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.
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: