A petition calling for the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to end benefit award reviews for Personal Independence Payment (PIP) and Employment Support Allowance (ESA) claimants with long-term illnesses has reached nearly 30,000 signatures.
Posted on the official Petitions Parliament website by John H Paternoster, the ‘End reviews of PIP and ESA awards for people with lifelong illnesses’, is set to close on Friday, January 28 - some 70,000 signatures short of the 100,000 needed which would see the topic considered for debate in Parliament.
The petition statement reads: “People with a lifelong illness should not be subject to regular reviews for eligibility for the Personal Independence Payment (PIP) or Employment and Support Allowance (ESA). People suffering lifelong conditions should not have to prove they are still ill every couple of years.”
Mr Paternoster continues: “I and others like myself have been awarded PIP and ESA for lifelong illnesses yet have to be subjected to reviews for both benefits even though these conditions are for life!
“These reviews mean that people like myself are subject to repeated interviews with people who often have no idea about the conditions we suffer from, and in many case, the stress of these reviews causes a flare up and worsens the condition.
“These reviews are unnecessary and need to stop!”
The petition has now 25,076 signatures - an increase of nearly 5,000 since Tuesday - and received a UK Government response in September 2021, when it reached 10,000 votes of support.
The DWP responded: "We understand there are people with severe and lifelong health conditions which will not improve and want to test a simplified process which doesn’t require them to undertake a health assessment.
“The Department for Work and Pensions uses functional assessments to help determine entitlement for a number of benefits, including Personal Independence Payment (PIP), Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) and, for those claiming because they have a disability or health condition that impacts on their capability for work, Universal Credit (UC).
“There is strong evidence that work is good for physical and mental well-being and that being out of work can contribute to poorer health. We want to ensure people who can work are supported to do so.
“The Work Capability Assessment (WCA) was designed to ensure that people receive appropriate financial support and appropriate work-related support. Reassessments are important to take into account changes in how someone’s health condition or disability affects their capability for work over time.”
It continued: “We use a separate assessment to determine entitlement for PIP. Unlike in UC and ESA, PIP aims to help people with the extra costs of a disability or long-term health condition. PIP is paid regardless of income or savings. Once someone has been awarded PIP, which can be paid at one of eight rates, that award will be reviewed.
“Reviews of PIP are a key part of the benefit to ensure that awards remain correct where needs may change (including where needs increase and the award may need to increase) and that we maintain contact with the individual, both features that were missing from PIP’s predecessor Disability Living Allowance.
“The length of an award is based on an individual’s circumstances and can vary from nine months to an on-going award, with a light touch review after 10 years.”
The lengthy and detailed response goes on to explain changes have been made to reduce the number of “unnecessary reassessments” especially for those claiming ESA.
The DWP added: “We have also made changes to help reduce the frequency of repeat assessments some people need to go through on PIP.
“We have ensured that people who receive the highest level of support whose needs will not improve and most people over State Pension Age, receive an ongoing award of PIP with a ‘light touch’ review at the 10-year point.
“Ongoing awards can be applied to any level or combination of award outcome so long as the person’s needs are unlikely to change. A review can take place sooner if a person’s needs change.”
You can sign the petition or read the full response from the DWP here.
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