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Released by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) on the 11th of June 2019, the Government has revealed its latest personal independence payment (PIP) stats for the period of January 2019 to April 2019.

PIP is a financial benefit that helps with some of the extra costs caused by long-term disability, ill-health or terminal ill-health, which could help purchase essential mobility equipment or housing adaptations. From 8th April 2013 DWP started to replace Disability Living Allowance (DLA) for working age people with PIP.

The DWP’s latest quarterly statistics have shown some more encouraging insights into the number of PIP clearances and the average clearance times.

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Since PIP’s inception in April 2013, over 4,186,000 PIP claims have been cleared, up 171,000 from January 2019.

Average clearance times for claims have also decreased compared to the end of last quarter, with the average clearance time at nine weeks for normal rules claims and seven weeks for reassessed claims. The average clearance time for people who are terminally ill is six days.

Despite this, PIP clearances are at a lower level in April 2019 (49,000) compared to April 2018 (66,000), which the DWP says is due to recent lower reassessment registration volumes.

However, award rates for PIP claims under normal rules are still relatively low at 43 percent. For DLA reassessment claims, the award rate is significantly higher at almost three quarters (72 percent).

In the past, PIP has come under fire for being too strict on claimants, leading to unfair assessments and leaving disabled people without vital support.

This led to the DWP announcing in June 2018 that people with severe and long-term conditions would no longer have to be regularly reviewed for PIP. In March 2019, the Work and Pensions Secretary Rt Hon Amber Rudd MP revealed that disabled pensioners would also be relieved from enduring repeat assessments to continue receiving PIP.

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https://thiis.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/DWP.jpghttps://thiis.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/DWP-150x150.jpgSarah SarsbyGovernment & Local AuthoritiesNewsroomDepartment for Work and Pensions,Disability Living Allowance,disabled people,DLA,DWP,Personal Independence Payment,PIP,PIP clearances,PIP statisticsReleased by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) on the 11th of June 2019, the Government has revealed its latest personal independence payment (PIP) stats for the period of January 2019 to April 2019. PIP is a financial benefit that helps with some of the extra costs caused by...News, views & products for mobility, access and independent living professionals