The Department for Communities in Northern Ireland is looking to hear from people who have claimed Personal Independence Payment (PIP), as they launch an Independent Review of the benefit.

People with M.E. frequently tell us that PIP is failing to meet the needs of those with invisible and fluctuating conditions. If you live in Northern Ireland and have applied for PIP, please tell us about your experience of claiming the benefit so that we can demonstrate the needs of people with M.E. to the Department and highlight how the benefit could be improved.

The Independent Review is seeking information relating to:

• claimant’s experience of the process, including the assessment and the Appeals Service
• whether the assessment criteria is appropriate for people with fluctuating conditions
• what kinds of further evidence claimants send in, and what barriers people face in doing so.

If you have any comments on the above topics, or if there is anything else about the PIP application and assessment that you would like to share, you can comment or alternatively get in touch by email. Any information you share will be anonymised before being included in our response.

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