The average waiting time for callers to the PIP helpline has risen from 25 minutes in January to over 40 minutes from March onwards, according to official statistics.

Tom Pursglove, minister for disabled people was answering a written question from Labour MP Jon Tricket about the average time it takes the DWP to respond to enquiries about PIP.

In his reply, Pursglove revealed that the ‘average speed of answer’ for the PIP helpline is:

Jan  25:14

Feb  34:50

March  40:22

April  43:59

May  40:43

Pursglove went on to claim that “Personal Independence Payment (PIP) has experienced unprecedented levels of new claims from customers in recent months and, as a result, we have seen increased call traffic.”

However, claims are only up 20% on the same period last year and, by itself, this doesn’t seem to explain the huge increase in call numbers and waiting times.

Pursglove’s answer also fails to reveal that almost half a million callers to the PIP helpline in April didn’t even get to wait in the queue, because their call was deliberately disconnected by the DWP.

You can read the full answer on PIP helpline waiting times here.

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  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    Jim71 · 4 months ago
    All of these proposals to replace PIP are already available either free or are supposed to be covered by other benefits eg; ESA / Income support disability premiums / proposed UC health element to pay towards for utility bills. 

    It would be

    - The high cost of energy is down to government policy and failure to sufficiently tax energy companies and should not be paid for by PIP;
    - Local Authorities already take service users' PIP payments to pay towards social care; 
    - NHS already offers *free* psychological and physical therapies. Waiting lists due to government underfunding shouldn't be a reason to replace these with PIP funded services;
    - Government grants already exist for adapting accommodation eg; wet room / over bath shower / closomat toilet;
    - Local Authorities already provide *free* aids and adaptations; 
    - Voucher schemes for taxi use and attending carer's travel costs would be impossible to administer and cost more to run than the current PIP payment system;
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    Anon · 4 months ago
    Where are all the comments on this,there were absolutely loads ,I gave followed this thread closely and gave own views which have disappeared???
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    Vincent Bateman Woolavington · 5 months ago
    I have applied for pip had a text saying that they are dealing with my claim then a week later they have sent me a letter saying they have not yet received my form ??? What the hell ????! 
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    Iain · 6 months ago
    I have been trying to phone pip for days now ..but every day i don't get through ..I get they r busy ..does anyone know of a better way of doing this pls ..I would be ever so grateful 
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    Jane · 7 months ago
    I had to update my address after I recently moved house, and it took three hours. I had to take the afternoon off work as there is no option to do this online - I thought the government wanted disabled people to work? Why are they actively trying to ensure that disabled people can't hold down jobs, by insisting they are available for hours during working hours to do something that should take 30 seconds online?
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    Claimant · 9 months ago
    I called PIP helpline today; Tuesday mid morning, 41:52 minutes later I’m still waiting. I struggle with fatigue so I will be too exhausted to have a conversation by the time they answer. This is my second attempt the latter I was on hold 40 minutes I got too tired to persevere  so I had to hang up. I’m sadly gonna have to hang up if it’s any longer as I’m so tired due to my health condition. 
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    Shanie · 1 years ago
    I have currently been waiting on hold with PIP for 1h 30min, no answer yet and their phone lines close in 30 mins. I only have until tomorrow to ask them to reconsider or they will close my case. Looks like I'm calling at 9 tomorrow.
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    Claire · 1 years ago
    I called on the last Tuesday of September at 3pm and it took 35 mins to get through.
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    Rachel · 1 years ago
    I called Tuesday at 4pm and waited 18 minutes before I got through to some one 
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    Traci · 1 years ago
    I called 3 different days last week, the shortest time I was on hold for was 3 hours, the longest 4½ hours, each time I was just cut off without ever speaking to anyone, after waiting so long! It's not fair or good for people's mental health to do this.
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    Tracy · 1 years ago
    I was on hold for 55 minutes two weeks ago 
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    Mark · 1 years ago
    I've been cut off loads of times they just like to play with your head. Karma will bite them all on the bum one day. I use a disability place for forms. They can get extensions for you for review. I got my letter with less than 2weeks to get it returned. Took me 2 days before I got hold of them but I used a different method. I went for a new claim option or one of them. Not the option for review. The man on the phone was actually really nice bit weird. But he was a decent call handler.
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    Graham · 1 years ago
    I'm not sure why this should be the case, but we have a team of three who try to contact the PIP Helpline on a daily basis, and we have been keeping track of the time taken to answer. Over the last month our calls have been answered between 55 and 65 minutes. That's just us in Newcastle! Has anyone been able to hazard a guess at the wasted advisor time been eaten away whilst waiting on hold? Across the country it must be staggering. Keep up the good work.   
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    Linda · 1 years ago
    The whole system is abysmal and in utter meltdown. 
    Year on year it has significantly deteriorated and if it was inspected as schools and the care sector are, it would be classed as INADEQUATE!!!! 
    The reality is, it is inadequate, is not fit for purpose and it’s time a class court action was taken against them 
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    Anne · 1 years ago
    Cut off repeatedly,then endless queue,this entire system is unfit for purpose.Deliberately so to put people off claiming what they are entitled to.We
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    lorri · 1 years ago
    I have been cut off time and time and time again, all I wanted to do is ask for extension of time to resubmit updated claim and now wasted over 8 hours of my time and still no further forward its a disgrace and making me feel immensely stressed as I expect they will stop my PIP as a result leading to even more anxiety and financial hardship 

  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    Andrew · 1 years ago
    Whenever I've rang them its always been about an hour before someone answers, if I'm lucky, so I've given up.
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    Heena · 1 years ago
    After I stopped getting cut off I was in a queue for over an hour and when I did get through they said I was calling the wrong department and I rang another number and they said the same thing. I kept going around in circles. 
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    And · 1 years ago
    Amazingly I rang on monday morning at 9.15am, waited 30 minutes and got to speak to some one!!!

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