DWP has published the latest statistics for the PIP, which is claimed by millions of people across the UK
Nearly 3.7 million Brits on Personal Independence Payment (PIP) are set to experience sweeping changes to the disability benefits system from November 2026, as part of new reforms recently unveiled by the UK Government. PIP will continue to be non-means-tested, increase annually in line with inflation, remain tax-free and not affect the Benefit Cap.
Fresh data from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) reveals that 17 per cent of all PIP claimants – over 617,000 people – are employed and receiving weekly payments ranging from £29.20 to £187.45, equating to £116.80 or £749.80 every four-week pay period.
The government also intends to raise the application age from 16 to 18 and boost the number of face-to-face assessments, which dwindled during the pandemic due to lockdown measures. However, the most significant change will be to eligibility, primarily through an overhaul of the points scoring system for the daily living component.
If these proposed changes are successfully legislated, they will come into effect for new claimants from next November. This date will also apply to existing claimants, so the first step is to check your PIP award letter for the date of your next review – essentially the end date for your current award, reports the Daily Record.
If your review is due 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 take you past that crucial date.
If your award review date falls after November 2026, you’ll be subject to the newly proposed assessment changes and the overhaul 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 you notch up two points in every question, taking you beyond the award thresholds of eight (standard rate) and twelve (higher rate).
Here’s how to safeguard your PIP payments
A successful PIP claim offers extra financial support 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 understand how a review might impact your entitlement or payments.
PIP 2 evidence form
Submitting online claims for PIP allows you to easily save a copy on your home computer or laptop for future reference. However, if you’re filling out a paper-based form, make sure to photocopy 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 your assessment – ring the PIP enquiry line on 0800 121 4433 and request one.
Having this document will assist you with any future PIP reviews, or Adult Disability Payment (ADP) if you’re set to switch to the Social Security Scotland system this Spring.
The form can serve as a handy reminder of your initial responses to the daily living and mobility queries, but crucially, it can assist you in detailing how your condition impacts you now – particularly if your circumstances have shifted and your health has deteriorated or other issues have cropped up.
Keep a diary
Maintaining a diary is a vital tool that all disability benefit claimants should be clued up on, and it doesn’t have to be a traditional paper-based record. Utilising your mobile phone, computer, laptop or tablet can be an easy method for jotting down ‘bad days’ and capturing significant instances when something related to your condition occurs.
Crafting a specific note, complete with time and date, where you can append things you might want to bring up 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 items that are pertinent to how your condition affects you. This could encompass everyday tasks you struggled to safely carry out alone, forgetting to take medication, or feeling down or exasperated due to your condition.
Other aspects worth noting could include if carrying out 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 method of note-taking or diary keeping is particularly useful for people with fluctuating conditions, as it can assist in explaining ‘good days and bad days’ to a healthcare professional. It also allows you to track the frequency of significant health events, which are often so regular that they are quickly forgotten.
Medical Appointments
Keeping all medical appointments related to your condition is crucial to ensure your records are current. This could also encompass counselling or physiotherapy sessions.
Reach Out to a Charity or Condition-Related Organisation
It may be beneficial to contact a charity that specialises in your condition, even if it’s just to ensure you’re not missing out on additional support.
These suggestions are just a few steps that everyone receiving disability benefits can take to safeguard their future payment award by creating a personal evidence trail that makes it easier to recall specific instances of how their condition impacts them.
You can participate in the UK Government’s consultation on proposed changes to PIP and the benefits system on GOV.UK here.
