Millions of people who receive Personal Independence Payment (PIP) will experience significant changes to the disability benefits system from November 2026. Government chiefs have said, though, that PIP will continue to be non-means-tested, increase annually in line with inflation, remain tax-free and not be affected by the Benefit Cap.
The most recent data from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) also suggests that 17 per cent of all PIP claimants – more than 617,000 people – are employed and receive payments ranging from £29.20 to £187.45 weekly, equating to £116.80 or £749.80 every four-week pay period.
There are also proposals to elevate the application age from 16 to 18 and increase the number of face-to-face assessments – these declined during the pandemic due to lockdown measures. However, the most significant alteration will be to eligibility, primarily through a revision of the points scoring system for the daily living component.
If successfully legislated, the proposed changes will begin for new and existing claimants from next November, reports the Daily Record. If your review is scheduled before November 2026, and the DWP clears the current backlog of outstanding PIP reviews, your review should be conducted and a new award decision made which, if successful, should extend beyond that crucial date.
If your award review date is post-November 2026, you will be subject to the newly proposed assessment changes and the revision of the points system for the daily living component.
To qualify for payment, you’ll need to score at least four points in one of the ten daily living questions – even if scoring two in every question takes you past the award thresholds of eight (standard rate) and twelve (higher rate).
How to protect your PIP payments
A successful claim for PIP offers additional financial assistance for working-age people with a disability, long-term illness or physical or mental health condition. Here are some straightforward steps to take now to ensure you understand how a review might impact your entitlement or payments:
PIP 2 evidence form
Submitting online claims for PIP can make it easier to save a copy to your home computer or laptop for future reference. However, those completing a paper-based form should create a copy of the original document before sending it off.
If you don’t already have a copy of the PIP 2 evidence form – the health questionnaire you completed prior to receiving an assessment – contact the PIP enquiry line on 0800 121 4433 and request one. Having a copy of this will assist you with any future reviews for PIP.
The form can assist in recalling your initial responses to the daily living and mobility queries, but crucially, it can help articulate how your condition impacts you now – particularly if your circumstances have altered and your health has deteriorated or you’ve developed additional issues.
Keep a diary
Keeping a diary is a vital tool that all disability benefit claimants should be aware of, and it doesn’t necessarily need to be a physical document. Utilising your mobile phone, computer, laptop or tablet can be an easy method to note ‘bad days’ and record significant instances when something related to your condition occurs.
Establishing a specific note, with the time and date, where you can add things you might want to mention at a future PIP review, or simply adding it to the calendar function.
This isn’t a task that needs to be done daily, just things that are relevant to how your condition affects you. This could encompass everyday tasks you found challenging to safely complete on your own, forgetting to take medication, or experiencing low mood or frustration as a result of your condition.
Other aspects to consider noting would be if performing everyday activities:
- Were painful for you
- Take you a long time
- Puts you or someone else in danger
- Makes you feel breathless
- Makes you unsteady
This style of note-taking or diary keeping is a useful strategy for people with fluctuating conditions, as it could simplify the process of explaining ‘good days and bad days’ to healthcare professionals. It can also help you track the frequency of significant health events, which are sometimes so regular that they are quickly forgotten.
Medical Appointments
It’s crucial to attend any medical appointments related to your condition to ensure your records are current. This could also encompass counselling or physiotherapy sessions.
Contact a Charity or Condition-Related Organisation
Reaching out to a charity with specialist knowledge of your condition could be beneficial, even if it’s just to confirm you’re not missing out on additional support.
These suggestions are just a few steps everyone on disability benefits can take to begin safeguarding their future payment award by creating a personal evidence trail that can make it easier to recall specific examples of how their condition affects them. You can participate in the UK Government’s consultation on proposed changes to PIP and the benefits system on GOV.UK here.
