New regulations set to reshape the Personal Independence Payment (PIP) landscape could leave approximately 1.2 million disabled individuals without this crucial financial support, according to data from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). The changes, scheduled to take effect in November 2026, are part of a broader government effort to curb welfare spending, but critics warn they risk pushing vulnerable people deeper into poverty.
PIP, a tax-free benefit designed to help cover the extra costs of living with a long-term health condition or disability, currently supports around 3 million working-age claimants at a cost of £21.8 billion, with projections rising to £34.1 billion by 2029-30 without reform. The benefit has two components: daily living and mobility, each with lower and higher payment rates depending on the claimant's assessed needs.
The government’s new eligibility criteria will require claimants to score at least one out of four points in any daily living activity to qualify for that component of PIP. This is an additional hurdle atop the existing requirement of scoring eight or more points for the standard rate and 12 or more for the enhanced rate. The DWP estimates these changes will reduce spending by £3.5 billion by 2029-30 but at a significant human cost.
Data obtained by the charity Benefits and Work reveals that three groups will bear the brunt of these cuts: those with back pain, arthritis, and other regional musculoskeletal diseases. For example, 79% of current daily living claimants with back pain—about 154,000 out of 194,000—are expected to lose their payments. Arthritis sufferers face a 77% reduction, with 214,000 of 279,000 claimants affected. Similarly, 71% of claimants with other regional musculoskeletal diseases, representing 97,000 individuals, will see their support withdrawn.
Other conditions with substantial numbers of claimants losing out include anxiety and depression, where 48% of daily living recipients—282,000 out of 587,000—are at risk. Chronic pain syndromes, cardiovascular diseases, and respiratory illnesses also feature prominently among those impacted, with losses ranging from 55% to 68% of claimants in these categories.
These figures align with projections from the DWP that by 2029-30, around 370,000 current claimants will lose entitlement due to the reforms, and an additional 430,000 potential new claimants will no longer qualify under the stricter rules. The department estimates that the average annual loss per affected individual will be approximately £4,500.
Alongside the PIP reforms, the government’s Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill, published in June 2025, includes provisions to freeze incapacity benefits at £423.27 from 2026-27 for existing claimants and halve the value for new recipients to £217.26. These changes will affect nearly 3 million people by the end of the decade. The bill also introduces a 13-week grace period for existing PIP recipients deemed ineligible before payments are withdrawn, and allows new Universal Credit claimants with severe conditions to receive the higher rate of the health element without reassessments.
Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall defends the reforms as necessary to safeguard the welfare system. She stated, “Our social security system is at a crossroads. Unless we reform it, more people will be denied opportunities, and it may not be there for those who need it.” She described the legislation as “a new social contract” that aims to balance compassion with fiscal responsibility, supporting those who can work while protecting those who cannot.
However, the proposed changes have drawn fierce criticism from disability charities and advocacy groups. Disability Rights UK called the cuts “shocking and appalling,” warning they would “drive millions into even deeper poverty.” Carers UK highlighted the devastating impact on families, noting that those losing both PIP and carer’s allowance could face annual income reductions exceeding £8,000. Chief Executive Helen Walker emphasized, “Carers need their incomes protected rather than removed,” especially as social care shortages force families to provide more unpaid care.
The Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) also opposed the reforms, pointing out that thousands of blind and partially sighted individuals who rely on PIP to live independently could be disqualified due to scoring low in certain daily living activities. Mencap, representing people with learning disabilities, voiced deep concerns over the potential loss of benefits, citing a survey where 70% of respondents said they would need to cut back on food if PIP was lost, with many fearing they would be unable to leave their homes.
Personal stories illustrate the human toll behind the statistics. Paul Harris, 45, from Barnard Castle, has struggled with anxiety and depression for years and relies on PIP and Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) totaling around £800 monthly. After a two-year battle to have his PIP reinstated, he now faces the prospect of losing it again, which would mean a £290 monthly income cut for his household. “Without PIP you hit rock bottom,” he told the Mirror. “It's terrifying. I have a lot of problems feeling like a burden to my wife because she's the sole earner.”
Adding to the controversy, recent reports reveal that Labour ministers are considering means-testing PIP, a move that could slash billions more from disability benefits annually. Although the current Universal Credit and PIP Bill does not include means-testing, internal discussions and documents obtained through Freedom of Information requests suggest that merging PIP with Universal Credit—and thus subjecting it to income assessments—is under serious consideration.
Welfare rights expert Finn Keaney expressed alarm at these developments, noting, “It is tempting to think of this as nothing more than individuals being woolly on the details, but when you have the DWP’s own secretary of state making this mistake four times in 23 minutes you have to wonder: what is going on here?” He warns that means-testing PIP would unfairly punish disabled people without helping them live independent lives.
Historical context shows this is not a new idea. As early as 2021, then Work and Pensions Secretary Therese Coffey acknowledged that merging PIP with Universal Credit was “on the table.” Focus groups have previously been asked about the “deservingness” of benefits and the possibility of means-testing “extra cost” disability benefits, highlighting ongoing efforts within the DWP to reduce spending on disability support.
Despite the government’s stated commitment to maintaining PIP as a non-means tested benefit, the secrecy surrounding internal policy discussions—citing the need to protect the “private space” for policy development—has fueled suspicion and concern among disabled people and advocacy groups alike.
As MPs prepare to vote on the bill in early July 2025, the debate over PIP reforms encapsulates a wider struggle over the future of social security in the UK. Will the government’s reforms strike the right balance between fiscal responsibility and compassion? For millions of disabled people and their families, the stakes could not be higher.
