The DWP has provided details about how payments are determined for a range of benefits. The department is making changes to how it carries out mandatory reconsideration, a process that applies to many benefits, including PIP, Pension Credit and Universal Credit.
Liberal Democrat MP Helen Maguire asked ministers about what they are doing to improve DWP response times and to ensure mandatory reconsiderations are “adequately assessed”. If you disagree with a benefits decision, in some cases you can request mandatory reconsideration, for your case to be looked at again.
You can ask for mandatory reconsideration for these benefits:
- Attendance Allowance
- Bereavement Allowance
- Carer’s Allowance
- Carer’s Credit
- Child maintenance (sometimes known as ‘child support’)
- Compensation Recovery Scheme (including NHS recovery claims)
- Diffuse Mesothelioma Payment Scheme
- Disability Living Allowance (DLA)
- Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
- Funeral Expenses Payment
- Income Support
- Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit
- Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)
- Maternity Allowance
- National Insurance credits
- Pension Credit
- Personal Independence Payment (PIP)
- Sure Start Maternity Grant
- Universal Credit (including advance payments)
- Winter Fuel Payment.
In response to the question in Parliament, DWP minister Sir Stephen Timms explained that in law “there is no time limit” as to when a mandatory reconsideration has to be determined. He said: “This reflects the overarching policy that the focus should be on making the right decision and not on the speed of response.
“Decisions should always be made without delay, but if the decision maker believes more time is needed to gather or consider evidence, they must give themselves that time to ensure they are confident that the decision made is correct.”
You can request mandatory reconsideration if you think there were errors in how your claim was process or you want to present more evidence to support your claim. You can also request this if you otherwise disagree with the decision or if you want the DWP to look at your case again.
To request a mandatory reconsideration, you will need to contact the benefits office that issued the decision. You may be able to get in touch by calling a helpline, using your Universal Credit journal or by letter. The appropriate contact details should be included in your decision letter.
In some cases, a decision cannot be reconsidered and has to go straight to appeal. Mr Timms went on to explain how changes will apply specifically to PIP (Personal Independence Payment).
Mr Timms said: “For PIP we are recruiting mandatory reconsideration decision makers and making overtime available to increase productivity. We have a multi-tiered Quality Assurance Framework to ensure mandatory reconsideration decisions are legal and payments are accurate, and decision makers receive thorough training on all aspects of decision-making.”
PIP supports people who live have a long term health condition or disability, with payment rates varying depending on how you are affected in your daily life and in your mobility.
These are the current payment rates:
Mobility element
- Lower – £28.70
- Higher – £75.75.
Daily living element
- Lower – £72.65
- Higher – £108.55.