More than 710,000 disabled people are waiting for PIP decisions, with new claim wait times now at 20 weeks.
These delays can push people into poverty and worsen health conditions.
My new blog breaks down the backlog and why the Timms Review must not lose sight of delays and the harm they cause.
Households are also missing out on a lot of support, compared to if local housing allowance / LHA had increased as designed.
Those entitled to max support for 1 beds are missing out an average £100/month. That’s ~1/2 a month’s groceries for the single UC private renters we help with debt.
We’re seeing living standards decline + financial resilience erode: we refer 1 in 4 people we help with low LHA to charitable support + food banks.
This needs to change. To stop rent eating bigger holes into people’s budgets, LHA / housing costs support must be permanently re-linked to real rents.