Personal Independence Payment

(asked on 4th February 2019) - View Source

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer on 11 January 2019 to Question 203813, how many applications were subsequently successful of claimants who died after registering but prior to her Department making a decision on their claim.


Answered by
Sarah Newton Portrait
Sarah Newton
This question was answered on 12th February 2019

Personal Independence Payment (PIP) is claimed by people with a range of health conditions and disabilities, many of which are degenerative or life limiting and the Department aims to treat the death of any claimant sympathetically. Claims made under the special rules for people who are terminally ill are fast tracked and are currently being cleared within 6 working days for new claimants. The cause of death of PIP claimants is not collated centrally by the Department.

Over 3.6 million applications to PIP were made between April 2013 and 30th April 2018. Of these, 17,070 claimants died after registering but prior to the DWP making a decision on their claim.

Of those 17,070, the Department made an initial decision to award PIP for 5,420 claims. This data is prior to any Mandatory Reconsideration or Appeal action.

If a claimant dies before a decision is made on an outstanding claim, the Department establishes whether the claimant’s representative or next of kin wishes to proceed with the claim. If not, the claim is withdrawn. Around 7,610 of the 17,070 claims were withdrawn rather than awarded or disallowed.

The table below shows the outcomes of PIP decisions that were made on the 17,070 claimants who died prior to the Decision being made:

Outcome of Initial Decision*

Number of Claims

Awarded

5,420

Disallowed pre-referral to the Assessment Provider

1,220

Disallowed pre-referral to the Assessment Provider - due to non-return of Part 2 within the time limit

2,070

Disallowed post-referral to the Assessment Provider - Failed Assessment

290

Disallowed post-referral to the Assessment Provider - Failed to Attend Assessment

470

Withdrawn

7,610

Total

17,070

Source: PIP ADS

* This data shows the initial decision and may change after Mandatory Reconsideration or Appeal.

Notes:

  • These figures include claims made under both Normal Rules and Special Rules for the Terminally Ill and include new claims and Disability Living Allowance (DLA) to PIP reassessment claims.
  • The point of application is taken as the day the claimant registered a claim to PIP as recorded on the PIP computer system.
  • This data shows the initial decision and may change after Mandatory Reconsideration and Appeal.
  • This is unpublished data from the PIP computer system’s (PIP CS) management information. It should be used with caution and it may be subject to future revision.
  • Figures are rounded to the nearest 10.
  • Components may not sum to the totals due to rounding.
  • GB only.

Under the Social Security (Notification of Deaths) Regulations 2012 and s125 of Social Security Administration Act 1992 date of death is provided to the Department for all registered deaths. Additionally next of kin also provide information on the date of death of an individual and this information is used appropriately in the administration of Departmental benefits.

There is no evidence in this data to suggest someone’s reason for claiming PIP was the cause of their death and it would be misleading to suggest otherwise. People claim PIP for various reasons, the majority of which are non-life threatening.

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