UK: Disability benefits (UC, ESA and PIP) - news and updates 2024 and 2025

DWP is using AI to check applications for these benefits
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has revealed how it is using AI to identify potential overpayments and fraudulent claims across various benefits, including Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment (PIP).

Sharing new details in the official government algorithm database, the department says it is using an AI tool called 'intelligent claims analysis' to flag cases that require further review.

Claimed by millions, Universal Credit and PIP are among the key benefits designed to support those in financial hardship or with long-term disabilities.

DWP states that the AI tool helps identify inconsistencies in claims by cross-referencing application data with past submissions and external databases, such as tax and employment records. A human agent then reviews flagged cases before any action is taken.

The system works by assessing key indicators within a claim, comparing them against historical data patterns, and assigning a "risk score".
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DWP is using AI to check applications for these benefits
 
DWP to get people with 'invisible' disabilities back into work
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has unveiled new plans to assist individuals with fluctuating health conditions in finding employment.

The announcement was made by Labour Party MP and DWP minister, Alison McGovern, in the Commons this week.

Mark Sewards, Labour MP for Leeds South West and Morley, questioned the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on the steps her department is taking to ensure that people with fibromyalgia, ADHD and other invisible disabilities are supported back into work.

In response, Ms McGovern said: "Backed by £240m investment, the Get Britain Working White Paper launched on 26 November will drive forward approaches to tackling economic inactivity and work toward the long-term ambition of an 80% employment rate."

She added: "As a Government, we want to support all forms of neurodiversity in the workplace, and we are looking to build on the findings of the Buckland Review of Autism Employment by gathering expert evidence in line with this expanded focus.
"Appropriate work is generally good for health and wellbeing, so we want everyone to get work and get on in work, whoever they are and wherever they live.

"Disabled people and people with health conditions, including those with fibromyalgia, ADHD and other invisible conditions, are a diverse group so access to the right work and health support, in the right place, at the right time, is key.
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DWP to get people with 'invisible' disabilities back into work
 
It's all very nice, but governments never take employers into account.

I worked nearly 40 years with ME/CFS and autism, but only because of the sort of work I did, the employers I had, and the timeframe my working life fell into.

I managed my own workload and schedule, and I was good enough at what I did to earn significant professional respect. But in a culture dominated by micromanagement, inflexibility, and performance appraisal that values arbitrary targets over skill, I'd be unemployable.

Same person, same skillset, different attitudes.
 
https://www.icontact-archive.com/ar...4b7e81a15d03a3040ca2700682dadb514b7c01a8d57f0

Benefits and Work Guide monthy newsletter

GREATER PROPORTION OF PIP FACE-TO-FACE ASSESSMENTS PLANNED

The proportion of PIP assessments that are face-to-face is set to rise from the Autumn of this year, DWP disability minister Stephen Timms has revealed in a written parliamentary answer.

Timms stated that, as part of the Functional Assessment Services (FAS) process, “a paper-based assessment will always be considered in the first instance, for all cases. Where a paper-based review is not possible the claimant will be invited to an assessment.”

Where claimants need a specific type of assessment, such as a telephone assessment because of difficulties with travelling, then they will be allocated that.

Other claimants will get the next available appointment, regardless of whether that is face-to-face, telephone or video. But claimants can request a change of assessment type if this would constitute a reasonable adjustment.

Timms went on to say that “The FAS suppliers are also increasing their capacity to deliver more face-to-face assessments, and the department expects the reported percentage of face-to-face assessments to increase towards Autumn 2025.”

UC SANCTIONS HIT RECORD HIGH

The number of universal credit claimants who were hit with a sanction reached a record high of 61,527 in October 2024.

The previous highest figure was in January 2024, when 57,192 claimants were sanctioned.

Failure to attend or participate in a mandatory interview accounted for over 90% of all sanctions.

Many claimants had hoped that Labour would immediately introduce a less punitive regime when they took control of the DWP. However, figures for their first few months in office suggest that nothing has changed so far.

DWP REVEALS HOW LONG CLAIMANTS DELAY UC CLAIM

The DWP revealed in oral evidence to the work and pensions committee last week how long most people delay after receiving their managed migration letter, before making a claim for universal credit.

  • 25% claim as soon as they get the migration notice
  • 60% to 70% claim in weeks 12 to 13.
In other words, two thirds of claimants leave it as late as possible after getting a migration notice before putting in their UC claim.

The DWP also gave more details of the “enhanced support journey” that begins if an ESA claimant hasn’t made a claim for UC by week 12 after being sent a migration notice.

This involves the DWP making three attempts to contact a claimant by phone. If these attempts fail, a home visit is arranged.

Whilst this is happening, the DWP say they do not end the legacy benefits claim.

Of 69,000 ESA claimants who have gone through the enhanced support journey so far 28,000 have been referred for a home visit, whilst the rest have been referred to Citizens Advice Help To Claim Service.

The DWP have doubled the number of visiting officers from 350 to 700.

But whether this number will be sufficient to deal with demand as migration numbers increase rapidly, remains to be seen.

A QUARTER OF MANAGED MIGRATIONS END IN NO CLAIM, ESA SUCCESS RATE HIGHER

Official figures released by the DWP show that just over a quarter of managed migrations end with UC not being claimed and legacy benefits claims closed.

But the figures for ESA migrations show a much higher success rate.

For example, 50% of working tax credit claimants have had their claims closed without claiming UC and 32% of child tax credit claimants were similarly closed.

But the figures for joint child tax credit and employment support allowance claims show that :

  • 74.07% claimed UC,
  • 1.69% had their legacy benefit claim closed,
  • 24.26% are still in progress.
It’s very early days for ESA only results, but so far, out of 37,481 notices sent out since September 2024:

  • 26.50% claimed UC,
  • 0.33% had their legacy benefit claim closed,
  • 73.20% are still in progress.

UC MANDATORY MIGRATION GUIDE FOR MEMBERS UPDATE

Benefits and Work has updated our members’ guide to ‘Successful ESA to UC Managed Migration’ to take account of current claimant concerns.

In general, the impression we are getting from feedback from members is that managed migration is progressing relatively smoothly, at least in terms of very few people now being asked to produce fit-notes or agree to work commitments when having been in the support group.


 
I have to do a PIP review. I was hoping I'd be able to download the AR1 form as a PDF, fill it in on computer, print off and send it, which is what I did with the initial application. But the only AR1 form I can find on gov.uk has 'sample - do not use' across all the pages. Anyone know if there's a usable version hiding somewhere?
 
I printed off strips of my responces and pasted onto the form. Another time I just referenced the question and responded on a sheet of a4. My hand writing is illegible and spelling terrible so I apologised and trusted Word to sort it. DWP did not quible. You should be able to request an assessible version if they answer the phone
Best of luck of course.
We have been waiting 11 months for the outcome and they say they are 12 months behind. I got my MP to chase them as the bluebadge is about to expire soon.
 
yME said:
I printed off strips of my responces and pasted onto the form. Another time I just referenced the question and responded on a sheet of a4. My hand writing is illegible and spelling terrible so I apologised and trusted Word to sort it. DWP did not quible. You should be able to request an assessible version if they answer the phone
Best of luck of course.
We have been waiting 11 months for the outcome and they say they are 12 months behind. I got my MP to chase them as the bluebadge is about to expire soon.
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11 months, god that's dreadful. Thanks for the advice. I'll end up cobbling something together!
 
This whole phenomenon really deserves the name "Imagine a world"-based medicine. They just imagine achieving something, then pretend like they have and all the wonders it would bring.
"Disabled people and people with health conditions, including those with fibromyalgia, ADHD and other invisible conditions, are a diverse group so access to the right work and health support, in the right place, at the right time, is key.
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If you could do the thing, you would be doing the thing already. You have never done the thing, because you never bothered doing the work that would allow you to do the thing, so you don't know how to do the thing you are imagining. So they just invent this delusional fantasy in which they already can do the thing, and expect no one to bother checking anything. Because this is "Imagine a world"-based medicine. No one checks. No one cares to check, it makes people sad to find out that, no, they can't actually do the thing.

They may as well be going in the business of selling bridges, for all that this has a chance of being successful.

This all reminds me of some dude my father was, I think, playing golf with, some years ago. He had this presentation made, for a good sum, about some device that increases fuel economy in cars, and my dad asked me what I think of it. And the presentation was all the same as this: imagine a world where cars use less fuel, how great it would, how good it would be for the environment, how much money less people would spend. Nevermind that increasing fuel economy would actually lead to people using their cars more, this likely increasing total consumption.

And that's all the presentation was: imagine a world in which this device exists. It doesn't exist, but imagine it did. Then send money. Don't ask to account for it, though. Once the bridge has been sold, no backsies. You just buy the bridge, you're not supposed to expect to ever use it. There is no bridge, just the concept of imagining that you own the bridge.
 
Yes, I scanned my form in and typed my answers onto the scans. [ETA: sorry, this was in reply to @Eleanor]

I also waited months and months for the outcome, yet they wanted me to complete the form in about a bloody fortnight. Luckily I'd drafted the answers to most of the questions in advance because I knew the review was due, but I'd have struggled to manage the whole thing even with a four week extension.

I filled it in as if it were a new claim, so it was very comprehensive. Seemed to work, because when they did finally get round to reading it, they changed the award to ongoing. It'll probably be reviewed again in 10 years.
 
@Eleanor i do seem to remember that the AR1 was recently changed, Benefits and Work wrote a new guidance on it. I cant remember what the changes were (this is in terms of guidance in filling it in) but they seemed important, so I'd recommend checking their website

Good luck with it all
 
JemPD said:
To clarify for readers who not aware, the 'Severe Disability group' is a new thing, whereby for the people who qualify wont have to go through the usual process of applying for ESA/UC/PIP.
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I hadn't been aware of this. It's still under test and only in certain locations:

Gov.uk said:
Clinicians will identify suitable patients. This is currently being tested in conjunction with Blackpool NHS Trust and the British Society of Physical Rehabilitation Medicine (BSPRM).
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I can't find any info about 'Light Touch' PIP reviews on the government website. Is there any?

I've found this on the Salford CAB site:

Salford CAB said:
Personal Independence Payment (PIP) light touch reviews

Some Personal Independence Payment (PIP) claimants whose condition is severe and unlikely to change are subject to a ‘light touch review’. This means your award will only be reconsidered after 10 years. This can apply if a claimant:

  • is over pension age, or
  • has a severe, lifelong condition and receives the enhanced rate of both daily living and mobility components
As PIP was introduced in 2013, some of these awards will now be subject to review. The DWP has developed a simplified form to be used in these cases. These are due to be introduced in August 2023. The DWP do not expect an assessment with a health professional will be required for most of these claimants. Contact should be restricted to checking whether anything has changed and confirming that information held by the DWP is up to date.
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