The Personal Independence Payment statistics issued today show that the disability benefit system in the UK has broken down.
Disabled people are waiting over 6 months for their PIP claims to be assessed with 75% of claimants not yet having received any decision on their claim.
Excluding those who are terminally ill, of those disabled people who have actually received a decision over 50% have not been made any award at all.
In terms of action we see measures that make things worse, like the automated message on the PIP telephone helpline advising callers not to hold on if they have not yet been waiting six months for a decision.
The current situation is causing financial hardship, despair and frustration to nearly 300,000 disabled people.
Disability Rights UK demands an end to the further roll-out of PIP and urgent action be taken to reduce the scandalous backlog of PIP claims.
Note:
- The latest Personal Independence Payment statistics, updated 5 June 2014, are available at https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/personal-independence-payment-statistics