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CAB - PIP waiting times falling 'slowly but surely'
Citizens Advice has called for an end to delays for people applying for Personal Independence Payments (PIP).
New Department of Work and Pensions statistics about PIP claims published show that the average waiting time for someone making a new PIP claim is down to eleven weeks.
Since PIP was introduced in April 2013 Citizens Advice has helped people with over 320,000 issues relating to the benefit.
Gillian Guy, Chief Executive of Citizens Advice, said:
"Personal Independence Payment waiting times are falling slowly but surely. It's encouraging that average length of time it takes to claim PIP is coming down, but eleven weeks is a long time to go without financial support. It is important to recognise that some people are still facing much longer delays, so waiting times need to continue to decrease.
"Citizens Advice wants to see the end of long delays for people applying for PIP. Average waiting times need to be reduced to a period which is manageable for people who may be dealing with the fallout of a serious illness or accident."
Notes to editors
- The Citizens Advice service comprises a network of local Citizens Advice, all of which are independent charities, the Citizens Advice consumer service and national charity Citizens Advice. Together we help people resolve their money, legal and other problems by providing information and advice and by influencing policymakers. For more see the Citizens Advice website.
- The advice provided by the Citizens Advice service is free, independent, confidential, and impartial, and available to everyone regardless of race, gender, disability, sexual orientation, religion, age or nationality.
- To get advice online or find your local bureau in England and Wales, visit citizensadvice.org.uk
- You can get consumer advice from the Citizens Advice consumer service on 03454 04 05 06 or 03454 04 05 05 for Welsh language speakers.
- Local Citizens Advice in England and Wales advised 2.5 million clients on 6.2 million problems in 2014/15. For full service statistics see our publication Advice trends.
