THOUSANDS of people on mental health benefits are having payments renewed for years without an in-person check-up.
Personal Independence Payment claims for anxiety and depression are being extended even if sufferers’ health improves.
PIP claims for anxiety and depression are automatically extended even if sufferers’ health improves Credit: Getty
The UK faces a £41billion disability benefits bill by 2030 Credit: Getty
Due to the “assessment black hole”, 7,213 people saw their benefit “maintained” in April — up 467 per cent on the 1,271 before the Covid pandemic.
As few as five per cent of claimants get a consultation in person. Most of them are done over the phone or through forms.
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Official figures show 71.5 per cent of all mental health reviews in April were waved through with PIP kept the same.
Of those re-awarded, 5,300 got aid for mixed anxiety and depressive disorders, 1,078 for depressive disorder and 835 for anxiety disorders.
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People claiming PIP are supposed to undergo rigorous checks, including proving how their mental health condition limits their ability to wash, dress, or leave the house safely.
Experts say the system is buckling under a huge backlog, meaning claimants are not expected to physically attend.
But claimants should only have awards extended, reduced or stopped based on up-to-date medical evidence.
The UK faces a £41billion disability benefits bill by 2030.
The Department for Work and Pensions said: “The central conclusion of the Timms Review Interim Report is clear: PIP is no longer fit for purpose. The review’s final recommendations are due this autumn and will lay the foundation for deep, sustainable reform.
“We inherited a system of rising costs and poor outcomes for too many people, as well as a collapse in face-to-face assessments inherited from the previous government which we are rectifying.
“We’re already taking action to fix the broken welfare system, including by extending award review periods which will remove unnecessary pressure on disabled people and help to deliver savings of around £2bn.”
