The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has been sharply criticised for leaving people claiming a key disability benefit facing "unacceptable" waits of over 16 weeks for their payments.
MPs Warn of Debt and Poverty Risk
A damning report from the cross-party Public Accounts Committee (PAC) warns that the extensive delays in processing new claims for Personal Independence Payment (Pip) are pushing vulnerable individuals towards debt and financial hardship. The committee highlighted that while the DWP aims to process 75% of new Pip claims within 75 working days, it failed to meet this target last year.
Only 51% of claims were completed within that timeframe in the last financial year, with some applicants waiting more than a year for a decision. The report condemned the department for providing "unacceptably poor service levels" to around three million people who rely on the benefit.
Broken Promises and Further Delays
Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown, the Conservative MP who chairs the PAC, expressed profound disappointment at the lack of progress. He revealed that the committee had received assurances three years ago that service improvements would be evident by now, but instead, they are told significant changes are still three years away.
"This is simply not good enough for our constituents, who we know risk being pushed into debt or poverty by a department unresponsive to their needs," Sir Geoffrey stated. The report emphasised that waiting over 16 weeks for a decision is "far too long" for claimants who are often in desperate need of financial support.
DWP Response and Ongoing Reforms
In response to the criticism, a DWP spokesperson said the department always aims to process claims "as quickly as possible." They pointed to an ongoing review into Pip, led by the Timms Review, which aims to ensure the benefit is "fair and fit for the future" rather than to propose further savings.
The spokesperson also outlined broader reforms, stating: "We're fixing the broken welfare system we inherited by giving claimants the support they need to move into good, secure jobs and out of poverty." These measures include redeploying 1,000 work coaches to assist sick or disabled people and a £647 million modernisation programme to replace outdated systems.
Despite these pledges, the PAC report underscores a significant and urgent gap between departmental targets and the lived reality for hundreds of thousands of disabled people awaiting vital financial support.
