DWP plans to change PIP assessments from September – what you need to know

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Major changes are coming to the assessment of disability benefits from next month as the DWP recruits new providers to oversee a new system.

From September, the way Personal Independence Payment (PIP) claims are assessed for people in the UK will change as new companies take over.

The change will see all benefits that require a functional health assessment merged into a ‘single assessment’ as part of the DWP’s Health Transformation programme. This means that PIP assessments, as well as Work Capability Assessments for ESA and Universal Credit, will all be assessed in the same way and at the same time.

The new providers have been awarded contracts on a regional basis:

The new system and providers should not have a major impact on the process, as all assessments must comply with DWP guidelines. However, the change may cause some claimants to worry about what can often be a stressful process.

Face-to-face appointments must still be within a 90-minute public transport journey of the claimant’s home, which DWP contracts state should be the “absolute maximum”. All assessments must also take place in ground-floor locations that are “easily accessible to all customers”.

As before, claimants can be accompanied to their assessment by a “companion” who can provide evidence. The contracts also state that only therapists, nurses, physiotherapists and doctors can carry out assessments. Paramedics can also carry out PIP assessments.

The changes come as thousands of PIP claimants are still owed arrears of an average of £5,000 by the DWP. It follows a High Court ruling which forced the DWP to assess certain claims based on changes to its assessment criteria.