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Letter: Not All PIP Claimants Need It
Published on: 6 Jun, 2025
Updated on: 6 Jun, 2025
From Helena Townsend
In response to: Eight Out of Ten PIP Claimants in Guildford Face Cuts to Their “Lifeline”
I am sure Zöe Franklin hears only from genuine people who need PIP and yes it is very sad if they lose much-needed support.
Sadly however, there are many out there who claim it and probably don’t need to.
I have a friend in her early forties claiming PIP, she won’t work as she will lose benefits but told me the other day she is considering volunteering. I just don’t know what to say. It’s heart-breaking for me knowing that my taxes are supporting that kind of culture.
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Responses to Letter: Not All PIP Claimants Need It
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Ian Stronge
June 7, 2025 at 11:01 pm
PIP is awarded for specific difficulties, as identified on a long claim form. The payment awarded varies according to each level of difficulty. Entitlements are checked by assessments in person.
It’s called a Personal Independence Payment because it’s meant to help people help themselves, to stop being a burden on others. Being enabled to volunteer, or hold down a job, within their capabilities would be an excellent outcome.
Helena Townsend
June 9, 2025 at 4:04 pm
Holding down a job would be an excellent outcome, my point is if my friend can volunteer she can take a paid job and claim less PIP which she chooses not to do.
Ian Stronge
June 19, 2025 at 7:41 pm
Helena Townsend doesn’t say what sort of volunteering her friend is considering. Perhaps she didn’t say. Let’s suppose it’s equivalent to part-time work of a particular type, but unpaid, and her interview leads to her being accepted as a volunteer. That might be a bridge to getting a job of some similar kind, or it might prove too much for her. Her volunteering might impress a prospective employer, or it might not.
Choosing to progress things in careful steps shows a good level of insight into her situation, while PIP continues to provide the support she needs. (By the way, PIP awards are regularly reviewed against strict criteria. If her friend no longer needs that support, she’ll no longer get PIP.)