Overview
- In mid‑June 2026 the Department for Work and Pensions confirmed and published a definitive list of eight metabolic conditions that can qualify someone for the enhanced daily living rate of Personal Independence Payment.
- DWP figures to January 2026 show 6,005 claimants under metabolic conditions with obesity the largest category at 4,578 and the remaining conditions recorded as: metabolic diseases other/type not known 701, inborn errors of metabolism other/type not known 239, amyloidosis 163, hyperlipidaemia 158, amino acid metabolism disorders 89, porphyria 54 and carbohydrate metabolism disorders 14.
- PIP is paid in two parts — daily living and mobility — and the department’s 2026/27 weekly rates cited in coverage are about £76.70 for the daily living lower rate and £114.60 for the enhanced daily living rate with mobility rates around £30.20–£30.30 lower and £80 higher.
- To qualify the DWP requires that claimants have long‑term difficulties with everyday tasks or getting around and that those difficulties occur 'most of the time', which the department defines as more than half the days in a 12‑month period (at least 183 days), and most awards are subject to routine review.
- Journalists used the published rates to show practical effects for people who qualify for the enhanced daily living rate and some mobility support, calculating combined weekly totals in the region of about £187–£195 and underscoring that the new list may change who is eligible and who should consider making or updating a claim.