DWP’s New PIP Rule Could Cut £4,200 Yearly Support—3 Health Conditions That May Still Qualify

Thousands of Personal Independence Payment (PIP) claimants across the UK may face reduced benefits as the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) prepares to introduce major changes to the way claims are assessed.

Starting from November 2026, the government will implement a stricter threshold in the PIP points system, potentially affecting up to one million people and putting up to £4,200 a year at risk for many.

What is PIP and How the Points System Works

PIP is a benefit designed to help people with long-term health conditions or disabilities manage the extra costs of daily living and mobility needs. It replaces Disability Living Allowance (DLA) for people aged 16 to State Pension age and is assessed based on a person’s functional limitations, rather than their medical diagnosis.

To determine eligibility, the DWP evaluates a claimant’s ability to carry out daily living and mobility tasks through a points-based system. Each task includes a range of descriptors, and each descriptor is assigned a point value. The more support someone needs, the higher the points they are likely to receive.

The current PIP point system awards payments as follows:

Daily Living Component

• 8 to 11 points = Standard Rate
• 12 or more points = Enhanced Rate

Mobility Component

• 8 to 11 points = Standard Rate
• 12 or more points = Enhanced Rate

The New Rule Coming in 2026

Under new reforms effective from November 2026, claimants must score at least four points in a single daily living activity to qualify for the daily living component. This is a significant departure from the current rules, which allow claimants to accumulate points across different tasks.

The mobility component rules will remain unchanged.

The DWP argues that this change will better target those with the most significant needs, but disability rights campaigners fear the new rules will exclude people with complex, multi-faceted conditions who do not meet the new single-task threshold.

The government’s full explanation of these reforms can be found in the Spring Budget 2024 documents and the corresponding policy papers.

Health Conditions Likely to Still Qualify

While PIP eligibility depends on how a condition affects someone rather than the diagnosis itself, experts believe individuals with certain conditions are more likely to retain their entitlement under the new system.

Three examples include:

1. Severe Neurological Disorders
   Conditions like Multiple Sclerosis or Parkinson’s disease often cause significant impairments across multiple daily living activities and may easily meet the 4-point threshold in a single area like dressing, bathing, or meal preparation.
2. Profound Mental Health Conditions
   Disorders such as severe depression or schizophrenia may make it extremely difficult for individuals to engage in basic activities such as budgeting, social interaction, or personal hygiene — each capable of scoring over four points independently.
3. Serious Physical Disabilities
   Amputees or those with spinal cord injuries who require consistent support for most daily activities are highly likely to meet the new requirements.

Financial Impact: Up to £4,200 at Risk

The standard daily living component of PIP currently pays around £81.50 per week — equivalent to just over £4,200 annually. Claimants who fail to meet the new threshold could lose this entire amount.

Those receiving the enhanced daily living rate, which pays approximately £108.55 per week, could face a loss of over £5,600 annually.

According to the government, these changes are part of a broader plan to reduce welfare spending by £5 billion annually by 2029–30. This includes other cost-saving measures like:

• Halving the Universal Credit health element for new claimants by 2026.
• Freezing certain incapacity payments.
• Replacing the Work Capability Assessment with the PIP framework by 2028.

What Claimants Should Do Now

People currently receiving PIP are advised to:

• Review their award letters to understand where their current points come from.
• Seek support from welfare advisory services, such as Citizens Advice or Scope UK.
• Start gathering updated medical evidence in preparation for possible reassessments under the new system.

Those who believe they might not qualify under the new rules should not panic but begin preparing for potential changes ahead of 2026.

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