New Personal Independence Payment (PIP) claimants are now able to apply for the benefit online.
PIP is a benefit for people aged 16 and over who are under the State Pension age and have a disability, long-term illness or mental health condition which means they need help with daily tasks.
The benefit can be worth up to £688 a month for those eligible.
Those in selected postcode areas in England will now be able to make an online application for PIP for the first time, as part of a planned national rollout by 2024.
Until now, the new online application service had been offered to a small number of claimants who initially called the phone line to begin their claim. Over 9,000 people have already tested the new service in England as part of the previous phase of testing.
Minister for Disabled People, Health and Work, Tom Pursglove MP, said: “Our transformation of the PIP service will make the entire claimant experience better, and gradually introducing the option to apply online is an important next step in this process.
“The option to apply for PIP online at any time is more convenient and removes the need for people to make a phone call or fill in a paper form to start their claim.
“This will make it easier for people to make a claim for the benefit and receive the money they are entitled to. I look forward to the service being available to all claimants by 2024.”
The latest phase of testing the new online service to apply for PIP will make it available directly via GOV.UK to people living in selected postcode districts in England, as long as they are claiming for themselves and are not already claiming PIP or Disability Living Allowance (DLA).
The postcodes fall within the following local authority areas:
- Amber Valley
- Ashfield
- Barking and Dagenham
- Basingstoke and Deane
- Birmingham
- Boston
- Bournemouth Christchurch and Poole
- Bradford
- Broxtowe
- Buckinghamshire
- Central Bedfordshire
- Cheshire East
- Dacorum
- Derby
- Dorset
- East Hampshire
- East Lindsey
- East Riding of Yorkshire
- East Suffolk
- Eastbourne
- Elmbridge
- Epping Forest
- Erewash
- Forest of Dean
- Gateshead
- Gedling
- Gloucester
- Great Yarmouth
- Harlow
- Herefordshire County
- Ipswich
- King's Lynn and West Norfolk
- Kingston upon Thames
- Kirklees, Knowsley
- Leeds
- Liverpool
- Luton
- Malvern Hills
- Manchester
- Mansfield
- Melton
- Mid Suffolk
- Newcastle upon Tyne
- Newham
- North Hertfordshire
- North Kesteven
- North West Leicestershire
- Redbridge
- Richmond upon Thames
- Rushcliffe
- Ryedale
- Sandwell
- Scarborough
- Sefton
- Sevenoaks
- South Cambridgeshire
- South Derbyshire
- South Holland
- South Norfolk
- South Staffordshire
- Spelthorne
- St Albans
- Staffordshire Moorlands
- Stevenage
- Stroud
- Tameside
- Tandridge
- Trafford
- Uttlesford
- Waltham Forest
- Wealden
- West Berkshire
- Winchester
- Wokingham
- Worcester
- Wychavon
- Wyre Forest
It is not possible to claim on someone’s behalf using the online service, but people will remain able to apply for PIP through existing routes as normal, even when the online service has been fully rolled out. This will occur without a reduction in the level of support available via telephone.
The online service also includes the ability to save, resume and upload medical evidence, providing a clear, joined-up experience for claimants.
The DWP will evaluate the online service as it gradually and carefully increases the number of people able to use it.
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