The latest figures from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) show that at the end of April there were nearly three million people across the UK claiming support through Personal Independence Payment (PIP), with just over one in three claimants (35%) receiving the highest level of award. Of the overall total, 313,620 claimants living in Scotland are now receiving financial support of between £24.45 and £156.90 each week and as the benefit is paid every four weeks, that amounts to between £97.80 and £627.60 each pay period.
The data also shows that more than one million people are now claiming for psychiatric disorders, which includes autism spectrum disorders, mood disorders and learning disorders. Musculoskeletal conditions, such as arthritis, joint pain and hip disorders also increased to 956,701 between January and April.
The DWP also confirmed that end-to-end processing of new claims is taking around 20 weeks. Which means if you have been putting off making a claim for PIP or unsure if you qualify, this is the month to do it as it may result in an award by Christmas - and it could be backdated.
