The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is unable to trace around 2,400 people on Personal Independence Payment (PIP) who may be due back payments following a major review of historical benefit decisions.
The figures were published as the Department announced the completion of a long-running exercise linked to the MM Supreme Court judgment, which changed the way some PIP claims should be assessed.
Review findings
In a written statement to Parliament, Social Security and Disability Minister Sir Stephen Timms said DWP had reviewed 350,000 cases and made 48,000 arrears payments worth a total of £270 million - worth around £5,625 per claimant.
Sir Stephen said: "DWP reviewed 350,000 cases and made 48,000 payments in arrears, totalling £270million."
The review followed a Supreme Court judgment handed down in July 2019 concerning how "social support" should be considered when assessing a claimant's ability to engage with other people face to face. The ruling affected Daily Living Activity 9 of the PIP assessment and led to changes in DWP guidance for new claims from September 2020.
Outstanding payments
A separate statistical report published by DWP shows that around 47,000 claimants received payments worth approximately £266million under the main part of the review exercise. However, the Department also revealed that around 2,400 additional claimants have been identified as benefiting from the exercise but have not yet received money owed to them.
According to the report, DWP has been unable to identify a payee, representative or make contact with those individuals. The report states: "Around 2,400 further claimants have been identified as benefitting from the exercise and are due a back payment following a review of their claim. However, the department has not been able to identify a payee to receive the payment and is unable to identify a representative or make contact."
The Department also examined a second group of claimants who may have been affected by another aspect of the judgment. Around 275,000 people were sent letters inviting them to contact DWP if they believed their claim had been affected. Of those, around 4,800 requested a review and around 220 received additional payments worth approximately £1.3m.
Other reviews and next steps
Sir Stephen also provided an update on a separate review linked to the LB Upper Tribunal decision, which changed how time spent managing therapy, medication and monitoring health conditions should be assessed for PIP purposes. That exercise reviewed around 44,000 cases and resulted in fewer than 100 arrears payments worth £188,000.
The minister stressed that no claimant should have lost money because of either review. He said: "All reviews have been carried out by a case manager within the Department and no one should have seen their PIP reduced because of these exercises."
Although both review exercises have now formally ended, Sir Stephen confirmed that people who believe they may have been affected can still ask DWP to review their case. He told Parliament: "Although DWP has completed both exercises, claimants can still ask the Department to conduct a review of their case if they think they are affected."
PIP helps more than 4m people in England and Wales with the extra costs associated with a long-term health condition or disability. In Scotland, it has been replaced by Adult Disability Payment for new and transferred claimants, however, people north of the border may also be entitled to back payments if they think they may have been affected by the ruling.
Anyone who believes a past PIP decision may have been affected by either the MM judgment or the LB tribunal decision can contact DWP and request a review of their claim. You can contact the PIP enquiry line on 0800 121 4433, between 9am and 5pm from Monday to Friday. Full contact details on GOV.UK.
