UK: Disability benefits (UC, ESA and PIP) - news and updates 2026

[Felis Catus]

I've been meaning to post about the report from the Institute for Fiscal Studies - "Options for reforming personal independence payment" - funded by the Nuffield Foundation, but I've been too unwell to do it justice. So I haven't read it but I've read the press release titled "People with very different severities of disability currently get the same amount of PIP". Some quotes (their bold):

For example, someone who cannot wash themselves and needs assistance dressing their upper body would currently get the same level of support for daily living – £5,960 a year – as someone who cannot wash themselves, cannot dress themselves at all, cannot talk and cannot read.

The government could more closely link PIP awards to the level of assessed disability, thereby targeting support towards those with the most severe conditions.

Findings from the options we consider include:

• Means-testing PIP, by making it part of universal credit, would deliver an initial saving of up to £8.2 billion (33% of PIP spending) before any changes in the behaviour of applicants in response. This would more closely target resources towards those with the lowest living standards – 62% of PIP claimants on below-average incomes report not being able to afford essentials, compared with 34% of PIP claimants on above-average income. However, there are also gaps in living standards between disabled and non-disabled people higher up the income distribution. Means-testing PIP would make it less effective at closing these gaps.
• 45% of PIP claimants have a mental, learning or neurodevelopmental issue as their ‘main’ condition. A commonly discussed option is to reduce or remove eligibility for this group. One argument is that it is harder to verify the effects of mental rather than physical health conditions – although this is not true for all conditions. Savings would be lower than often expected because most claimants with mental health conditions also have a physical health diagnosis.
• The government may want to restrict access to PIP for younger claimants if, for example, it thinks they might be better helped by more employment support and training opportunities. Stopping all under-30s claiming PIP would save £5.5 billion a year, but many of those affected have severe disabilities. There are 689,000 PIP claimants under 30 (20% of working-age caseload), approximately half of whom qualify for the highest possible award, compared with only 34% of claimants over 30. Allowing young people with the highest possible awards, and so the most severe conditions, to keep PIP would reduce the saving to at most £2.2 billion a year.

Eduin Latimer, Senior Research Economist at the Institute for Fiscal Studies, said:

‘Before making reforms to PIP, the government needs to decide what PIP is for. If it is to help disabled people in the greatest need, there is a case for targeting support on those with the most severe disabilities or on the lowest incomes. If it is to reduce inequalities between disabled and non-disabled people more broadly, there is a case for spreading support more widely. Given that the Timms Review has ruled out spending more than currently forecast, any reforms inevitably mean there will be losers as well as winners.’

It's hard to see any winners among the claimants. I very much doubt that those most severely affected will get more than they're already getting. Nevertheless, regardless of the outcome, I'm sure they'll be used in speeches and interviews as a bright example of disability being recognised, acknowledged and the costs of it adequately compensated.

 

[Kitty]

I'm sure they'll be used in speeches and interviews as a bright example of disability being recognised, acknowledged and the costs of it adequately compensated.

Yup, and the said speeches were probably already written by the time the review started.

 

[MrMagoo]

I've been meaning to post about the report from the Institute for Fiscal Studies - "Options for reforming personal independence payment" - funded by the Nuffield Foundation, but I've been too unwell to do it justice. So I haven't read it but I've read the press release titled "People with very different severities of disability currently get the same amount of PIP". Some quotes (their bold):






It's hard to see any winners among the claimants. I very much doubt that those most severely affected will get more than they're already getting. Nevertheless, regardless of the outcome, I'm sure they'll be used in speeches and interviews as a bright example of disability being recognised, acknowledged and the costs of it adequately compensated.

The assumption that PIP is just Universal Credit is just baked in already, Isnt it?

Totally ignoring the fact that someone who needs a carer to wash/dress them may be receiving Social Services support.

And, there are two levels of PIP across two categories. That reflects Teh level of disability. Someone with a limb difference might only get £30 a week mobility.

 

[Felis Catus]

The assumption that PIP is just Universal Credit is just baked in already, Isnt it?

Totally ignoring the fact that someone who needs a carer to wash/dress them may be receiving Social Services support.

And, there are two levels of PIP across two categories. That reflects Teh level of disability. Someone with a limb difference might only get £30 a week mobility.

I find it hard to believe that the authors didn't know about it given the brief descriptions under their names from the linked pages.

Eduin Latimer
Senior Research Economist

Eduin is a Senior Research Economist in the Income, Work and Welfare sector. His research focuses on benefits policy and the low-paid labour market.

Matthew Oulton
Research Economist

Matthew is a Research Economist in the Income, Work, and Welfare sector. His research focuses on the UK tax and benefit system.

Tom Waters
Associate Director

Tom is an Associate Director at the IFS and Head of the Income, Work and Welfare sector.

 

[MrMagoo]

I find it hard to believe that the authors didn't know about it given the brief descriptions under their names from the linked pages.

Totally, the spin is so clear.

 

[John Mac]

Benefits & Work newsletter

PIP Costs Plan, Reviews Plummet 71%, New Child DLA Guide

PIP AWARDS COULD BE BASED ON COSTS UNDER TIMMS REVIEW PLANS

The Timms review has revealed that future PIP awards could take account of costs for equipment, transport, clothing and bedding – with some awards potentially also including services and other non-cash support.

The proposals are remarkably similar to those included in the infamous Conservative Green Paper published in 2024.

The Timms review September update says that “cost categories used to discuss the person’s circumstances, and therefore determine their award, could include equipment and aids; mobility and transport; clothing and bedding.”

In addition, it explains that “some awards will also include services, and offer other non-cash support” without making it clear whether these services will replace part of a cash payment and, if so, whether such “offers” can be refused.

129,000 BENEFIT APPEALS NOW WAITING AS TRIBUNAL BACKLOG SOARS 63%

The backlog of social security appeals has risen by 63% in just a year, with 129,000 cases now waiting to be heard.

Appeals lodged involving DLA have risen by 187%, PIP by 52% and UC by 48%.

Overall, 60% of appeals were successful for the claimant, the same proportion as last year.

But this varied considerably by benefit type.

PIP REVIEWS PLUNGE 71% AS NEW CLAIM SUCCESS RATE FALLS TO 34%

The number of PIP planned award reviews begun by the DWP has fallen by an extraordinary 71% compared with last year.

At the same time, the proportion of new PIP claims resulting in an award has fallen from 41% to just 34%.

The latest DWP figures also show that the number of new claims for PIP has risen by 17% compared to last year. There has also been a 25% increase in change of circumstances registrations and a 7% increase in DLA reassessments.