Huge change to PIP that could make payments quicker for thousands is DELAYED
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THE Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has delayed a major change that would make it quicker for people to apply for PIP. The planned rollout of a national online application system for personal independence payments (PIP) has been delayed, The Sun can reveal.
![[This delay comes amidst a backdrop of significant strain on the PIP system]](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/d84a2b-uk-benefits-website-gov-691174706_6c6b94.webp?strip=all&w=960)
The DWP had aimed to have the online system available to all applicants across the UK by then end of this year. However, The Sun now understands its full roll-out has been delayed for up to "several years". This digital application process was intended to coexist with the current phone and postal methods.
PIP is a disability benefit that is given to those with long-term mental or physical health problems or disabilities. Currently, the online application system is only accessible to a very limited number of applicants - around 60 per day - in select, undisclosed locations across the country.
This delay comes amidst a backdrop of significant strain on the PIP system. New claims take an average of 20 weeks (five months) to process, while reviews of existing claims can take considerably longer. As of September 2024, the median wait time for a DWP-initiated review was 290 days when referred to an assessment provider and 252 days when not.
There's a backlog of hundreds of thousands of PIP reviews, contributing to an estimated £300 million in delayed payments. It's still hoped that when online applications open for all the application journey could reduce decision-making time and shorten the amount of time it takes for claimants to hear back.
