The DWP has issued a statement (Image: In Pictures via Getty Images)
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has issued an update following calls for a rule change to the Personal Independence Payment (PIP). A petition was launched earlier this month for those with Type 1 Diabetes to qualify for the payment.
PIP is a tax-free benefit designed to help working-age Brits with the extra costs caused by long-term physical or mental disabilities and conditions. The benefit is split into a daily living component and a mobility component. The daily living component has a standard rate of £76.70 and an enhanced rate of £114.60. The mobility component has a standard rate of £30.30 per week and an enhanced rate of £80 per week. This means that the maximum you can receive is £194.60 per week.
To qualify, you must have a long-term physical or mental condition or disability that makes it difficult to carry out everyday tasks. Claimants must have found everyday tasks or mobility difficult for at least three months, and expect these difficulties to continue for at least another nine months.
However, an official petition was launched by Emily Jones on June 10, calling for those with Type 1 Diabetes to qualify for the payment. The autoimmune disease means your body cannot produce insulin, which leads to a sugar buildup in your blood rather than entering cells for energy.
The immediate effects of Type 1 Diabetes, which impacts around 460,000 people across the UK, include thirst, frequent urination, weight loss, fatigue and blurred vision. Meanwhile, long-term risks include eye damage, kidney disease, nerve damage and cardiovascular issues.
Around 464,000 people have Type 1 Diabetes in the UK (Image: Getty)
The petition reads: “Type 1 diabetics do not usually qualify for PIP despite dealing with a dangerous condition 24 hours a day. We believe there is a general lack of understanding and education of Type 1 Diabetes, which may affect PIP assessments.
“Managing Type 1 Diabetes is a relentless, 24-hour responsibility that requires frequent blood glucose monitoring, insulin adjustments, and careful planning around food, activity, and stress. When combined with the pressures of full-time employment, this can lead to significant physical exhaustion and mental burnout.
“We believe allowing more type 1 diabetics to receive PIP would provide financial support for helpful technology not provided by the NHS and support individuals to reduce working hours due to the demands of managing the condition.”
It currently has around 15,300 signatures, which has triggered a Government response. If it reaches 100,000 signatures, the petition will be considered for debate in Parliament.
PIP is worth up to £194.60 a week (Image: Getty)
Full DWP response
The DWP said in response to the petition: “People can be impacted by health conditions in different ways, so PIP uses a functional assessment to measure the impact of a person’s health condition or impairment on their day-to-day life rather than focusing solely on the health condition or impairment itself.
“The assessment looks at an individual’s ability to carry out a series of key everyday activities which are fundamental to living an independent life, such as their ability to prepare, cook and eat food, dress and undress, make budgeting decisions, manage and monitor their health condition, engage with other people, and plan and follow journeys.
“The PIP assessment criteria were developed in collaboration with independent specialists in health, social care & disability, including disabled people, to ensure they accurately assess an individual’s needs. Health conditions may be physical, sensory, mental, intellectual or cognitive, or any combination of these, and the assessment was designed to take a comprehensive approach to disability, reflecting the needs arising from the full range of conditions. The activities within the assessment consider not only the physical barriers to completion of those activities, but whether someone needs prompting or supervision to do them.
“Health Professionals (HPs) who conduct PIP assessments are trained specialists in disability analysis, including how to assess the impacts of medical conditions on people’s day-to-day activities, as well as awareness training in a range of conditions, symptoms and disabilities. To support HPs in delivering informed assessments, HPs have access to a wide range of Core Training and Guidance Material (CTGM), which offer detailed clinical and functional information, including the potential risks and limitations of conditions such as Type 1 Diabetes.
“We recognise that, since PIP was introduced, there have been shifting trends in health and disability, as well in the workplace and wider society. The Government launched the Timms Review, the first ever full review of PIP and its assessment are fair and fit for the future.
“The Review is being co-produced with disabled people, the organisations that represent them and other experts so that a wide range of views and voices are heard. The Review’s steering group, almost all of whom are disabled, are looking at whether the current assessment effectively captures the impact of long-term health conditions in the modern world. The Review will report to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions in autumn, with an interim update in summer.”
To view the petition, click here.