, or getting around, difficult.

The benefit has two different elements – a daily living component (if you need help with everyday tasks) and a mobility component (if you need help getting around), so the amount you get paid per month is dependent on which part you qualify for.

You might qualify for the daily living part of PIP if you need help with tasks such as cooking, washing, dressing, eating, or using the toilet, while the mobility part may be awarded if you need help physically moving around and leaving your home.

If you have a mental health condition that makes it difficult to plan or make a journey, and you were claiming PIP before June 28, 2018, then the DWP may not have given you enough in PIP payments, or may have refused to give you PIP when it should have.

Citizens Advice says this is because in 2016 a court decided the DWP had been making PIP decisions in the wrong way, which means some people could be entitled to backdated pay.

Citizens Advice explains: “The DWP should have contacted you already if they think you should have got more PIP. If you think you might be affected and the DWP haven’t contacted you, ask them to look at your claim again. You might be affected if all of the following apply:

• you have a mental health condition that makes going outside difficult
• your PIP claim was decided after 27 November 2016 but before 28 June 2018 – you can check the date on your decision letter
• you didn’t get the mobility component of PIP or you got the standard rate of the mobility component

“If your PIP decision was made before 28 November 2016: If you didn’t get the mobility component or you got a lower rate than you expected, you might be able to get your claim backdated to before 28 November.”

Citizens Advice says PIP claimants should write to the benefit office listed on their original PIP decision letter and tell them you think you should have got the higher mobility component, and would like your PIP decision looked at again.

You will need your National Insurance number, address and contact details, and if you don’t have your original PIP decision letter, you can call the PIP enquiry line on 0800 121 4433 to find out where to send your letter.

Citizens Advice adds: “If you’re already getting PIP when you ask for a review, the DWP will look at your entire PIP claim again – this includes the care and mobility components. This means you might get less money overall than you were getting.

“If you aren’t getting any PIP you should make a new claim if you think you might now qualify for the mobility component – you don’t need to wait until your old claim has been reviewed. If you make a new claim you could get extra money sooner and they might backdate the payment.”

You won’t be required to do another face-to-face assessment as the DWP will review your claim using the information from when you first applied, and if more details are needed either you or your doctor may be contacted.

Following the review, the DWP will send with its decision including how much more money you’ll get if you’re entitled. Your payment will then be backdated to the date of your claim or when the mobility component rules were first changed (November 28, 2016) – whichever is later.