Claimants are facing longer waits for benefit reviews, with delays now exceeding three months, raising concerns about financial support access.
London: The DWP is under fire for making claimants wait ages for benefit reviews. Official stats show that it now takes over three months to get a decision. That’s more than double the time it used to take.
Pensioners and those with disabilities are feeling the pinch. They rely on benefits like the winter fuel payment or PIP. But now, they’re stuck waiting for their claims to be reviewed. DWP minister Sir Stephen Timms said they’re working to clear the backlog by March 2025.
But here’s the kicker: there’s no set timeline for each claim. Timms mentioned that the focus should be on getting the right decision, not just speeding things up. Sure, that sounds good, but people need their money now.
Claimants can ask for a mandatory reconsideration if they think there’s been a mistake. They have a month to do this, but the longer it takes, the more they miss out on the support they need.
Rachael Walker from Policy in Practice spoke out about this. She stressed that the government needs to speed up these processing times. The longer it takes, the more people struggle financially.
She also pointed out that while there’s no official limit on processing times, it’s the claimants who suffer. They have strict deadlines to meet, and the delays can be really tough on them.
Walker warned that setting a fixed time for reconsiderations could backfire. It might lead to rushed decisions, which could cause even more mistakes. She believes using data better could help reduce errors and support claimants more effectively.
Success rates for these reconsiderations vary. In 2024, over half of ESA decisions were revised, but only about a quarter of PIP claims were changed. A DWP spokesperson said they’re focused on making the right decisions and are hiring more staff to help clear the backlog.
