The success rate of new applicants for a key disability benefit has fallen by a quarter in the last year, and by more than 40 percent in two years, according to government figures.

The news comes after Budget proposals to restrict who can claim the Personal Independence Payment (PIP) sank amidst a storm of protests by disability campaigners and rebellious Tory MPs, even leading to the resignation of Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith.

PIP helps with the extra costs caused by long term illness and disability, and is available to people both in and out of work at up to £7,280 per year.

The government introduced PIP to replace the Disability Living Allowance (DLA) benefit, and many DLA claimants are now being reassessed for PIP. But for both new applicants and those looking to transfer over from DLA, the chances of being accepted onto PIP are diminishing.

In early 2014 the percentage of new applicants for PIP who succeeded with their claims was in the mid-60s, excluding those with terminal illnesses and those who withdrew their claims.

This success rate – or “award rate” – declined to around 53 percent for much of late 2014 and early 2015, before falling again to 40 percent and now below even that.

Source: Exclusive: Success rate for claiming disability benefit falls a quarter in just one year – Sentinel News

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