PIP claimants urged to contact DWP over three crucial life changes that could cost benefit

Personal Independence Payments (PIP) are designed to assist disabled people with the extra living costs associated with their conditions. The eligibility for this benefit largely hinges on how their condition impacts their daily life and mobility, but other lifestyle factors can also influence the entitlement. This includes entering care, travelling abroad for a certain period, or being held in jail.

The Department for Work and Pensions cautions: "You could be taken to court or have to pay a penalty if you give wrong information or do not report a change straight away." Such changes can alter the amount you're entitled to receive from PIP, or even your overall eligibility.

Receiving benefits when you're not entitled to them is termed as a benefit overpayment, and you may be required to repay it or potentially face prosecution for benefit fraud. To report these changes, claimants must get in touch with the PIP enquiry line via telephone, textphone, Relay UK or the British Sign Language video relay service.

These services operate Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm. More details can be found on the Gov.uk website, along with a comprehensive list of changes in circumstances that must be reported to the DWP.

Entering care

This could involve admission to a hospital, hospice, nursing home, or care home. Those entering a care home will also need to keep the DWP updated about any other changes during their stay.

You must notify if there's a shift in how your care home fees are paid - for example if you begin or cease receiving funding from the NHS or local council, or if you relocate to another care home. The DWP also needs to be alerted if you're hospitalised from a care home or if you were temporarily residing in a care home and have now become a permanent resident.

Being incarcerated

PIP is one of the benefits that are put on hold while claimants are in prison, meaning it can resume once they are released. These payments are also only halted if the claimant is in custody for more than 28 days in a 12 month period. More information can be found here.

Travelling abroad

The current PIP Handbook on GOV.UK advises: "This change may affect the claimant's entitlement to PIP. We will need to know the date the claimant is leaving the country, how long they are planning to be out of the country, which country they are going to, and why they are going abroad."

PIP claimants who are travelling abroad for more than four weeks need to inform the DWP. You can still claim the benefit for up to 13 weeks abroad, or 26 weeks if you're away for medical treatment.

People who permanently move abroad, to an EEA country or Switzerland, may still be eligible to receive PIP if they meet certain criteria, but they will no longer be able to get the mobility component of PIP. The DWP also must be informed if your immigration status in the UK changes and you're not a British or Irish citizen.