Existing Personal Independence Payment (PIP) awards that are awaiting review had their automatic extension period increased from 3 months to 12 months on 6 September 2022, according to a timetable of benefit changes published by Turn2us1.
The change applies to awards that are already in payment and have reached the point at which they would normally be reviewed. Under the previous arrangement, such awards were extended automatically by three months; the extension period is now twelve months1. The timetable does not state how many awards are affected, nor whether the change applies across all parts of the UK, and no further detail on the operation of the extension has been reported1.
The same timetable lists other disability and carer payment changes around this date. Adult Disability Payment, which is administered in Scotland, opened for new applications across all of Scotland on 29 August 2022, and from August 2022 Scotland began transferring working age adults in receipt of Disability Living Allowance or PIP onto Scottish Adult Disability Payment1. A £150 cost of living support payment was made to people in receipt of disability benefits on 26 September 20221.
"6 September - existing PIP awards awaiting review have their automatic extension period increased from 3 months to 12 months."
The timetable also records changes to the Administrative Earnings Threshold, which rose on 26 September 2022 to £494 per month for single people and £782 per month for couples1. National Insurance contributions fell by 1.25 percentage points on 6 November 20221.
| Date | Change |
|---|---|
| 6 September 2022 | Automatic extension period for existing PIP awards awaiting review rises from 3 months to 12 months1 |
| 26 September 2022 | Administrative Earnings Threshold rises to £494 per month for single people and £782 per month for couples1 |
| 26 September 2022 | £150 cost of living support payment to people in receipt of disability benefits1 |
| 6 November 2022 | National Insurance reduced by 1.25 percentage points1 |
Why it matters for households
People whose Personal Independence Payment award is due for review but has not yet been reviewed keep receiving their existing award for longer before any new decision is made. The extension period is the length of time an award continues automatically while a review is outstanding, so moving it from three months to twelve months means the payment continues on its current basis for up to a year rather than a quarter1. This affects claimants whose awards are already in payment and awaiting review, not new claims, which are assessed in the usual way1.
Because PIP is paid at one of two weekly rates depending on how a health condition or disability affects the claimant, and can include a mobility component, the amount involved varies by award. The timetable does not set out the rates in force at the time, and no figure for the value of the extension to individual claimants has been reported1.
The change sits alongside wider benefits changes taking effect in the same period, including the September 2022 rise in the Administrative Earnings Threshold for Universal Credit and Jobseeker's Allowance claimants, which affects how much a claimant can earn before being required to look for more or better paid work1.
What happens next
The timetable records no further change to the PIP extension period after 6 September 20221. It lists later dates for other measures, including the second cost of living payment of £324 for people on income-related benefits between 8 and 23 November 2022, and the £400 energy bill support payment, with the first monthly instalments paid in October 20221.
Sources1 cited
- Benefits changes timetable for 2022 | Turn2us turn2us.org.uk
Turn2usFree benefits calculator and grants search from a charity
Citizens AdviceFree advice on money, consumer and legal problems in England and Wales
GOV.UKOfficial information on tax, benefits and government services
MoneyHelperFree, impartial money and pensions guidance, set up by government