Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 1 February 2019 to Question 209778 on Personal Independence Payment, how many of the 7,990 personal independence payment claimants who died within six months of their claim being registered and had their claim disallowed applied under normal rules; what conditions such claimants had; and what reasons were given for their claims being disallowed.

Over 3.6 million applications to Personal Independence Payment (PIP) were made between April 2013 and 30^th April 2018. Of these, 73,800 claimants died within 6 months of their claim being registered. Prior to any Mandatory Reconsideration or Appeal action, 7,990 of these claimants had their claims disallowed.

Table 1A, shows the main disabling conditions of the 7,990 claimants who were disallowed and died within 6 months of their claim being registered, split by whether the claim was lodged under Normal Rules or Special Rules for Terminal Illness (SRTI). The Department only records a claimant’s disability at assessment so does not hold this information where a claimant was disallowed prior to attending an assessment.

The cause of death of claimants to PIP is not collated centrally by the Department and the recorded condition may not have been the cause of death of the claimant.

Table 1A: Disability Category of claimants who were disallowed and died within 6 months of registration: Registrations to 30^th April 2018 and Clearances to 31^st October 2018.

Source: PIP ADS

Table 1B shows the outcomes at the initial assessment of the 7,990 claimants who were disallowed and died within 6 months of their claim being registered, split by whether the claim was lodged under Normal Rules or SRTI.

Table 1B: Outcome of claimants who died 6 months after registration split by Normal Rules and Special Rules: Registrations to 30^th April 2018 and Clearances to 31^st October 2018.

Source: PIP ADS

Notes:

• These figures include claims made under both Normal Rules and SRTI and include new claims and Disability Living Allowance (DLA) to PIP reassessment claims.
• The Normal Rules and Special Rules indicator is taken at the point of registration. It’s possible during the claim to move between Normal Rules and Special Rules and vice- versa as the claim progresses. This may mean that someone who registers under Special Rules moves to Normal Rules during the process and is invited to an assessment but is marked as Special Rules here.
• Data is based on primary disabling condition as recorded on the PIP and DLA computer systems. Claimants may often have multiple disabling conditions upon which the decision is based but only the primary condition is shown in these statistics.
• The point of application is taken as the day the claimant registered a claim to PIP as recorded on the PIP computer system.
• The outcome is the first DWP decision recorded on the PIP Computer system. This does not take into account any mandatory reconsideration or Appeal action so some of these claimants may have subsequently been awarded PIP. Some cases do not have a decision recorded.
• This is unpublished data from the PIP computer system’s (PIP CS) management information. It should be used with caution and it may be subject to future revision.
• Figures are rounded to the nearest 10.
• Components may not sum to the whole.
• Figures cover claims made up to and including 30th April 2018 and clearances up to and including 31st October 2018.
• “#” indicates fewer than 5 cases
• GB only.

Under the Social Security (Notification of Deaths) Regulations 2012 and s125 of Social Security Administration Act 1992 date of death is provided to the Department for all registered deaths. Additionally, next of kin also provide information on the date of death of an individual and this information is used appropriately in the administration of Departmental benefits.