Delays Leave Some Disabled Benefit Claimants Waiting Over a Year for PIP Payments

Many claimants of Personal Independence Payment (PIP), a benefit intended to help disabled individuals with the extra costs of daily living and mobility, are facing delays of over a year to receive their payments from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).

PIP should provide vital financial support, yet extended waiting times have turned it into a source of distress for numerous recipients. Long delays force some claimants into debt, rent arrears, and increased risk of poverty.

The DWP’s goal is to process 75% of new PIP applications within 75 working days. However, in 2024–25, only 51% of claims met this target. A recent report from the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) described these prolonged wait times as “unacceptable,” with some applicants waiting over a year for a decision.

While the DWP maintains that such extreme delays are not reflected prominently in their statistics, they acknowledged the issue is real and requires urgent attention. The report stressed that no claimant should endure such lengthy waits for essential support.

Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown, chairman of the PAC and Conservative MP, criticized the lack of progress. “Three years ago, we were assured improvements would materialize by now, yet we are told they are still three years away," he stated. “This is not good enough for those at risk of falling into poverty due to departmental negligence.”

In response, a DWP spokesperson emphasized ongoing efforts to reform the welfare system. “We’re repairing the broken system we inherited by providing claimants with the support needed to secure stable employment and escape poverty,” they said. The department has reassigned about 1,000 work coaches to assist sick and disabled individuals and is investing £647 million in modernizing outdated systems.

While these reforms signal progress, disabled claimants still face significant uncertainty and hardship as they await timely assistance.