DWP reveals what will happen to disability benefit claimants after cuts
Labour has published its landmark welfare bill, laying bare the full extent of the plans to cut welfare for millions of disabled benefit claimants ahead of a crunch vote next month.
Titled the 'Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill,' the legislation lays out exactly what will happen to Personal Independence Payment (PIP) claimants who lose their entitlement under the new measures.
Currently claimed by 3.7 million people, PIP is designed to help with extra costs incurred by living with an illness or disability.
The changes, first announced by DWP secretary Liz Kendall in March, will see the 'daily living' element of the benefit effectively become harder to claim as the eligibility criteria is tightened.
As before, assessors will decide if an applicant has limited ability to carry out daily living activities. They do this by asking applicants to carry out a range of activities, awarding them points based on how limited their ability is.
The applicant will be awarded points based on how limited their ability is for each, needing eight overall to secure this element of the benefit at the basic rate, and twelve for the higher.
But from November 2026, they will need to score at least four points in a single daily living activity to be awarded this element of the benefit. The eight required points can no longer be spread across activities.
Around 1.5 million people who currently claim the benefit would no longer be eligible under this criteria, analysis by the Office for Budget Responsibility shows. The watchdog adds that the 'behavioural response' could reduce this to around 800,000 people, but acknowledges that this is a 'highly uncertain judgement'.
The changes have received strong backlash from charities and campaign groups, as over 100 Labour MPs are understood to be considering voting against the government on the plans.
What happens if I lose my PIP entitlement?
Crucially, anyone already claiming PIP will not see their entitlement reduced without attending a reassessment. These happen every three years on average.
Once invited for a reassessment – for which attendance is compulsory – applicants will be assessed as before. However, the new points-scoring system will now apply.
If the reassessment results in someone losing their entitlement to the daily living element of PIP as a direct result of Labour's changes, it will not stop being paid at that rate immediately.
Instead, payments will continue at that level for 13 weeks as a 'transitional cover.' This will cease to be paid if the recipient moves abroad or is reassessed and becomes entitled again.
After these 13 weeks, payments for the daily living part of the benefit will cease.
This protection will include those who lose their eligibility for Carers Allowance and the carer's element of Universal Credit.
The DWP said: 'The 13-week additional protection will give people who will be affected by the changes time to adapt, access new, tailored employment support, and plan for their future once they are reassessed and their entitlement ends.
A release from the department adds that this protection is 'one of the most generous ever.'
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