150,000 Brits on benefits urged to check if they’re owed backpay of up to £12,000 – here’s how
BRITS claiming benefits could be owed thousands of pounds after an error calculating payments.
One man was awarded £12,000 after contacting the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) to recalculate his PIP payments.
Personal Independence Payments (PIP) is for those with a long-term health condition and can be claimed by those working or not.
There is a mobility component which can increase the amount of money you get, if eligible.
In 2017, a court ruling found that assessments for this element discriminated against people with mental health conditions.
People with certain issues should have been given more points when they were being assessed for PIP.
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The DWP has been reviewing previous PIP claimants to see if they should have been awarded more money.
But there are still thousands of people owed money, and they can make a claim to get the cash back if they think they are affected without waiting for the DWP to contact them.
Up to November 1, 2021, the latest figures available, the government has made 8,200 payments totalling £42million.
But the DWP reckon as many as 164,000 are likely to be affected, and that the judgment would cost £3.7billion by 2022.
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The DWP plans to publish a final update at the end of 2022.
How much individuals are owed depends on how much they missed out on and for how long - there is no set amount.
The department is working its way through the review and contacting claimants it finds are owed backdated payments.
But anyone who thinks they are entitled to the cash can contact them directly and ask them to look into their PIP payments.
The court decision affects PIP claims that were decided between November 27, 2016 and June 28, 2018 Citizens Advice say.
Claims for PIP made after this date take into account the court ruling and those with mental health conditions are fairly treated.
It says that you can ask the DWP to look again if you:
- have a mental health condition that makes going outside difficult
- didn’t get the mobility component of PIP or you got the standard rate of the mobility component
According to , there are around 20 conditions which successful claimants have suffered from.
- Agoraphobia
- Alcohol misuse
- Anxiety and depressive disorders (mixed)
- Anxiety disorders
- Autism
- Bipolar affective disorder (Hypomania / Mania)
- Cognitive disorders
- Dementia
- Depressive disorder
- Drug misuse
- Learning disability
- Mood disorders
- Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD
- Panic disorder
- Personality disorder
- Phobias
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- Psychotic disorders
- Schizoaffective disorder
- Schizophrenia
- Stress reaction disorders
The organisation which helps people claim benefits, said that if a condition is not listed, it doesn't mean a claim for backpay wouldn't be successful, or that if it is listed, that a claim would automatically entitle you to backpay.
How to claim PIP backpay
If you think you're affected and should be owed backpay for PIP you should look at the original decision letter you received.
The decision must have been made between 27 November 2016 and 28 June 2018.
Contact the benefits office that is listed on the decision letter and tell them you think the new rules for calculating PIP (introduced after the court ruling) should have given you the higher mobility element.
Tell them you want them to review your PIP decision.
You'll need your National Insurance number, address and contact details.
You can contact the PIP enquiry line to get hold of your decision letter if you don't have it, on 0800 121 4433.
The DWP will review your claim and will contact you by letter if you are entitled to money back and tell you how much.
The payments will be backdated to the date of your claim, or when the mobility claimant rules first changed (November 2016), whichever is later.
Thousands of PIP disability claimants have been urged to appeal decisions if their claim was stopped because they didn't go to an assessment.
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