The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has issued updated Personal Independence Payment (PIP) guidance following a landmark Supreme Court judgment. The ruling, known as MM, altered how the DWP interprets the definition of 'social support' when assessing face-to-face interactions with other people during PIP evaluations.
Changes Effective from June 3
As of Wednesday, June 3, the DWP has revised its PIP guidance, adding new sections and amending existing ones. Specifically, it has updated section MM9b with additional information and introduced a new section, MM9a. These changes aim to clarify the criteria for assessing social support in PIP claims.
Review of Past Cases
The DWP began reviewing cases affected by the new definition in September 2021. The review focused on claimants where additional points for social support could materially affect their award. According to the PIP handbook, the department has reviewed approximately 326,000 cases. Of these, around 47,000 claimants have received additional payments, totaling roughly £266 million. Furthermore, about 2,400 additional claimants have been identified as eligible for back payments following a review of their claims.
Claimants Urged to Come Forward
The DWP is now calling on claimants who might be affected by the timing element of the judgment to contact the department if they believe their claim was impacted. This group includes individuals who were not previously identified as needing help to engage face-to-face because any assistance they received was provided in advance of the activity. These claimants did not score points for Activity 9, but the extra points they could receive might make a material difference to their award.
Priority Cases and Payments
The DWP has prioritized checking claims of terminally ill individuals and recently deceased claimants to ensure prompt backdated entitlement. Data shows that 275,000 cases were sent letters, with around 4,800 requesting a review. Approximately 31,000 cases involving deceased claimants or those under Special Rules were reviewed. Around 220 payments have been made to qualifying claimants, totaling about £1.3 million. Fewer than 100 further claimants have been identified as benefiting from this exercise and are due a back payment.
The DWP stated: 'The department prioritised checking the claims of individuals known from our systems to be terminally ill and cases where the claimant was recently deceased, to ensure that they, or their representatives, received any backdated entitlement as quickly as possible.'
