The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has updated online guidance for people making a new claim for Personal Independence Payment (PIP) or existing claimants coming to the end of their award due a review. It’s important for 126,290 people in Scotland on PIP due to move to Adult Disability Payment (ADP) before the end of next year to be aware that they will not get a review from the DWP.
Their award and payments will automatically continue until they move to the Social Security Scotland benefits system. However, the newly updated PIP Handbook could help people in England and Wales understand the assessment process and the recent change in health professional providers conducting assessments on behalf of the DWP.
The latest figures from the DWP show that at the end of July, more than 3.6 million adults across Great Britain are in receipt of PIP, which is worth between £28.70 and £184.30 each week. As the benefit is paid every four weeks, this amounts to between £114.80 and £737.20 every payment period.
The PIP Handbook on GOV.UK explains: “Sometimes we can make a decision by using just the written information a claimant sends us, but some people will be asked to attend a face-to-face consultation with a health professional.
“The face-to-face consultation will be conducted by a health professional who considers the evidence provided by the claimant, along with any further evidence they think is needed.”
The guidance adds that the assessment looks at people as “individuals” and focuses on the impact their condition has on their daily lives and over a range of different activities.
The health professional will complete the assessment and send a report back to the DWP where a decision maker will use all of this information gathered to make a decision on entitlement to PIP.
The DWP makes it clear that “the health professional will not make a decision on entitlement to PIP”.
Face-to-Face Consultations
New and existing claimants may be unaware that face-to-face consultations may take place at a designated assessment centre or in the claimant’s own home.
The DWP also encourages claimants to take someone along to the consultation to support them if they would find this useful.
DWP explains: “The person can participate in the discussion. The person chosen is at the discretion of the claimant and might be, but is not limited to, a parent, family member, friend, carer or advocate.”
The assessment provider may also decide that the claimant would benefit from a home visit rather than a consultation at a medical centre if they require multiple people to assist them to attend the face-to-face consultation.
Home consultations may take place:
- at the claimant’s request, if supported by an appropriate health condition or disability, as determined by the assessor, or
- if the claimant voluntarily provides confirmation through their health professional that the claimant is unable to travel on health grounds (note that this is not a mandatory requirement), or
- at the assessment provider’s discretion for a business reason
The PIP Consultation
At the consultation, the health professional will ask questions about the claimant’s circumstances, their health condition or disability and how this affects their daily life.
The health professional may also carry out a short physical examination, but DWP explains that “claimants will not be forced to do anything that causes them pain, embarrassment or discomfort”.
It adds: “The assessment providers will ensure that the health professionals have the right skills and experience to assess any claimant referred to them. We believe that in most cases all health professionals should be able to assess the individual, even if they are not a specialist in their condition.”
PIP claimants may also be unaware that there is no time limit for face-to-face consultations. The guidance states: “Consultations will be as long as necessary to reach the evidence-based conclusions on individual cases.”
The Assessment Providers
Following a change last month, the PIP assessment process will be managed by four assessment providers. The DWP is also developing a new service, and in some areas health assessments will be delivered directly by the Department.
The health assessment providers are:
- Maximus for Scotland and Northern England
- Capita for Midlands, Wales and Northern Ireland
- Serco for South West and South Central
- Ingeus for South East, London and East Anglia
- DWP for some parts of the Midlands and London
The DWP has also published a full list of providers by postcode area to enable claimants to check who their health assessment provider is and how to contact them.
The contract change between providers who conduct assessments on behalf of the DWP does not affect the constitution itself, just the delivery.
You can read the PIP Handbook online at GOV.UK here.