Macmillan Cancer Support has launched a new campaign urging the UK Government to reduce “distressing” waiting times for a Personal Independence Payment (PIP) award to 12 weeks. The benefit, delivered by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) currently takes around 20 weeks to process from point of application to letter of award notice.
The new campaign is being supported by Sarifa, one of the charity’s supporters. She explained how as a disabled person, she was already receiving PIP when she was diagnosed with cancer in 2010. But her experience of PIP delays led me to advocate for other people with cancer, knowing “how difficult life can be without access to this vital benefit”.
Writing on the Macmillan website, Sarifa said: “I'm supporting Macmillan's call for the UK Government to reduce distressing waiting times for PIP. Will you join me to ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, Chloe Smith MP, to reduce the waiting time to 12 weeks?”
