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.