The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has confirmed the exact groups who will qualify for the 'light-touch' ten-year Personal Independence Payment (PIP) reviews.
PIP is a disability benefit intended to help with everyday tasks and extra living costs if someone has a long-term physical or mental health condition or disability. The latest official figures earlier this year showed the number of people in England and Wales claiming the main disability benefit passed four million for the first time – roughly doubling since 2019.
Award periods and light-touch reviews
Award periods for PIP differ and can range from a minimum of nine months to ongoing awards with a 'light touch' review after ten years. The latest PIP Handbook states that decision makers will determine a PIP award based on how a claimant's health condition or disability affects their everyday life and capacity for independent living. It notes: "The length of award will be based upon each claimant's individual circumstances."
DWP guidance indicates most claimants will undergo regular award reviews, "regardless of the length of the award", to ensure "everyone continues to receive the most appropriate level of support". Certain claimants will receive a limited term award for a set period of up to two years - the DWP confirms these awards won't be subject to review. Limited awards without a review date are allocated when the claimant's health condition could reasonably be anticipated to improve.
Who qualifies for a light touch review
A PIP light touch review is a simplified ten-year check exclusively for people with stable, long-term health conditions or those who have reached the State Pension age of 66. The DWP assigns light touch reviews based on specific criteria:
- Claimants of State Pension age
- Claimants with stable conditions, i.e. severe, lifelong conditions that are very unlikely to change
- Claimants with high-level needs that will either stay the same or get worse over time
When the ten-year review is due, the process is designed to be much easier than a standard review and the DWP will issue a shorter review form to be completed. The DWP also does not expect an assessment with a health professional for most of these claimants. Contact should be restricted to checking whether anything has changed and confirming that information held by the DWP is up to date, guidance states.
