PIP will potentially mean more work for you and a possible reduction in your clients' income.
The government (Hansard source (Citation: HC Deb, 12 June 2014, c249W) has given predictions about when Personal Independence Payment(PIP) claims will peak.
2016 is likely to be the busiest year for you and your clients in terms of completing forms and attending medicals. You might also then be helping with mandatory reconsiderations or appeals.
New claims are forecast to be constant at around 380,000 per year and it is the reassessment of existing claims that are likely to boost numbers.
2015 and 2017 are also likely to be busy.
Remember that the government estimates that 1 in 4 claimants currently on DLA, that get reassessed under PIP, will not be eligible for PIP. Others may face reductions in benefit and a smaller number may be entitled to an increase. Budget savings are estimated at 20%(£2.95billion) off the DLA budget of (£12.6billion) (2011/12 figures)
| Thousand | |||||
| 2014-15 | 2015-16 | 2016-17 | 2017-18 | 2018-19 | |
| PIP new claims | 386 | 378 | 381 | 381 | 387 |
| PIP reassessed claims | 191 | 401 | 754 | 369 | 34 |
| Total PIP claims | 577 | 779 | 1135 | 750 | 421 |
| PIP new claims decisions | 600 | 373 | 379 | 387 | 380 |
| PIP reassessed claims decisions | 152 | 337 | 746 | 490 | 34 |
| Total PIP decisions | 752 | 710 | 1124 | 877 | 414 |
Notes: 1. Decisions in a year will be for claims in that year and the previous year. 2. Reassessed claims are claims from individuals currently on DLA who have been invited to apply for PIP, Source: Budget 14 forecasts
Click here for our updated Personal Independence Payments Course towards the end of the year.
A good overview course of the benefits system, including PIP, takes places throughout the UK in the Autumn- Click here for our updated Introduction to Welfare Benefits 2014 course.