The Claiming Procedure of Personal Independence Payment

Things to know :

The claiming process of Personal Independence Payment (PIP) often appears to be time-consuming. It sometimes takes 4 months or more to get the money after applying for PIP. For people who are terminally ill, this time duration decreases and they receive their PIP money a little faster. People till the age of 16 get DLA (Disability Living Allowance) benefit but at the age of 16 or over, a person needs to shift from DLA to PIP. You need to claim for PIP within 28 days of being asked by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to make a new claim in order to get continue payment. Before applying for PIP, one must have all the relevant information required in the claiming process of PIP. The PIP payments start from the day the DLA payment stops. The first payment for the persons, who do not get DLA, starts from the date of claiming PIP.

The procedure of claiming PIP:

The claiming procedure of PIP includes three basic stages which are-

1. Starting a claim – A person needs to call on the PIP Phone Number to start a PIP claim and it will connect the person to the DWP. It can take two weeks for the DWP to send claim forms. In the meantime, you need to get prepared with the necessary information required to fill the form.
2. Filling of the claim form – In order to fill the PIP form, one can call a DWP adviser by dialling PIP number who will fill the form on behalf of the claimant. It takes less time to get the payment as in this case the PIP claim starts from the date of calling. One can also fill the form on its own and needs to post it back to the DWP. In this case, the payment faces little delay as the PIP payment date starts from the day DWP receives the form via post.
3. Direct assessment – People claiming for PIP needs to undergo a face-to-face assessment to get the payment started. People with a terminal illness do not need to go through this phase.

Information needed while you fill in a PIP form:

Firstly, you need to mention your personal details like full name, address, date of birth, and contact number. It is important to give your National Insurance Number in the form as well as bank account details. Give the complete details of the health professional who deals with your ailment. If a person stays in the hospital, he needs to give the details of their healthcare stay as well. If you have stayed abroad within the last 3 years, you need to give the details of your stay in the form. In the case of immigration, you will have to give the status of your immigration and also the nationality.

Facts that you should know:

PIP form is not available online. You need to get it from the DWP. Contact your local Citizens Advice service if the DWP takes a long time to inform its decision regarding your claim.