Work needed to improve system for delivering PIP benefit in NI – Ombudsman

A Stormont department must do more to improve the system for claimants of the Personal Independence Payment (PIP) benefit in Northern Ireland, a report has stated.

Public Services Ombudsman Margaret Kelly said the Department for Communities has implemented a number of recommendations she had previously made relating to how it uses “further evidence” in support of PIP claims.

PIP replaced Disability Living Allowance (DLA) in Northern Ireland in 2016 as the main benefit for some of the most vulnerable in society.

In June 2021 the ombudsman found that repeated failings by the department in how it handled further evidence amounted to “systemic maladministration”.

She told a Stormont committee at the time that too many people in Northern Ireland had their PIP claim unfairly rejected.

Further evidence is the name given to information supplied by a claimant’s carer or health professional (such as their GP).

It is used in addition to the information gathered during a claimant’s consultation with a disability assessor.

Following her 2021 report, Ms Kelly made 33 recommendations on how the system could be improved.

She said over the last two years her staff have been working closely with the department and monitoring the progress made.

Her follow-up report showed that out of the 33 recommendations made, 10 have been fully met, 18 partly met, and five were not met.

Ms Kelly said there is now clearer information to claimants about how further evidence is gathered and used and better training and guidance to case managers so they can obtain further evidence.

She also welcomed the fact that there is more information for claimants about the mandatory reconsideration process where claimants can challenge decisions, and also about the additional review stage.

However, the ombudsman said she still has concerns that “decision letters sent to claimants are still difficult to understand”.

She also said it is still not clear to claimants if their health professionals will be, or have been, contacted during the assessment of their claim and added that further focus is required to improve the data collated about the role of further evidence to help the department to get decisions right first time.

Ms Kelly said: “I will continue to engage with the Department for Communities, stakeholders and advocacy organisations to check on progress and to ensure further improvements take place.”

A Department for Communities spokesperson said: “The department is fully committed to continuing to improve the delivery of Personal Independence Payment, including support for claimants.

“We welcome the ombudsman’s acknowledgement of the considerable action taken by the department to implement the report recommendations and the challenges we face in relation to budgetary, commercial and system constraints.

“We remain focused on driving forward positive change for our customers by working closely with the Department for Work and Pensions and all our stakeholders.”