The DWP has developed an “automated Digital solution” which extends PIP awards repeatedly when they are close to ending if a review has still not been completed, a government minister has revealed this week.

Chloe Smith, minister for disabled people, disclosed the existence of the automated system in response to a parliamentary question about how many PIP claims are extended more than once.

Although Smith said that the figures for the number of claimants whose awards have been repeatedly extended was not available, she did admit that it was happening.

She told MPs:

“To protect PIP customers, we have developed an automated Digital solution which essentially extends the current award for cases where there is a risk that the claim will fall out of payment.

 “As we see continuing high demand for PIP new claims, customers are currently waiting longer than expected to have their claim reviewed, which has led to some awards being extended more than once.”

Have you had your PIP award extended because a review has still not been carried out?  Let us know in the comments section below.

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  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    Eric · 7 months ago
    Yes,I recived letter that mt PIP award end date has been extended because is not yet complete.
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    Alison · 1 years ago
    I receive enhanced  mobility rate which funds my motability vehicle. in 2021 i was notified my award was extended to june 2023. in dec 2021 i placed an order for my next car which should have been delivered march 2021. it's been over a year getting built because of covid and now ready to collect next week! my PIP award has only been extended to June 23 so the dealership is saying unless i can get an updated letter of award giving a min 12 months guaranteed award i can't have the car and will probably have to give up the car i have in a weeks time. How many try to call the PIP enquiry line? I've tried today and been cut off 9 times in 15 mins. NO idea where I go from here!
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    Sean Browne · 1 years ago
    I have been in limbo since well before Xmas. I still haven't received my up to date award letter from pips, so I couldn't renew my blue badge and I had to pay full price on my car tax because again I couldn't provide the award letter from pips.
    I've filled in the forms for a blue badge renew......which was extremely laborious, but even after a month I've heard nothing.
    I've tried calling several times and been left hanging on the phone for over an hour, just to have the phone go dead on me.
    When you do get through to someone, they either don't know what to tell you or give you a load of twaddle that you already know.
    It's so frustrating because all this could've been so easily avoided with a letter.
    I even wrote to DWP explaining all my issues and that I needed a copy of my up to date award letter, and what I got back is the exact one I have.....my current one which has now ran out.
    This whole country is up in arms under this government, and I cant see a way out, because the current government haven't got a clue how to get us out of it, and there's nobody from the other parties who want to take on this mess.
    Thankyou
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    joshuagary · 1 years ago
    My PIP was extended to April 2023 because of Covid but I received a PIP review form in August 8 months earlier?? I am totally stressed, the form had to be in by 14th September even though I wrote a letter explaining that they had sent the form early? I also asked for an extension I have no idea what to do. I have an appointment with CAB 21st September!!
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      Angela Raybould · 1 years ago
      @joshuagary Renewal forms are routinely sent out 6-8 months before the end date of the PIP.  My PIP was extended to June 23 from Sept 22, and I received the renewal form at the end of August.  It is annoying that they only give a month to return the form and a week has already been taken up by the time the form is received
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    Tommy Dowell · 1 years ago
    My PIP was due up in August 21 but due to covid extended to May 22 . I've still not heard from them regarding my claim ? It's now September & I'm starting to get anxious & worried about it. My car tax is due November & the certificate I hold has ran out so where does it leave me ?
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      Gary mann · 1 years ago
      @Tommy Dowell 15months iv waited now for an answer,they just keep extending it by text every three months,so aslong as I'm getting my money then I'm not so stressed....but it's the not knowing how long this extension is,that's not the best part
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    Ronnie Castledene · 1 years ago
    I Have been waiting nearly a year now for my review to be done my claim is with the assessment centre i applied for my blue badge through my local council separately from my pip claim and got it renewed straight away for 3 years but all this waiting around is effecting my Housing benefit and council tax very worrying. 
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    Michelle · 1 years ago
    I put my review into pip last July it got extended until may this year when that came round it got extended again until August then just resantly it got extended again my mental health is through roof im just sitting stressing about
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    Jay London · 1 years ago
    My PIP was originally extended for 9 months finishing in July 2022. However I was only allowed to call 3 weeks before expiry to request a further extension-which is now only 3 months. This has a knock on affect on my blue badge as they need the PIP extension letter with the mobility score to process and renew my application which can take up to 12 weeks. My problem is that by the time I receive my extension PIP letter and the blue badge is processed I will have to request a further PIP extension. I don’t think they took this into consideration with the 3 month extension for blue badge holders. The letters I received from by local council and YouGov explicitly informs me not to wait to renew blue badge and do it as soon as possible but I can only contact the PIP 3 weeks before expiry. I will also have to pay £10 for each renewal of blue badge. I don’t why the extension has to be so short - I am sure they can always review PIP before if they give an extension for longer i.e. 6 months to a year (which my council informed me was the normal extension period).  There is now a big possibility that I will not have my blue badge for a period time whilst I am waiting for its renewal. 
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    Aj · 1 years ago
    Pip renewal sent in last july 2021,  my renewal date has been renewed twice now, 3 months at a time, as they haven't done it yet. This 3 month period runs out in 30days
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    Tracey Bristol · 1 years ago
    My award for PIP was valid until January 2023 yet i have to review my award now..or payments will stop..why so soon..
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    Steve vizard · 1 years ago
    I have a while to wait. But I wouldn't be surprised if it all changed.

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    · 1 years ago
    my pip runs out in september and i sent the renewal form in october last year but i havent herd anything back from them,what will happen on the day my pip ends in september.my mental health is the issue i have and arthitis in hip and spine newly diagnosed,they havent even replied that they have received the renewal form i am still getting payed every month just dont know what will happen the day it runs out  anyone got any advice thanks
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    Sally · 1 years ago

    I was awarded the low rate PIP mobility And it has been given at that rate since I applied, November 2020 . AIFI operation in 2014 Was performed, a big operation to treat a degenerative disc pushing into my spinal cord. I was born with spina bifida And developed this generation where it was pushed into my spinal cord this has been  
    Removed  fusing
    And the recovery period left me in a wheelchair for a long time. I am still reliant on my wheelchair for days out.The Hypermobility Syndrome and  degenerative facet joints
    Snf perimenopause /menopause means  the pain has got far  Worse over time. citizens advice  Help to me and even typed the form out for me to apply. They indicated that I would get the full entitlement as I scored required  points to qualify for the higher rate of both within the first four questions. Although they obviously can’t guarantee that!

    I have now submitted a claim for the higher rate as they  extended the review days a  Number of times.  As I had Fraud that was obvious and my husband left After 24 years together,so I didn’t get the paperwork in until September 2021. I have just heard today that it is moved from the ethos To Blackpool office,  awaiting  assessment,
    The higher rate PIP as you know, Motability Scheme so in terms of Independence it opens up many avenues. Do you know how to contact Blackpool office to see how long this will be? 
    Or do you have any advice for me please
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    Montana · 1 years ago
    I sent my review in last September & my award ended this month. I have just got through after a 45minute wait to be told that it’s with the assessors however it’s been extended until August. I wasn’t sent a letter regarding this. The lady said there is a huge backlog & if it hasn’t been sorted out by August then it will be extended for a further 3 months.  
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    Amelia thornton · 1 years ago
    My claim renewal claim was end July 2021 its now May 2022 iv just had a text from DWP to say they will review my claim and might need to se a medical professional  iv bad no correspondence at all so I take it it was done digitally how long will this take S its making me ill
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    terdun9 · 1 years ago
    I have now been waiting for over a year now. they have had my review paperwork for over 1 year now and keep telling me that the medical department has it And I now waiting for a face to face medical, then this wee got the appointment letter appointment I had phoned to change the time of it and they then made it a phone consultation instead or a face to face my point is how can they do medicals over the phone.
    My circumstances have massively I now need surgery (2 new shoulders)not 1  as it was when the paperwork went in I'm pretty useless really it all changed for the worse. I keep ringing them and I just get told they are extending it,
     But this does not help with my Blue Badge  KCC keep telling me they cant do anything less then 6 mths on a blue badge I really do understand but it not much fun living at the moment......  lets hope we all get sorted out very soon
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    DW · 1 years ago
    My award was extended for 9 months from Aug 21 - May 22 due to Covid . I thought that meant I had until May 22 before the review paperwork / process would be due but they still said I had to have everything in within a month of the Aug date . This came as a surprise as I was on DLA before and you would normally have a review/ submit all paperwork etc a month before your claim ran out. But under pip I’ve been told they can review you at ANY TIME during your award period and it’s up to them. For example if you got a ten year award they can still review you after a year , so what’s the point in that case ? 

    Unfortunately in mid July as I was In the middle of gathering my medical History papers etc for the review I had the devastating news that I had Lymphoma and needed surgery and chemo.
    i called and spoke to a case worker and my review was put on hold for four months and then I was given two more extensions to deadline dates in which to submit my review paperwork which was a huge help .
    But it meant that my Blue Badge expired in Aug 21 and I had to reapply and pay for it to be extended the extra 9 months added due to Covid. This was all added stress as I was trying to get all of life affairs in order before my surgery as my condition was now life threatening.
     I submitted all my paperwork eventually at the end of Feb 22 giving them 3 months to get my review done . 
    I still hadn’t heard from them and now my Blue bade has expired again ...so now I need another doctors letter or have my pip extended .
    So I called them to see if they had any news on my claim and they said they had extended the award again for another 3 months . But I was not informed of this .
    I had to ask for a letter to be sent out for evidence to apply for blue badge again .
    That has taken a week. Received on a Thursday
    sent in by email and now the local council case worker handling my Blue badge is off on Friday so have to wait till Monday before application is even started and then it will take 10 days. 
    My current badge expired last week and I’ve now become Mikey Flannigans peeper through the curtain all day up until 11pm watching out for traffic wardens as I don’t have my badge yet . 
    Utterly stressful all the time .

    Before PIP I was on indefinite DLA which was awarded eventually after years of claims being denied and appeals of up to two years at a time. I was also severe disabled allowance. 
    When they changed me over from the legacy benefits from SDA to EDA I had to fill in all the new claim forms in 2015 . Then DLA to PIP in 2018 I had to claim and be assessed had home visit got full award but only for 3 years. Then in 2020 ESA made me claim again and now I’m 2021/22 all this pip stuff again and I’m still not sure what they ate going to do after the next 3 months is up.
    So for someone with an indefinite award previously I have had to review/ re claim
    and have four assessments in the last 6 years so it’s been every 18 months and this last lot due to Covid etc is still ongoing.
    Whats going to happen when they move me to UC I’m absolutely dreading it .! 

    its no wonder we’re all ill ...we’ Sick of this system ! 



  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    Neil · 1 years ago
    Do anyone actually know how long a decision takes on a renewal via a paper request?
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    Ywoman · 1 years ago
    I have had a dreadful year regarding my PIP review.
    It arrived in April 2021, a full year before my extended end date. This impacted my Blue Badge renewal which I could only get for one year.
    In August 2021 I retired and received my pension and pension credit. The pension credit stopped on March 3rd. 2022 because it is linked to the PIP end date, also It has caused problems with my renewing my Blue Badge a second time.
    I have made numerous phone calls to PIP,s average wait time 40 to 50 minutes. I was told my claim was on an extension for three months but I have not received written confirmation of this.
    I have been attempting to sort out the pension credit. I filled in an online claim which wasn’t resolved. I have made numerous phone calls to Pension Credit, average wait time 40 to 50 minutes. Finally I have received the backdated money they owe from March but was informed that I will have to reclaim Pension credit in June due to the roll on nature of PIP extensions.
    My council tax and housing benefit is also affected by this. Today I received an email to inform me that they have been stopped. 
    The situation is a nightmare to deal with especially when you are ill.
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    sherdane · 1 years ago
    Hi, I sent my review form, with additional papers regarding change of circumstances ie. my health has changed more for the worst. This was in February and I still haven’t had a letter responding to the additional information.

    I have not received a letter informing me of any extension either
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      Gillibaby · 1 years ago
      @sherdane I sent my review form in December 2021 and have just received a text message this morning with a telephone assessment date two weeks from today! So just be patient is the best advice I can offer, I know it’s a very stressful procedure 
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      Beth · 1 years ago
      @sherdane Hi Sherdane, I am in the same position as you.  I sent my additional papers regarding a change of circumstances in the end of January/February and I haven't had any response either relating to this.
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      Neil · 1 years ago
      @sherdane Do you mean a pip renewal?
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