DWP’s Own Audits Show One Third of PIP Assessments Not Fit For Purpose

A third of ATOS assessment reports are not fit for purpose, according to the DWP’s own quality assurance auditors. In a sample of 1,466 PIP assessments carried out in August 2022, DWP auditors found that:

  • 972 reports (66%) were acceptable, which means they met the DWP’s contract requirements
  • 138 (9%) of reports met the contract requirements but it was clear from the assessment report that the ATOS assessor ‘required learning’
  • 321 (22%) of reports met the contract requirements but ‘required amending’ to improve their accuracy and completeness
  • 35 (2%) were found not to even meet the DWP’s contract requirement.
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Delays To PIP Payments

We’ve confirmed today with the DWP that there is an ongoing issue with PIP benefit payments which started on Friday 2nd December, and persists today. Many people are finding that their usual PIP payment hasn’t reached their bank account. DWP insiders are telling us that Caxton House (DWP Head Office) have ‘declared a major incident’ over non-payment of disability benefit PIP, but they still don’t know how or when it will be resolved.

We have consulted welfare rights lawyers, who confirm that disabled people receiving PIP have no legal right to be paid on any particular day and that the DWP cannot be held liable for any bank charges or other losses because a payment is delayed. The DWP have made themselves unaccountable.

If the DWP end up making two payments into your account, report it to the DWP immediately. Do not leave yourself vulnerable to DWP recovery proceedings, as they can be very ruthless. More information here.

As of 5 pm today (5 December), a lot of claimants are reporting money is arriving in their accounts. We do not know how many claimants have been affected, or how many payments are still outstanding, as the DWP is not accountable.

As of 3.30pm today (5th December), the DWP are telling claimants that about a third of PIP claimants have been affected, and that all failed payments will be paid again using Faster Payments. There has, of course, been no official confirmation from the DWP.

Sick Pay Rebate Scheme

Since 17 March, you can’t claim statutory sick pay or Employment & Support Allowance (ESA) if you (or someone in your household) need to self-isolate because of Covid-19. Also from 17 March, statutory sick pay only starts from the 4th day after you got too ill to work. Read on for more.

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