A potential benefit claimant has expressed reluctance to send their passport and driving licence to the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) by post, fearing the documents might be lost. The individual was informed that their Personal Independence Payment (PIP) claim would not be processed until they provided the required identification.
Reddit User Seeks Advice
The claimant turned to Reddit to ask whether this procedure was normal and to seek ways to expedite the process. Their post read: "Applied for PIP. And it said I need to provide two forms of ID. Tried to do this process online but it said for all new applicants, you have to call. So I did. And then they said they couldn't verify my ID as they don't have enough information. And that I now need to wait 14 days for a letter in the post with a code to verify my ID. They said I need to send the original copies of my passport and driving licence, which I'm not willing to do in case they get lost. Then and only then can my application be viewed. Is this normal? Is there anyway to speed things up a bit?"
Community Response
One response suggested: "Potentially you could go into a Jobcentre Plus with your documents. Secondly you can go to the Post Office for certified copies of your IDs if you don’t want to send originals, unsure the cost of this but they can be used for stuff like this that require 'original copies'."
DWP Clarifies Verification Options
BirminghamLive approached the DWP for official guidance. A spokesperson confirmed that claimants can verify their identity in a variety of ways, including over the phone by answering Knowledge Based Verification questions based on information the DWP already holds. Identity documents can also be sent by post, or claimants may prefer to provide certified copies. Under some circumstances, working age claimants can take documents into a Jobcentre, though the PIP claim process does not direct customers to job centres. Additional options include a visiting officer referral for vulnerable claimants and online verification through GOV.UK One Login.
