2 February 2015

A man (name kept anonymous) dies by suicide after being rejected for both Personal Independence Payment (PIP) and Employment Support Allowance (ESA).

What: A man from the West Midlands takes his own life after being told he be would not be eligible for either ESA or personal independence payment (PIP). His death only emerges four years later. His twin brother says DWP ignored information they were given about his brother’s mental health and suicidal feelings, and sent the two letters, one after the other, telling him he was losing his entitlement to ESA – which he had been granted while he was being assessed – and that he would not be entitled to PIP. About 10 days after receiving the two letters, he took his own life.

Why significant: One of the first known deaths linked to the PIP assessment system, following its introduction in 2013.