Is there any truth?

Like thousands of people going through another review stage for PIP, I received an extension letter iro 18 month ago saying my existing 6 year award was being extended by 9 months. My first PIP award was for 3 years and my second for 6 years which should have ended July 2023 but was extended to April 2024. My renewal papers were sent to me in May 2023 with a return of June 2023. It is now 7 months since I submitted my return and I have heard nothing apart from a couple of texts. Considering my award finished 6 months ago, the DWP have paid out £4,491 which could have potentially been saved had they reviewed my case far earlier. I recently read elsewhere that cases that stand a good chance of remaining at the same level or being re-awarded for another duration of time are reviewed last. I ask Is there any truth to this because if not, there must be thousands who do not have their PIP renewed but have been overpaid for a number of months and do not have to repay anything. This would amount to £millions.

You would like to think when you send your forms back they do not stay unopened for (in my case) 7 months. You would like to think a case handler opens said envelope, scans the submission and then grades it on priority. Have you had any feedback from anyone in the know as to what they actually do with the applications when received?
Many thanks
Andy

I think you may be suggesting a level of organisational efficiency that the DWP simply does not possess.

It is more a case of being severely understaffed, undertrained, under-resourced and the left hand not knowing what the right hand is doing.

I got a compliance letter saying I must phone Newcastle IMMEDIATELY as they suspected I was claiming benefits I was not entitled to.

On the phone, the DWP compliance 'officer' suggested I was claiming income-related benefits I was not entitled to.

"I am doing nothing of the sort", I said.
"My claim was refused over 12 years ago and I was told all I could get now is earnings-related support", (as I cannot work through my neurological disability which leaves me bed-bound).
"I have not claimed anything since and accepted exactly what DWP tells me I am entitled to".

"Well send me the last 3 years of your bank statements immediately", he said.

I got them organised and sent them, had my carer dig out all the DWP back correspondence and went through all that.

It transpired that the £12 I was getting as top-up when switched from IB to ESA (to ensure my benefit remained the same after the change) was being diagnosed by the compliance guy as wrongly claimed income-related benefit.

I wrote and explained and asked for my original bank statements to be returned for safety asap.

No reply, no explanation, no apology for wrongly accusing me of criminal behaviour, no bank statements.

Nothing.

That is the DWP.