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The government has said that up to 220,000 clients will be due extra PIP. This is because the government has decided not to further challenge the High Court decision mentioned in our last newsletter(January 2018). The clients

due the extra benefit will be those adversely affected by the changes to the March 2017 PIP descriptors. These had ruled out the descriptor mobility activity 1 (planning and following journeys) for many clients with mental health conditions.

 

The government had added to parts c, d and f ..'For reasons other than psychological distress'. Effectively those changes now no longer apply.

 

'...We are working with stakeholders to change the PIP assessment guide so that we can implement the judgment. Once we have completed this exercise we will be carrying out an administrative exercise to review cases that may be eligible and ensure that claimants receive the correct award. This will be a complex exercise and of considerable scale, as we will be reconsidering approximately 1.6 million claims. Whilst we will be working at pace to complete this exercise it is important that we get it right....'  In another statement the government adds that no one will have to attend another medical and that claims will be backdated to the date of the last decision(not the High court judgement) which should be better for claimants- 'For the group of people who may be affected, we will undertake a detailed review of their applications and awards. We will write to the individuals affected, and all

payments will be back-dated to the effective date in each individual claim. There will be no - I repeat, no - face-to-face reassessments of awards. DWP case managers will be conducting a review of the existing information we hold, with a view to establishing whether claimants are entitled to more. If case managers need more information to make a decision, they will contact the claimant and/or their doctor.'

 

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