New DWP update on impact of PIP and welfare reforms on people in Scotland
North East Fife MP Wendy Chamberlain put questions to the DWP over the potential impact for Scots on PIP and Universal Credit.
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has shed more light on the potential impact proposed changes to Personal Independence Payment (PIP) in England and Wales next year could have on disability benefit claimants living in Scotland.
By the time the proposed reforms are implemented in November 2026, subject to parliamentary approval, nobody in Scotland will be on PIP. All remaining case transfers from DWP to Adult Disability Payment - administered and delivered by Social Security Scotland - will be completed before the end of this year.
However, Deputy Leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats and Liberal Democrat Chief Whip, Wnedy Chamberlain has gained more clarity on the impact after getting a response from the DWP to several questions she posed.
The MP for North East Fife asked DWP:
Whether there are plans to amend eligibility to disability premiums and other passported benefits in Scotland
Whether there have been discussions with the Scottish government on the proposed changes to eligibility for PIP
How Scottish claimants would access the health element of Universal Credit, in the context of the planned use of the single PIP assessment for this purpose
In a written response on Wednesday, Minister for Social Security and Disability Sir Stephen Timms, explained how the Pathways to Work Green Paper, published in Marc, sets out the DWP's plans to reform health and disability benefits and employment support.
A consultation also opened to give disabled people, stakeholders, advice groups, campaigners and charities, the opportunity to share their views on the proposals. It will close on June 30 and can be viewed on GOV.UK here.
Sir Stephen continued: 'The consultation extends to Scotland, but the proposals will only apply to UK Government's areas of responsibility. DWP Ministers are engaging with the Scottish Government throughout the consultation period and beyond.
'The interactions of the reformed system, in particular the abolition of the Work Capability Assessment (WCA) and the introduction of a PIP passporting model and the implications for Devolved Governments, will need to be fully considered before being implemented.
'This will be particularly important in Scotland as PIP is devolved and has been replaced by Adult Disability Payment, so we will carefully consider how entitlement to the Universal Credit health element will be determined for people in Scotland.'
The DWP Minister added: 'DWP currently treats the Scottish Government's disability benefits in the same way as the equivalent DWP benefits for the purposes of reserved premiums and additions.
'Whilst this will be kept under review, it will in any event be necessary for the UK Government to ensure that people in Scotland are not disadvantaged in the reserved benefit system compared with people in England and Wales.'
Following a welfare debate in the Scottish Parliament in April, Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville urged the UK Government to 'abandon' its plans for social security reforms.
In her letter to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions Liz Kendall Ms Somerville said: 'I write following the debate in the Scottish Parliament in which the members voted overwhelming in favour of the motion that calls on the UK Government to immediately scrap its damaging social security reforms announced in the 'Pathways to Work' Green Paper.'
The Social Justice Secretary continued: 'These plans are being carried out in pursuit of the UK Government's self-imposed 'fiscal rules'. Your own analysis shows that 250,000 people - including 50,000 children - will be pushed into relative poverty by 2029/30.
"You expect 3.2 million families to lose out financially, with an average loss of £1,720 per year. Ninety-six percent of those families losing out include a disabled person.
'It is therefore reckless and totally unacceptable for the UK Government to press ahead with these proposals. Not least the expected severe impact these measures will have on all our efforts to end child poverty, completely undermining the work of the Child Poverty Taskforce.'
Ms Somerville added: 'I therefore reiterate the call of the Scottish Parliament and urge you to immediately scrap these damaging social security welfare reforms.'
Summary of proposed benefits changes
Universal Credit
The latest statistics show there were 7.57 million people on Universal Credit, a means-tested incapacity benefit, in Great Britain as of February. It is aimed at helping people on a low income or those who are out of work.
The UKGovernment said it will introduce an above-inflation rise to the standard Universal Credit allowance by 2029/30 - adding £775 in cash terms annually. But the health element allowance will be almost halved for new claimants from April next year while those already claiming will have their amount frozen until 2029/2030.
The Work Capability Assessment (WCA) is to be scrapped in 2028, having been described by Liz Kendall as 'complex, time consuming and often stressful for claimants'.
The UK Government said it will legislate for a so-called 'right to try', which will allow people to try work without the fear their benefits will automatically be put at risk.
The Government said it will consult on delaying access to the Universal Credit health element until someone is aged 22. The latest figures showed there were 109,436 people aged 16 to 21 on Universal Credit health in December 2024.
PIP
Nearly 3.7 million claimants in England and Wales were entitled to PIP as of the end of January, the latest figures showed - up 71 per cent on the equivalent figure five years earlier when it stood at 2.14 million.
The payment is aimed at helping with some of the extra costs caused by long-term disability and ill health and is not dependent on whether someone is working or not.
Some people will lose their PIP entitlement, the UK Government said, as the process to qualify is tightened in an effort to focus the disability benefit on 'those with higher needs'.
The UK Government said it will bring in a new eligibility requirement for a minimum score of at least four points regarding how much help the person needs with everyday tasks on the daily living element of the benefit.
No change is being proposed for the mobility element, which looks at how much help someone needs in getting around.
The UK Government confirmed the change 'means that people who only score the lowest points on each of the PIP daily living activities will lose their entitlement in future'.
The UK Government also committed to not putting Universal Credit claimants who have the most severe disabilities and health conditions that will never improve through the ordeal of being reassessed for benefits 'to give them the confidence and dignity they deserve'.
However the UK Government said it plans to increase the number of face-to-face assessments in PIP and under the current Work Capability Assessment in a bid to 'give confidence to claimants and taxpayers that they're being done properly'.
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