The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is reviewing many Personal Independence Payment (PIP) claims lodged by D/deaf people since August 2020.
The review will take account of an Upper Tribunal judgement in 2020 which increased the numbers of D/deaf people obtaining the benefit. The tribunal ruled that D/deaf people who have to remove hearing aids or cochlear implants while washing, face additional danger from fire because they might not hear a fire alarm. The judgment awarded the two claimants bringing the appeal two additional points as they met the threshold of “requiring supervision or prompting to be able to wash or bathe”.
As the DWP had already awarded the claimants six daily living points, this meant both achieved the eight points needed to qualify for the standard rate of the PIP daily living component.
The DWP says that it has applied the 2020 ruling to all PIP decisions since 17 May 2021 by considering whether a visual alarm would suffice or if the person needs supervision to wash or bathe safely.
A DWP spokesperson said: “We are now looking at PIP claims from deaf or hearing-impaired people who may be affected by this change. This includes reviewing some claims we decided on or after 21 August 2020, including ones where we did not award PIP.”
Applicants do not need to provide any further evidence or attend an assessment as the DWP will draw on information from original PIP claims. Warning that the review might take some time, the DWP pledged to backdate any awards.
Read more on Disability Rights UK’s website.
