Almost 3.7 million people receiving Personal Independence Payment (PIP) will see major changes to the disability benefits system from November 2026
Starting from November 2026, nearly 3.7 million individuals receiving Personal Independence Payment (PIP) will see significant alterations to the disability benefits system. Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall has stated that vouchers will not replace the monthly cash payments of up to £737.20, and the benefit will witness an annual rise in line with September’s inflation rate.
Kendall also confirmed that the benefit will remain non-means-tested and revealed that over 617,000 people, equating to 17 per cent of all PIP claimants, are employed and receive payments from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). She further unveiled plans to increase the application age from 16 to 18 and boost the number of face-to-face assessments, which had seen a reduction during the pandemic due to lockdown measures.
However, the most significant change will be in eligibility, primarily through a revision 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. This essentially marks the end date for your current award, reports 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 act as a reminder of the initial responses you gave to the daily living and mobility questions. More crucially, it can assist you in expressing how your condition impacts you now – particularly if your situation has altered and your health has deteriorated or you’ve developed other problems.
Keep a diary
Keeping a diary is a vital tool for anyone claiming disability benefits. It doesn’t have to be a traditional paper diary.
You can utilise your mobile phone, computer, laptop or tablet to easily jot down notes about ‘bad days’ and significant events related to your condition.
You can make 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 note 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 especially 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 crucial to attend all medical appointments related to your condition to keep your records current. This could include sessions such as counselling or physiotherapy.
Reaching Out
Linking up with a charity or an organisation that specialises in your condition could be beneficial. Even a simple interaction could ensure you’re not missing out on additional support.
These tips are just a few steps that anyone receiving disability benefits can take to secure their future payment award by creating a personal evidence trail. This can make it easier to remember specific instances of how their condition affects them.
You can contribute to the UK Government’s consultation on proposed changes to PIP and the benefits system on GOV.UK here.
