PIP - What’s Been Proposed and What’s Changing?

There has been an uproar against proposed changes to PIP which the government had put forward in their green paper released in March 2025.

The main points of this green paper are:

The government’s “Pathways to Work” Green Paper introduced several key reforms targeting PIP:

• A new eligibility requirement for the daily living component: in addition to needing a minimum total score (currently 8 points), claimants must also score at least 4 points in a single daily living activity to qualify. This would restrict eligibility to those with higher support needs.

• Forecasted impact: by 2029–30, an estimated 800,000 people (370,000 current claimants losing entitlement at reassessment + 430,000 potential new claimants) could lose the daily living component—averaging a loss of around £4,500 per year.

• Timeline: the changes were slated to begin from November 2026, with new claimants and those up for reassessment affected.

Other Key Proposals

• WCA (Work Capability Assessment) will be phased out by 2028/29, replaced by a single assessment framework aligned with PIP eligibility across benefits like ESA and Universal Credit.

• Younger claimants: the age at which claimants transition from Disability Living Allowance (DLA) to PIP may be raised from 16 to 18, with some proposals to further limit LCWRA (health element of UC) for under-22s.

• Reforms to Universal Credit (UC) were closely tied to PIP changes:

  • The health (LCWRA) element may be frozen for existing claimants but significantly reduced or halved for new claimants—e.g., from about £416 to £216 per month.

These proposed changes sparked widespread criticism from disability charities to Labour MPs, with concerns ranging from fairness to disproportionate harm to neurodivergent and claimants struggling with mental illness. The government has truly shown their hand and this will set a president to further restrict the number of those eligible to receive these benefits.

Latest Developments: U-turn & Removal from Legislation

On 1 July 2025, following much pressure and opposition both from MP’s and disabled people’s organizations, the government relented and removed the PIP eligibility clause—specifically the “4-point in one activity” rule—from the Universal Credit and PIP Bill. This means that existing PIP claimants are fully protected under the current scheme. Any changes will only apply to new claimants from November 2026 but no other changes will take place until the Timms Review into PIP concludes in Autumn 2026. A thorough review of the PIP assessment, led by Disability Minister Sir Stephen Timms, is now underway and will be co-produced with disabled people’s charities’.

The planned cuts to the LCWRA element of Universal Credit is being reduced for new claimants from April 2026. Those already receiving this element will continue to receive it but the current rate will be frozen.

Two Tier Benefits System and an unsure future

Essentially, this will result in a two-tier PIP, one with eligibility rules as they currently stand for claimants up till November 2026 and the new eligibility rules where the 4 point rule will apply. Disability groups have already spoken out against this but it is unlikely that the Government will relent.

Additionally, following the conclusion of the Timms Review, there is nothing stopping the government from re-introducing the ‘4 point rule’ for all claimants.

One thing is for sure, claiming for PIP or indeed any of the sickness and disability benefits will likely become more restricted and subsequentially more difficult in the future. That is why I am passionate about producing well-written forms which will highlight the qualifying criteria and detail the level of benefit needed by each person who I am privileged to help. Please feel free to email maria@benefitiaforms.co.uk for more information or check out my website benefitiaforms.co.uk to find out more about the services I offer.