Personal Independence Payment (PIP) is a payment administered by the DWP which is designed to help those with the financial difficulties that arise from having a long-term health condition or illness. Those who claim this support have a responsibility to report any changes in their life to the Government department. Failure to do so could see PIP claimants lose some of the money they receive and, sometimes, all of it.
How much is PIP?
PIP is split into two different parts: a daily living component and mobility component which are awarded to help people with cost of living and travelling expenses, respectively.
These components are handed out to claimants at a higher or lower rate, with the amount of money someone gets being dependent on the severity of the claimant’s condition.
When it comes to the benefit payment’s daily living component, the lower weekly rate is £61.85 and the higher rate is £92.40 a week.
In comparison, the mobility component is paid weekly at £24.45 for the lower rate and £64.50 a week for the higher rate.
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A claimant who is receiving both higher rates of the daily living and mobility components would get £156.90.
This would come to just under £628 for the month which would significantly benefit someone with a severe health condition or illness.
The majority of benefit payments, including PIP, are due for an annual rate hike in early April 2023.
Under the Government’s proposal, payments will rise by 10.1 percent which is in line with the triple lock and Consumer Price Index (CPI) rate of inflation for September 2022.
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Once this rate rise is implemented, PIP’s daily living component will see its higher and lower rates rise to £101.75 and £68.10 a week, respectively.
For the benefit payment’s mobility component, the payment will increase to £71.05 a week for the higher rate and £26.95 weekly for the lower rate.
Despite this financial support, people could lose their PIP claim if they do not report circumstance changes to the DWP.
Examples of a serious life change include someone’s health condition getting better or worse, or someone moving house or abroad.
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It should be noted that when someone is honest about ongoing changes in their life, the DWP may decide to take money away from their payment.
This is because the Government department believes a claimant’s situation has improved and they need less financial support as a result.
However, it is not the case that every circumstance change will lead to someone seeing their rate of PIP decrease.
In some situations, the amount of money someone gets from PIP could rise even if they experience a significant life change.
On its website, Carers UK highlights what may happen if claimants honestly report their circumstances to the Government department.
The charity stated: “You need to tell the DWP as soon as possible if your condition or circumstances change, because this could affect your entitlement to PIP.
“If you’re paid the lower rate of PIP for either part and the help you need increases, you can contact the DWP, or Disability and Carers Service in Northern Ireland, and ask for your case to be looked at again.
“Be aware there is always a risk that your benefit could be decreased rather than increased, so it’s a good idea to get help from a local advice agency first.”
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