Disability charities welcome Government promise to speed up welfare scheme

Promises to cut the backlog and speed up the assessment process of the new Personal Independence Payments have been welcomed by charities as “crucial” to the lives of many disabled people.

Following the furore caused by recent data published by the Department for Work and Pensions that revealed that of the 529,400 cases registered for Personal Independence Payment (PIP) since the scheme’s inception in April 2013, just under 40 per cent have been cleared in 16 months. The figures did not reveal how long some individuals had been waiting within that period, but Mark Harper, minister for disabled people, admitted that the delays facing some claimants of this flagship Government welfare scheme are “unacceptable.” He said: "By the end of the year we expect that no-one will be waiting for an assessment for longer than 16 weeks."

Leonard Cheshire Disability’s director of corporate affairs, Andy Cole, said: “The delays that many disabled people are facing with their applications for this crucial support are truly shocking – although sadly we and many others have been raising serious concerns about the backlogs in PIP claims for a long time.

“We must remember that behind these figures are real people – people waiting months facing real hardship while decisions about the support that they need are made.

“It is positive that Government has at last recognised the problems and committed to tackling them as a top priority, and we welcome the minister’s commitment to limit waiting times for assessments to 16 weeks by the end of this year.”

Echoing these sentiments, chief executive of the disability charity Scope Richard Hawkes called on the Government to do "everything in its power" to address the delays, which he said were causing financial uncertainty, distress and anxiety.

He added: "Scope's helpline has been inundated with disabled people phoning for advice on their PIP claims. Many are facing extreme delays of well over six months.

"Life costs more if you are disabled. Buying a wheelchair, higher energy bills - Scope research shows all this adds up to an extra £550 per month.

"Some costs can't be avoided, but too often disabled people continue to pay over the odds for everyday items and services.

"PIP is the financial life-line that disabled people rely on to help meet these costs.”

The Personal Independence Payment was introduced in April 2013 to replace the Disability Living Allowance for 16- to 64-year-olds. Payments are worth between £21 and £138 a week and support people with long-term ill health or disability.