Overview

• The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) proposes stricter PIP eligibility rules from November 2026, requiring at least four points in one daily living activity and eight overall to qualify.
• Internal forecasts estimate 800,000 people will lose PIP's daily living component, with average annual losses of £4,500 per claimant by 2029/30.
• Households losing PIP alongside other linked benefits, like Carer’s Allowance and Universal Credit, could face combined annual losses of up to £12,000.
• Critics, including 42 Labour MPs and disability campaigners, warn the changes will disproportionately affect older claimants with physical conditions like arthritis and back pain, while sparing younger individuals with mental health conditions.
• The reforms, part of the Pathways to Work Green Paper, have sparked widespread political dissent and calls for amendments ahead of next month’s parliamentary vote.