Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, for what reasons personal independence payment claimants who undergo reviews 12 months in advance of their award ending have their payments stopped immediately should they fail those reviews.

Reviews of Personal Independence Payment (PIP), which can be paid at one of eight rates, are a key part of the benefit and ensure that claimants continue to receive the correct level of support based on their needs. Planned reviews take place a year before the award is due to expire to ensure that the review is completed before the award goes out of payment. Following a planned review the existing award may be adjusted by the amount received and/or the award duration to reflect the current needs of the claimant. Awards may stay the same, go up, down, or cease altogether depending on the claimant’s assessed level of needs.