Kitty
Senior Member (Voting Rights)
That's great! Same thing happened to me, and in the end I was never assessed at all. Fingers crossed.
UK: Disability benefits (UC, ESA and PIP) - news and updates 2026
- Thread starter tornandfrayed
- Start date
That's great! Same thing happened to me, and in the end I was never assessed at all. Fingers crossed.
John Mac
Senior Member (Voting Rights)
Latest Benefit & Work newsletter
PIP CLAIM SUCCESS RATES CONTINUE TO FALL
The chances of making a successful claim are continuing to fall, with only just over a one in three chance of a new claimant getting an award.
For the quarter ending January 2026, the percentage of new claims that received an award was just 35%, down from 43% a year ago.
Looking only at new PIP claims which got as far as the assessment stage, the success rate was 45%, down from 51% a year ago.
There has been no change to PIP rules, regulations or caselaw that would explain this continuing steep fall in successful claims
ALMOST 100,000 WAIT FOR APPEAL AS SUCCESS RATES FALL
Almost 100,000 social security claimants are waiting for their appeals to be heard, an increase of 25% over the preceding year.
There has been a 35% increase in the number of UC appeals, a 4% increase in PIP appeals and a 64% increase in DLA appeals.
Success rates for claimants have fallen in relation to all the main benefits.
58% of appeals were won by the claimant, a fall of 2% compared to the year before.
PIP CLAIM SUCCESS RATES CONTINUE TO FALL
The chances of making a successful claim are continuing to fall, with only just over a one in three chance of a new claimant getting an award.
For the quarter ending January 2026, the percentage of new claims that received an award was just 35%, down from 43% a year ago.
Looking only at new PIP claims which got as far as the assessment stage, the success rate was 45%, down from 51% a year ago.
There has been no change to PIP rules, regulations or caselaw that would explain this continuing steep fall in successful claims
ALMOST 100,000 WAIT FOR APPEAL AS SUCCESS RATES FALL
Almost 100,000 social security claimants are waiting for their appeals to be heard, an increase of 25% over the preceding year.
There has been a 35% increase in the number of UC appeals, a 4% increase in PIP appeals and a 64% increase in DLA appeals.
Success rates for claimants have fallen in relation to all the main benefits.
58% of appeals were won by the claimant, a fall of 2% compared to the year before.
- PIP 64%, down 3%
- DLA 59%, down 2%
- UC 48%, down 1%
- ESA 42%, down 11%
John Mac
Senior Member (Voting Rights)
Benefits & work newsletter
SAVAGE SEVERE CONDITIONS CRITERIA (SCC) CUTS HAVE BEGUN
Labour’s savage severe conditions criteria (SCC) cuts to UC have now taken effect for new claims from 6 April.
Under the revised rules, new claimants who have limited capability for work-related activity (LCWRA), but do not meet the SCC, receive a UC health component payment of just £217.26 per month. Existing claimants and those who meet the SCC receive £429.80 per month, however.
We’ve updated our guide to the WCA, which now includes:
SAVAGE SEVERE CONDITIONS CRITERIA (SCC) CUTS HAVE BEGUN
Labour’s savage severe conditions criteria (SCC) cuts to UC have now taken effect for new claims from 6 April.
Under the revised rules, new claimants who have limited capability for work-related activity (LCWRA), but do not meet the SCC, receive a UC health component payment of just £217.26 per month. Existing claimants and those who meet the SCC receive £429.80 per month, however.
We’ve updated our guide to the WCA, which now includes:
- a detailed explanation of how the SCC works
- alerts to warn you which descriptors qualify as you complete the WCA50 form
- details of how and where on the WCA50 form to show whether you qualify
- sample SCC answers
- sample SCC case studies.
John Mac
Senior Member (Voting Rights)
Benefits & Work newsletter
RIGHT TO TRY WORK LEGISLATION IS WORTHLESS
The DWP has hailed “landmark” new Right To Try work legislation, which comes into force on 30 April, as having removed the fear of losing benefits if disabled claimants try work.
But the details reveal that, in reality, the supposed guarantee is worthless.
Because, if the work you undertake leads the DWP to suspect that there has been a change in your condition, an improvement in your functional ability or that you are a fraud, then this can still lead to your PIP, ESA or UC award being looked at again.
All the government has done is enshrine in statute what the DWP were already doing.
The Social Security Advisory Committee made seven recommendations to improve the legislation.
Two of these alone would have made a real difference:
1. the DWP should be legally prevented from initiating a reassessment within six months of a claimant starting paid or voluntary work, unless there is suspicion of fraud;
2. if a claimant has a scheduled reassessment within the first six months of starting work, any activities they undertake in work should not be used as evidence of a sustained improvement in their capacity.
The DWP said they would consider the first for inclusion at some unspecified future date and flatly rejected the second.
So, nothing has changed.
The Right To Try guarantee is worthless.
Labour will not protect disabled claimants benefits if they try work.
We have updated our members guide to “Permitted Work And Working While On Universal Credit Due To Sickness Or Disability” to include details of the Right To Try.
RIGHT TO TRY WORK LEGISLATION IS WORTHLESS
The DWP has hailed “landmark” new Right To Try work legislation, which comes into force on 30 April, as having removed the fear of losing benefits if disabled claimants try work.
But the details reveal that, in reality, the supposed guarantee is worthless.
Because, if the work you undertake leads the DWP to suspect that there has been a change in your condition, an improvement in your functional ability or that you are a fraud, then this can still lead to your PIP, ESA or UC award being looked at again.
All the government has done is enshrine in statute what the DWP were already doing.
The Social Security Advisory Committee made seven recommendations to improve the legislation.
Two of these alone would have made a real difference:
1. the DWP should be legally prevented from initiating a reassessment within six months of a claimant starting paid or voluntary work, unless there is suspicion of fraud;
2. if a claimant has a scheduled reassessment within the first six months of starting work, any activities they undertake in work should not be used as evidence of a sustained improvement in their capacity.
The DWP said they would consider the first for inclusion at some unspecified future date and flatly rejected the second.
So, nothing has changed.
The Right To Try guarantee is worthless.
Labour will not protect disabled claimants benefits if they try work.
We have updated our members guide to “Permitted Work And Working While On Universal Credit Due To Sickness Or Disability” to include details of the Right To Try.
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John Mac
Senior Member (Voting Rights)
Welfare bill will not be included in government's King's Speech
Sir Keir Starmer has not included a second attempt to reform welfare in Wednesday's King's Speech, the BBC has learnt.The prime minister's first attempt to make significant changes to the welfare system, including restricting eligibility for some health-related benefits, resulted in a mass revolt of Labour MPs and an embarrassing climbdown for the government in June 2025.
Since then ministers have announced a pair of reviews designed to generate new ideas, as well as a handful of measures designed to incentivise more people to work.
But it is understood that the government is not yet ready to propose a new parliamentary bill on welfare, so it will not form part of Wednesday's proceedings.
Welfare bill not included in government's King's Speech
It is understood that the government is not yet ready to propose a new parliamentary bill on welfare.
www.bbc.co.uk
John Mac
Senior Member (Voting Rights)
Benefits & Work Newsletter
DWP TO BEGIN LENGTHENING EXISTING PIP AWARDS FROM JUNE
The DWP is enacting legislation to allow it to extend the PIP awards of existing claimants, in order to cope with the growing backlog of planned award reviews.
The department says if it does not do so, the existing assessment system will “fall over”.
They also revealed that the current system of extending some PIP awards by short periods was being done “without clear statutory cover”.
In other words, extending awards ad hoc for a year at a time as the DWP has been doing is probably unlawful.
The new regulations mean that where a current claimant has a fixed term award that is due for review, the decision maker can choose to simply lengthen the award, where “it is necessary to do so to safeguard the efficient administration of personal independence payment.”
The regulations do not give the DWP the power to shorten existing fixed-term award or to change the rates being paid, only to extend the length of the award.
The changes will not apply to claimants under 25.
The department admits that some savings will arise where claimants with worsening conditions do not ask for an earlier review.
We’ll keep readers informed about how the roll-out of extending existing awards works out in practice after it begins in June.
DWP TO BEGIN LENGTHENING EXISTING PIP AWARDS FROM JUNE
The DWP is enacting legislation to allow it to extend the PIP awards of existing claimants, in order to cope with the growing backlog of planned award reviews.
The department says if it does not do so, the existing assessment system will “fall over”.
They also revealed that the current system of extending some PIP awards by short periods was being done “without clear statutory cover”.
In other words, extending awards ad hoc for a year at a time as the DWP has been doing is probably unlawful.
The new regulations mean that where a current claimant has a fixed term award that is due for review, the decision maker can choose to simply lengthen the award, where “it is necessary to do so to safeguard the efficient administration of personal independence payment.”
The regulations do not give the DWP the power to shorten existing fixed-term award or to change the rates being paid, only to extend the length of the award.
The changes will not apply to claimants under 25.
The department admits that some savings will arise where claimants with worsening conditions do not ask for an earlier review.
We’ll keep readers informed about how the roll-out of extending existing awards works out in practice after it begins in June.
John Mac
Senior Member (Voting Rights)
Benefits and Work newsletter
APPEAL WAITING TIMES RISE TO EIGHT MONTHS AS BACKLOG BUILDS
The average waiting time for a social security appeal to be heard once it has been lodged is now 35 weeks, up by 3 weeks from last year.
When added to the 79 day average wait for a mandatory reconsideration decision, this means that the time taken to challenge a PIP decision is now around 11 months, on average.
The backlog of appeal cases is also growing.
There were 113,000 cases waiting for a hearing at the end of March 2026, an increase of 39% compared to March 2025.
The success rate for claimants at appeals was:
APPEAL WAITING TIMES RISE TO EIGHT MONTHS AS BACKLOG BUILDS
The average waiting time for a social security appeal to be heard once it has been lodged is now 35 weeks, up by 3 weeks from last year.
When added to the 79 day average wait for a mandatory reconsideration decision, this means that the time taken to challenge a PIP decision is now around 11 months, on average.
The backlog of appeal cases is also growing.
There were 113,000 cases waiting for a hearing at the end of March 2026, an increase of 39% compared to March 2025.
The success rate for claimants at appeals was:
- PIP 67%, up 1%
- DLA 63%, up 7%
- ESA 44%, down 5%
- UC 43%, down 6%
John Mac
Senior Member (Voting Rights)
Benefits and Work monthly newsletter
READERS BEGIN GETTING PIP EXTENSION LETTERS FOR UP TO FOUR YEARS
Benefits and Work has begun to hear from readers who have received letters telling them that their PIP award has been extended for up to four years under a new review process.
The DWP enacted a new regulation, which came into force this month, which allows them to extend the length of any fixed term PIP award for claimants aged 25 or over.
It can be used when the DWP is facing a huge backlog of reassessments, as it is now.
This weekend, Benefits and Work began to hear from readers who have received extensions ranging from 2-4 years under the new regulations.
For example, Joseph posted:
“I’ve currently got a pip letter today that says I won’t need an assessment and they have extended until 2030. It also says, we might be in contact a year before but we might also extend your award before then.
“It says words for word “We have changed how we review some personal Independence Payments (PIP). This means that we have Extended your PIP award.”
The news will come as a massive relief to most people who hear from the DWP.
But for others it will present a dilemma, because their condition has deteriorated to the point where they may be entitled to a higher rate and they were waiting for their planned award review to give the DWP details.
Many claimant choose to do this rather than take even the smallest risk with an existing award.
Now, that option may not be available for years – only a change of circumstances review request or an appeal will bring the possibility of a changed award.
DWP HAVE RIGGED PIP REVIEW RESULTS AGAINST CLAIMANTS, EVIDENCE SUGGESTS
There is growing evidence that the DWP have rigged the results of PIP planned award review results, slashing the percentage of claimants who get an increase by two thirds.
A sudden fall began in the month that the DWP appointed new assessment contractors and set up their own Health Assessment Advisory Service (HAAS) to control them.
The percentage of claimants who got an increase fell from 26% in August 2024 to just 14.2% in September 2024.
And there has been a further fall in the last two quarters so that now just 7% of planned PIP review claimants get an increase.
The result has been that the proportion of PIP awards that stayed the same on review went from 51.3% in August 2024 to 75.9% in September 2024 and now stands at 83%.
PIP ASSESSMENTS CONTINUE TO GET TOUGHER
The success rate for PIP claims that get as far as an assessment have continued to fall, according to the latest figures released by the DWP.
Overall, for all new PIP claims the success rate is 37%, a decrease from 43% in April 2025.
44% of new claims where an assessment had been completed received an award. This is a decrease from 50% in April 2025.
New claims currently take 18 weeks to clear, from the date they are received to the date a decision is made, up from 14 weeks a year ago.
ALL PIP AND WCA ASSESSMENTS TO BE AUDIO RECORDED
The DWP have announced that all health assessments for PIP and the WCA will be automatically audio recorded from 29 June. This includes both face-to-face assessments and telephone assessments.
Claimants can still make their own recordings and you have the right to opt-out of having your assessment recorded, if you choose.
READERS BEGIN GETTING PIP EXTENSION LETTERS FOR UP TO FOUR YEARS
Benefits and Work has begun to hear from readers who have received letters telling them that their PIP award has been extended for up to four years under a new review process.
The DWP enacted a new regulation, which came into force this month, which allows them to extend the length of any fixed term PIP award for claimants aged 25 or over.
It can be used when the DWP is facing a huge backlog of reassessments, as it is now.
This weekend, Benefits and Work began to hear from readers who have received extensions ranging from 2-4 years under the new regulations.
For example, Joseph posted:
“I’ve currently got a pip letter today that says I won’t need an assessment and they have extended until 2030. It also says, we might be in contact a year before but we might also extend your award before then.
“It says words for word “We have changed how we review some personal Independence Payments (PIP). This means that we have Extended your PIP award.”
The news will come as a massive relief to most people who hear from the DWP.
But for others it will present a dilemma, because their condition has deteriorated to the point where they may be entitled to a higher rate and they were waiting for their planned award review to give the DWP details.
Many claimant choose to do this rather than take even the smallest risk with an existing award.
Now, that option may not be available for years – only a change of circumstances review request or an appeal will bring the possibility of a changed award.
DWP HAVE RIGGED PIP REVIEW RESULTS AGAINST CLAIMANTS, EVIDENCE SUGGESTS
There is growing evidence that the DWP have rigged the results of PIP planned award review results, slashing the percentage of claimants who get an increase by two thirds.
A sudden fall began in the month that the DWP appointed new assessment contractors and set up their own Health Assessment Advisory Service (HAAS) to control them.
The percentage of claimants who got an increase fell from 26% in August 2024 to just 14.2% in September 2024.
And there has been a further fall in the last two quarters so that now just 7% of planned PIP review claimants get an increase.
The result has been that the proportion of PIP awards that stayed the same on review went from 51.3% in August 2024 to 75.9% in September 2024 and now stands at 83%.
PIP ASSESSMENTS CONTINUE TO GET TOUGHER
The success rate for PIP claims that get as far as an assessment have continued to fall, according to the latest figures released by the DWP.
Overall, for all new PIP claims the success rate is 37%, a decrease from 43% in April 2025.
44% of new claims where an assessment had been completed received an award. This is a decrease from 50% in April 2025.
New claims currently take 18 weeks to clear, from the date they are received to the date a decision is made, up from 14 weeks a year ago.
ALL PIP AND WCA ASSESSMENTS TO BE AUDIO RECORDED
The DWP have announced that all health assessments for PIP and the WCA will be automatically audio recorded from 29 June. This includes both face-to-face assessments and telephone assessments.
Claimants can still make their own recordings and you have the right to opt-out of having your assessment recorded, if you choose.
josepdelafuente
Senior Member (Voting Rights)
I just got an letter extending my PIP award from September 2027, to October 2027.
Seems pointless, to say the least.
Seems pointless, to say the least.
InitialConditions
Senior Member (Voting Rights)
They make so many mistakes when writing letters — usually related to wrong dates — that I would question this. It's probably a typo. As noted above, there currently seems to be a mass programme of award extensions, so there's a good chance that this should read October 2028 or even later than that.
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josepdelafuente
Senior Member (Voting Rights)
Oh, interesting! I'll try to give them a call.
InitialConditions
Senior Member (Voting Rights)
They'll probably tell you its right. The people on the phones are generally not that great. But I really doubt they'd extend an award by a month. It makes no sense.
josepdelafuente
Senior Member (Voting Rights)
They actually extended it by even less, when I checked the letters again!
They've extended it from 25th Sept 2027, to 5th Oct 2027...
I'm waiting on hold on the phone now...
Any tips?
InitialConditions
Senior Member (Voting Rights)
Just tell them that an award extension of less than two weeks makes no sense and you think that it might be an error.
InitialConditions
Senior Member (Voting Rights)
I've seen award extensions of a year or so. In this latest wave they generally seem to be 2 or 3 years from what I've seen on X.
josepdelafuente
Senior Member (Voting Rights)
I eventually got through to a "Case Manager" who said they thought it "might be some kind of automatically generated letter" so she would investigate and phone me back...
The first guy I spoke to said it was the first time he had ever seen an extension of 10 days.
Kitty
Senior Member (Voting Rights)
Yeah, I've had one of those. Telling me my new ESA entitlement, despite being in receipt of state pension and pension credit.
I binned it and never heard anything more, but it's different when it's an active claim. Hope you get some clarity on it.
josepdelafuente
Senior Member (Voting Rights)
Welll they phoned me back.
Kind of an interesting explanation...
The case manager said it was to make sure that there would be at least 1 year between when they send me the "award review form" or "assessment review form" (I can't remember what the form is called), and the end date of the current award.
So even though we're in July 2026 now, and my original award end date was 25th Sept 2027, it seems like DWP were concerned that maybe they wouldn't manage to send me the review form by 25th Sept 2026, but they seem more confident they'll send it to me by 5th Oct 2026....
She said it was to make sure there was a "1-year grace period" between the form being sent out and the end of the initial award.
I said "grace period for who? for the DWP or for the claimant?" and she said "....well.... for us, for the DWP"...
She also said I can just write "no change" for every single question on the review form and that would most likely mean the award is just re-awarded with no further admin... which would be nice!
Kind of an interesting explanation...
The case manager said it was to make sure that there would be at least 1 year between when they send me the "award review form" or "assessment review form" (I can't remember what the form is called), and the end date of the current award.
So even though we're in July 2026 now, and my original award end date was 25th Sept 2027, it seems like DWP were concerned that maybe they wouldn't manage to send me the review form by 25th Sept 2026, but they seem more confident they'll send it to me by 5th Oct 2026....
She said it was to make sure there was a "1-year grace period" between the form being sent out and the end of the initial award.
I said "grace period for who? for the DWP or for the claimant?" and she said "....well.... for us, for the DWP"...
She also said I can just write "no change" for every single question on the review form and that would most likely mean the award is just re-awarded with no further admin... which would be nice!
Kitty
Senior Member (Voting Rights)
Welfare advisors usually suggest not doing that, though. After doing the Benefits & Work on-demand training I decided to give full details about why I met each of the descriptors, almost as if it were a new claim.
It might have been a waste of time, but I felt it was too important to risk.