Macmillan Cancer Support is asking Benefits and Work readers to support a new campaign, #PayPIPNow. The charity is calling for the Government to reduce PIP waiting times to 12 weeks, so that PIP claimants, including people living with cancer, get the financial support when they need it the most.
The current average waiting time for PIP for people making a new claim is 20 weeks. That means if you were to apply on 14th September 2022 you could be waiting until 1st February 2023 to receive a payment. This is a shortfall of £3140 for those eligible for the highest rate of the benefit.
While delayed payments will be backdated, the immediate financial impact of cancer means people are facing significant financial difficulty up until this point.
Now with the spiralling cost of living adding a further strain, ensuring everyone has access to the financial support they are entitled to has never been more important. At a time when their health should be their number one priority, too many people are telling Macmillan that money is their biggest worry.
Macmillan told us:
“It is unacceptable that people with cancer are facing these distressingly long waits to receive the financial support they’re entitled to. That’s why we’re calling for the Government to take action to reduce PIP waiting times as a matter of urgency.
“If you are living with cancer and have experienced a wait of over 12 weeks at the start of your claim and would like to be involved in shaping and running the campaign by taking part in a focus group, please get in touch with the Campaigns Team at Macmillan Cancer Support at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
“We will be launching a campaign with a petition, targeting the new Minister for Disabled People, Health and Work, in due course. “
We’ll keep readers posted about the progress of the campaign.
Meanwhile, regardless of what your health condition is, please comment below and let us know about your experience of waiting for a decision to be made on your PIP claim.
