MPs warn long delays in disability benefit claims are pushing people into hardship

Long delays in processing disability benefit claims in the United Kingdom are unacceptable and risk driving vulnerable people into debt and poverty, MPs have warned, as fresh figures highlight persistent backlogs in the system.

A report by the cross party Public Accounts Committee said some claimants are waiting more than a year for decisions on Personal Independence Payment, a key benefit designed to help people with long term health conditions or disabilities meet the extra costs of daily living. The committee described current performance as unacceptably poor and said the impact on individuals can be severe.

Personal Independence Payment, commonly known as Pip, is administered by the Department for Work and Pensions. The department’s own target is to process 75 per cent of new claims within 75 working days. However, in the most recent financial year, only 51 per cent of claims were decided within that timeframe, leaving thousands of applicants waiting far longer than planned.

MPs said prolonged delays leave many claimants without vital financial support while they wait for assessments and decisions. For people unable to work or facing higher living costs due to disability, the lack of income can quickly lead to rent arrears, mounting bills and reliance on loans or family support.

The committee warned that long waits also worsen stress and anxiety among claimants, many of whom already face significant physical or mental health challenges. MPs said the system is failing to provide the timely support that disabled people are entitled to and that improvements have been too slow despite repeated warnings in previous years.

In its report, the Public Accounts Committee criticised the department for not doing enough to tackle underlying causes of delay. These include staff shortages, high turnover among assessors and inefficiencies in how claims are handled. MPs said while demand for Pip has increased, this does not fully explain why performance has fallen so far below targets.

The Department for Work and Pensions said that at the end of October, the average time taken to decide a Pip claim was around 16 weeks. While this represents an improvement compared with some earlier periods, MPs said averages mask the reality faced by those waiting far longer, sometimes more than a year.

Disability charities echoed the committee’s concerns, saying delays undermine the purpose of the benefit. They argue that Pip is meant to provide timely support, not arrive after people have already fallen into financial crisis. Campaigners have also raised concerns about claimants being forced to rely on food banks or emergency grants while waiting for decisions.

The DWP said it is taking steps to improve performance, including recruiting additional staff and streamlining assessment processes. Officials argue that changes introduced in recent months are beginning to reduce backlogs, but acknowledged that demand remains high and that further improvements are needed.

MPs, however, said progress has been too slow and called for clearer accountability and timelines. They urged the department to prioritise the longest waiting cases and to provide better communication with claimants so people are not left in the dark about the status of their applications.

The issue comes against a broader backdrop of cost of living pressures, which have hit disabled people particularly hard due to higher energy use, transport costs and reliance on specialist equipment. MPs said delays in benefit payments amplify these pressures at the worst possible time.

The committee concluded that while reform will take time, current service levels are not acceptable. It warned that without sustained action, long waits for disability benefits will continue to push vulnerable people deeper into hardship, undermining confidence in a system meant to provide support and security.