Personal Independence Payment: Terminal Illnesses

(asked on 26th February 2020) - View Source

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many terminally people have died while waiting for a decision on their personal independence payment claim in each year since 2009.


Answered by
Justin Tomlinson Portrait
Justin Tomlinson
This question was answered on 2nd March 2020

Personal Independence Payment (PIP) is claimed by people with a range of health conditions and disabilities, many of which are degenerative or life limiting and the Department treats the death of any claimant sympathetically. Claims made under Special Rules for Terminal Illness (SRTI) are fast tracked and are currently being cleared within 6 working days.

The cause of death of claimants to PIP is not collated centrally by the Department.

Between the introduction of PIP in April 2013 and 31st October 2019, the latest date for which published data is available, 143,030 decisions were made on claims which had been registered under SRTI. Of these, 5,470 claimants died prior to a decision being made on their case.

Table: Number of claimants who registered under SRTI and died prior to a decision being made on their case.

Claimant’s year of death

Number of claimants under SRTI who died prior to decision

2013

760

2014

1,040

2015

840

2016

840

2017

680

2018

780

2019 (to October 31st)

540

Total

5,470

Notes:

  • These figures include claims made under Special Rules for Terminal Illness and include new claims and Disability Living Allowance (DLA) to PIP reassessment claims.
  • If a claimant dies before a decision is made on an outstanding claim, the Department establishes whether the claimant’s representative or next of kin wishes to proceed with the claim. If not, the claim is withdrawn.
  • It is possible for claims to transition between Normal and Special Rules during the course of the claimant journey.
  • The point of application is taken as the day the claimant registered a claim to PIP as recorded on the PIP computer system.
  • This is unpublished data from the PIP computer system’s (PIP CS) management information. It should be used with caution and may be subject to future revision.
  • Figures cover claims on which a decision has been made and recorded on the PIP CS on or prior to 31st October 2019. Claims on which a decision has not been entered are excluded.
  • Figures are rounded to the nearest 10 and cover GB only.

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