A BOLTON MP has called on the government to speed up its review of mobility payments for people with mental health problems.

The High Court ruled the government acted unlawfully by barring sufferers of conditions such as anxiety, and bipolar disorder from higher payments within the mobility component of Personal Independent Payments (PIP).

And DWP figures reveal that than 11,560 people in Bolton might now have their case reviewed as a result of the ruling.

Yasmin Qureshi, MP for Bolton South East, has welcomed the government’s decision not to challenge the High Court.

But she said it was ‘not good enough’ that there was no timeline in place for reassessing the claims.

Ms Qureshi said: “I have personally raised this issue so many times in parliament and many of my colleagues have been raising the issue of DWP failures, whether it’s Universal Credit or PIP assessments.

Ms Qureshi added that the situation would never had arisen had assessments not been carried out by private health care firms.

She added: “The whole assessment process of the DWP has been a mess for a very long time and led to an extraordinary number of people appealing and the majority of people who appeal are successful – there’s very high rate of success.

“I’m pleased and welcome the fact the government is not appealing and has accepted the High Court’s decision. However, it doesn’t take away from all the problems these people will have had.”

One PIP claimant who hopes to have his case reviewed is Adrian Hind, from Farnworth. He has severe mobility and motor function problems and has trouble talking. Mr Hind is yet to receive a final diagnosis but doctors have told him it is likely he has primary progressive multiple sclerosis. He also suffers from depression.

The 43-year-old who had to give up worked in May last year, said: “I have issues with walking, talking, swallowing, depression, everything. And I’m jut getting worse and worse very quickly.”

The father of four, says his assessor saw him walk six feet across a room, and that it took him ‘all his effort’ to do so.

He added: “She didn’t even physically examine me. She is a private nurse overruling the decision of a consultant neurologist who wrote that I was ‘incapacitated.”

A DWP spokesman said: “Following this judgment by the High Court we’ll write to those who may be entitled to a higher rate of PIP, and any payments will be backdated to the effective date in each individual claim. Supporting people with mental health conditions remains a top priority, which is why we commissioned two expert-led reviews and have invested a record £11.6bn into mental health services.”