Almost 3.7 million people receiving Personal Independence Payment (PIP) will experience significant changes to the disability benefits system starting from November 2026.
Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall says that vouchers will not substitute the monthly cash payments of up to £737.20, and the benefit will see an annual increase in line with the inflation rate of September.
Kendall also said the benefit will continue to be non-means-tested. She also said that over 617,000 people, which is 17 per cent of all PIP claimants, are employed and receive payments from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).
She further disclosed plans to raise the application age from 16 to 18 and increase the number of face-to-face assessments, which had seen a decrease during the pandemic due to lockdown measures. However, the most notable change will be in eligibility, primarily through a revision of the points scoring system for the daily living component.
If the proposed changes are successfully legislated, they will take 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. This essentially marks the end date for your current award, as reported by 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 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 will need to score at least 4 points in one of the 10 daily living questions – even if scoring 2 in every question takes you past the award thresholds of 8 (standard rate) and 12 (higher rate).
How to safeguard your PIP payments
PIP provides additional financial support for working-age individuals with a disability, long-term illness or physical or mental health condition. Here are some straightforward ways to ensure you understand how a review might impact your entitlement or payments.
PIP 2 evidence form
Online claims for PIP can simplify the process of saving a copy to your home computer or laptop for future reference. However, those completing a paper-based form should make a copy of the original document before submitting it.
If you don’t already have a copy of the PIP 2 evidence form – the health questionnaire you completed prior to your assessment – contact the PIP enquiry line on 0800 121 4433 and request one.
This form can serve as a reminder of the original responses you provided to the daily living and mobility questions. More importantly, it can help you articulate how your condition affects you now – especially if your circumstances have changed and your health has worsened or you have developed other issues.
Maintain a diary
Maintaining a diary is an essential tool for all those claiming disability benefits. It doesn’t have to be a traditional paper diary. You can use your mobile phone, computer, laptop or tablet to easily record notes about ‘bad days’ and significant events related to your condition.
You can create 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 add it to your calendar function.
This doesn’t need to be a daily task, just jot down things that are relevant to how your condition affects you. This could include everyday tasks you found challenging to do safely on your own, forgetting to take medication, or feeling low or frustrated due to your condition.
Other things worth noting could be everyday activities that:
- Puts you or someone else in danger
- Makes you feel breathless
- Take you a long time
- Makes you unsteady
- Were painful for you
Keeping a diary or taking notes is particularly useful for individuals with fluctuating conditions, as it can help articulate ‘good days and bad days’ to healthcare professionals. It also allows you to track the frequency of significant health events that may be easily forgotten due to their regularity.
Medical Appointments
It’s vital to keep up with medical appointments related to your condition to ensure your records are up-to-date. This could encompass sessions like counselling or physiotherapy.
Reaching Out
Connecting with a charity or an organisation that specialises in your condition could be advantageous. Even a simple interaction could ensure you’re not missing out on extra support.
These suggestions are just a few measures that anyone receiving disability benefits can implement to secure their future payment award by creating a personal evidence trail. This can make it easier to recall specific instances of how their condition impacts them.
You can contribute to the UK Government’s consultation on proposed changes to PIP and the benefits system on GOV.UK here.
