UK: Disability benefits (UC, ESA and PIP) - news and updates 2024 and 2025

Absolutely blizzard of mail this morning about the changeover from ESA to state pension.

Most of it was pointless, such as DWP warning me that the contribution-based ESA I haven't received for ten years is taxable, informing me I have no tax to pay, and saying they've checked and I'm entitled to a refund of £0 of the tax I haven't paid.

But among the wasted paper was something I didn't know, which might be relevant to people who hit a snag with PIP in their retirement year.

I was worried because my review came up a few months before I retired, and if they'd randomly decided to withdraw the award and I hadn't been well enough to appeal, it looked as if I could lose part of it for good. You can't reapply after state pension age.

Seems I had it wrong—you can reclaim after that age if you've had it before and were eligible in the previous year. Screenshot below from the Pension Credit leaflet.

 

Just in case anyone is transferring from ESA to UC and is worried about my previous posts mentioning document requests (bank statements etc) from the DWP it appears now it is just to check that I didn't have more than the £6,000 allowed in my bank account.
I had a phone interview in which I had to answer no to a whole series of questions about stocks/shares/isa's etc.
Also they said I didn't have to send them bank documents which details all transactions but just ones that give the monthly running total in the account. Thankfully so far I haven't had to prove continued medical entitlement to UC.

ETA 02/04/2025 just received this message
Your Universal Credit Claim Review is now complete.

Following our interview, and the information you provided, we can confirm there is no change to your Universal Credit.

 

In Somerset they treat the health element of Universal Credit as income, whereas they exempt someone on income related ESA fully from Council Tax. As you can see this means someone transferring from ESA to UC via managed migration suddenly has to face paying a significant proportion of their council tax (not just 10%):

https://www.somerset.gov.uk/benefits-and-payments/council-tax-reduction/

It's another example of how basic income under Universal Credit is actually different around the country, particularly impacting disabled claimants.

 

They really need to sort out council tax discounts nationally, it's very inconsistent and unfair. We had full exemption for people on i-ESA for a few years, but for the last 12 or so people have had to make quite a significant contribution. There seem to be some authorities where they have to pay an even higher percentage. I don't know whether there's a difference between ESA and UC here because the council website seems specially designed to be as uninformative as possible, but it wouldn't surprise me.

I've never had any reductions in things like water bills either. Until @MrMagoo mentioned it, I didn't even know it was a thing. Our water company sometimes offers grant to people with a lot of debt, but it's on an individual basis and I suspect a lot don't even ask.

 

Before the local councils combined to become a unitary authority here, ESA, Income Support and UC all paid a 20% contribution after it was devolved from the old national system. Then suddenly ESA got a full exemption but not UC with the health element.

 

I know none of the pip stuff makes sense, but in theory I can lose my 2s on ADL’s but still have my mobility? So you can only walk 1-20m but you’re fine walking about your home having a shower and putting clothes on to do your cooking?

 

Yes. Mobility element's not included in the proposed new rules.

Yet, anyway!

 

@Tom Kindlon reposted this.

https://bsky.app/profile/tomkindlon.bsky.social/post/3llsbu5mhes2o

The poster has a friend who's a PIP assessor. PwME and LC unlikely to receive points other than cooking,washing and dressing.

It's really bad, but at least we know what we are up against.

 

That said, I did get points for going to the loo and taking medication which got me over line for enhanced DL.

 

So they are being trained to ignore the 'repeatedly and reliably' criteria, even though that is set in legislation. I'd advise claimants to emphasise these criteria at the top of, end of, and throughout their written responses. Write the form as if you are going to appeal. Specifically state the harm caused if you were to try the activity and how you can't do it to 'an acceptable standard'. For example how you may end up with food and drink over your clothes and floor if you attempt to eat without support when you are not able to get changed/clean up the floor because of your medical conditions. Then expound on the risk of accidents that result from liquid and food on the floor (or it could be in the bed if you're bedbound), that you have to stay in dirty clothes until you have someone come to help you get changed/cleaned up, change the bedding etc. Give specific examples of when this has happened in the past etc.

 

A long read (can be listened to) -

https://www.thecanary.co/long-read/2025/04/01/dwp-cuts-me-cfs/

 

When I got my PIP, it was right before the tribunal. Technicallyy only listed conditions at the time were Hashimoto's thyroiditis and adhd. My answers showed a lot more struggles and other stuff was yet undiagnosed.

The reason I was given on the phone for the caseworker deciding to award basic level was that he could see from my answers more was going on.

So, I read this page of posts and links. When it comes to the review one day, of course I will have evidence for all medical issues...but am I better off highlighting dysautonomia or low t3 instead of cfs?? Maybe dysautonomia is more "acceptable"?

 

I also should’ve scored 8 in several descriptors, but the most they’ve given me is 4. Actually, I think I only got 4 in one category. They completely made stuff up though - like saying I could wash myself above (or was it below) the waist, saying I could cook with assistance etc, when none of those are true.

 

You should be able to use any social care reports/assessment outcomes as evidence when your PIP is next reviewed. The DWP specify they will consider this as evidence (whereas my council social care department told me they don't have to agree with my PIP scores - in reality the social care assessment is determined by their financial constraints).

 

I am looking around social media and there’s an unsurprising amount of campaigning and organising going 9n, not least several legal challenges to the green paper changes, and FOI requests for the data which proves how many people will lose out/what disorders they have etc. I know something was lodged with the ECHR too.

 

Theoretically, they're interested in how the illness affects you rather than the diagnosis itself. "Osteoarthritis" can mean anything from people with slightly lumpy finger joints to disintegrating knees, hips and spines, and there are lots of conditions with similarly wide ranges of effects. They have to be named on the form, of course, but they don't tell them very much.

Practically, though, having other diagnoses as well as ME/CFS is probably helpful. I also have autism and psoriatic arthritis, so I can show challenges and impairments in different areas. But there are other things that can help make your case too.

I mentioned being rehoused on a local authority independent living development and having had a Disabled Facilities Grant in the past; other people might give details of the carers they use, the aids and appliances, the help they get from family, partners, children. It's about painting as full a picture as possible, and medical terms only contribute a tiny amount of it.

 

I got a letter from PIP yesterday and it gave me such a panic seeing the header. Turns out its just going up by something like £2 a week. They've made this so stressful.

 

They'll always write to you in late March/early April about the uprating, and in December about the Christmas bonus. Eventually you get used to the timetable, so you can anticipate what it is before you start worrying like mad!

It took me three years or so, but then I stopped thinking "Mother of God, now what!" at the sight of those two letters.

 

Is it normal to be asked to attend a “standard identity check” at the job centre after applying for universal credit? I’m currently on ESA support group and have to move over.

when I told them I’m mostly housebound and can’t come in and can someone else go in on my behalf, they told me they are going to book a home appt?? Is this normal? Is this going to be a work capability assessment as well? I’m so terrified!