People who claim Personal Independence Payment could be due a payment of £13,000 thanks to a change in the rules – and many may not know the money is there.

The Department for Work and Pensions is reviewing PIP claimants to identify those who may be due back payments of up to £13,000- reports the Daily Record.

Independent benefits advice website Benefits and Work said: “The search is the result of a Supreme Court decision in July which found that the DWP had not been awarding the correct points to some claimants with mental health conditions who need prompting or social support to engage in face-to-face [situations] with other people.

“Some claimants will have missed out on awards of the standard daily living component since April 2016 and will be entitled to around £13,000 in back payments of PIP.”

In some cases, eligible claimants due the award may also be entitled to back payments of means-tested benefits premiums.

The website added: “Others who claimed more recently, or who should have got the enhanced rate but only received the standard rate, will be entitled to smaller but still substantial sums.”

Who could be eligible?

• People who need the input of particular friends or relatives with experience of supporting them in social situations, rather than just any well-meaning friend or relative, to help them manage face-to-face encounters.

The DWP search will date back to April 2016 for potentially affected people, including claimants who didn’t receive any award for PIP.

However, Benefits and Work is concerned that some people will be overlooked, including those who made a claim before April 2016 and those whose award was made by a tribunal.

The DWP does not “have the power to change tribunal decisions on the grounds of an error of law and you will need to contact the DWP yourself in these circumstances,” they advised.

What is the change in the law?

In August, the DWP outlined changes it was making to the PIP process which determined the level of financial support awarded to claimants during certain time periods.

These changes are a result of amendments changes to PIP law for:

• Managing medication and monitoring a health condition – changes from 28 November 2016 to 15 March 2017

• Safety and supervision – changes from 9 March 2017

• Special diet as therapy – changes from 28 November 2016

• Overwhelming psychological distress and planning journeys – changes from 28 November 2016

The changes to PIP law affects how it decides claims for:

• people who currently get PIP

• people who applied for PIP in the past but do not currently get it

• people moving from Disability Living Allowance (DLA) to PIP