'I helped build a tool to claim PIP so millions don't have to struggle like I did'

Jo is one of many benefits claimants who have struggled to claim. She has worked with charity Turn2Us to help people claim personal independence payments.

Jasmine Andersson
Updated ·4-min read
Jo helped create the simple-to-use tool for people claiming PIP
Jo helped create the simple-to-use tool for people claiming the personal independence payment benefit.

A disabled woman who struggled to claim disability benefit personal independent payment (PIP) has helped create a simple-to-use tool to help people through the “gruelling” process.

Jo, a 55-year-old retired counsellor who lives in Somerset, has dealt with hearing loss, cataracts and cognitive challenges since she received a life-saving bone marrow transplant to treat chronic myeloid leukaemia.

Her "awful" experience applying for PIP — a benefit for disabled people and those with long-term health conditions — made her want to help others put off by the process.

As a result, Jo assisted anti-poverty charity Turn2us in developing the Turn2us PIP helper tool.

The tool, launched on Thursday, guides people on how much they should expect to receive, as well as how to navigate the appeals process.

Speaking to Yahoo News, Jo said she was subjected to a “mentally draining” application, which saw her booked in for an assessment appointment — where a person is evaluated on how well they perform daily activities and move around — that she didn't need.

She said: "At the first appointment I had, I was told to go into town for an hour and come back because they'd overbooked the appointments and didn't have enough chairs."

"When I was finally assessed, I received a big apology from the person doing it because I wasn't even meant to be there in person because I had blood cancer."

Jo helped create the simple-to-use tool for Turn2Us
Jo first claimed PIP in 2016.

Jo also waited for months to receive PIP after her first application was turned down because she didn't "score enough points" in the assessment to be eligible. She appealed the decision, making her one of the 70% of DWP decisions cleared at a PIP tribunal hearing.

She added: “It's an awful process because it makes you focus on what you can't do rather than what you can't. Nobody wants to go around full of doom and gloom all day.

"The system is really hard to understand. It involves lots of personal information and it is a mentally draining process."

The tool, which was developed over two years with the help of people claiming PIP, helps people check whether they are eligible to apply, how much money they should expect to receive, as well as how their application is progressing. It includes:

  • Eligibility checker: Quickly assesses where people are eligible for PIP, including non-UK and Irish citizens

  • Likely award estimator: Guides users through questions about their daily activities, providing an estimated award.

  • Personalised form tips: Offers tailored tips for completing the PIP form accurately, addressing common challenges

  • Progress tracker: Users can save their progress, making it easy to pause and return to their application at any time, allowing them to proceed at a comfortable pace.

  • Enhanced accessibility: The tool is designed to be accessible, featuring screen reader compatibility, video captions, audio descriptions, and British Sign Language (BSL) support.

Turn2us said Jo is not alone in her experience. Approximately £870m in PIP payments go unclaimed each year, including people who start claims but don’t complete them, or who are eligible for higher payments but aren’t receiving them.

"Built over two years with direct input from PIP claimants, this tool addresses those barriers head-on," Michael Clarke, head of information programmes at Turn2us, said.

"Health, disability and financial security are deeply connected, and we are committed to helping people access the support they urgently need."

Meanwhile, Michael Paul, head of engagement, Disability Rights UK (DRUK), said: "PIP goes unclaimed by many thousands of disabled people every year, while thousands more are awarded lower rates than they should be,"

"By sharing the excellent Turn2us PIP helper as widely as possible, we will ensure as many disabled people as possible can access the appropriate PIP award.”

In response to the tool's launch, a DWP spokesperson said: “Millions of people rely on our welfare system every year and it is vital that it can be accessed by all who need it."

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