PIPs benefits system ‘flawed’

PIPs benefits system ‘flawed’

15 January 2025

THE Personal Independence Payment system has been described as “flawed” by a local politician.

PIPs — as it is commonly referred to — is designed to help with extra living costs for people who have both a long-term physical or mental health condition or disability

According to the latest statistics from the Department for Communities, the Newry Mourne and Down area has has 8,820 new PIP claims, the fourth highest of the province’s 11 councils.

According to the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency, the highest reason for a PIP claim is mental health, a mostly ‘invisible illness’ and one of the most difficult to prove as our mental health service is not functioning as it should. 

Mournes councillor Jill Truesdale has this week criticised the recent announcement by Stormont Communities Minister Gordon Lyons about the high number of successful original decisions being overturned.

She believes this is not the “win win” the government department seems to think and is in fact a “clear indication of a flawed system”.

PIP was introduced in Northern Ireland in June 2016 and replaced Disability Living Allowance (DLA) for people aged between 16 and 64 years old. 

Cllr Truesdale recently completed a 10 week programme with The Law Centre training as a generalist benefit advisor with the course involving weekly online seminars and the completion of external reading and completion of core exercises.

It covered social security law, benefits entitlement, immigration law, money advice, employment law, consumer issues and other key skills to be a competent adviser. 

The Slieve Croob councillor said over the past two years she has worked on some difficult cases  with PIP and housing being top of the scale.  

Last week, Mr Lyons revealed that some 65 per cent of applicants in Northern Ireland who have appealed a decision in relation to a PIP application have been successful in having their original decision overturned.

Cllr Truesdale believes there are “systemic flaws” in the entire benefit system, with PIP “particularly notorious” for poor assessments, unfair, onerous and humiliating paperwork and assessments at a time when people are at their very lowest. 

“Anyone who says otherwise hasn’t had the misfortune to go through it and yet it’s something which could land at anyone’s door at any time,” she continued. 

“The benefits system is supposed to be there to support the most vulnerable in society yet it’s made so difficult to access.”

Cllr Truesdale said form filling requires a good standard of literacy and the assessment form will take hours to complete, with every possible facet of the applicant’s life analysed and dissected.

“All dignity is completely removed and many times medical evidence is ignored and disregarded,” she continued.

“The process is truly invasive and alienating and that is why I chose to solidify the knowledge I had already gained with a more formal process to assist as best I can.”