Government announces changes to PIP claiming rules

The government said in March 2025 that it will make changes to the rules for claiming Personal Independence Payment (PIP), according to Macmillan Cancer Support¹. The changes will not happen before November 2026, but they will mean fewer people can get PIP¹. No further detail on the content of the changes has been reported in the material available.

PIP is a benefit for people aged 16 to State Pension age who live in England, Wales or Northern Ireland¹. It has two parts: a daily living part, for people who have problems with everyday tasks, and a mobility part, for people who have problems with moving around¹. Claimants may get one or both parts¹. People in Scotland apply for Adult Disability Payment instead¹.

To get PIP, a claimant must have problems with daily living tasks, moving around, or both; must have had those problems for three months and expect them to last at least another nine months, unless terminally ill; and must have lived in England, Wales or Northern Ireland for at least two of the last three years, with exceptions for terminal illness¹. Claimants must be in one of those countries when they apply¹.

Awards are decided by points scored against descriptors, which describe how much support a person needs and what type of help is needed¹. The points thresholds are:

Source: Macmillan Cancer Support¹

PIP can be claimed whether a person is working or not, and does not require National Insurance contributions to have been paid¹. Income and savings do not affect a claim, and PIP payments are tax-free¹. Payments go into a bank account every four weeks, or weekly for people who are terminally ill¹. Claiming under the special rules for terminal illness means the first payment should arrive within two weeks of applying, no assessment meeting is needed, and the highest rate of the daily living payment is paid, with the highest mobility rate paid if eligible¹.

Why it matters for households

PIP is paid to people aged 16 to State Pension age in England, Wales and Northern Ireland who have daily living or mobility difficulties¹. The government's stated intention is that fewer people will be able to get PIP once the rule changes take effect, and the changes will not happen before November 2026¹. That gives a date range rather than a fixed date: anyone whose claim is assessed before the changes take effect is assessed under the current rules, and the material does not set out how claims already in payment, or claims made before the change, will be treated. The detail of which rules change, and who loses out, has not been reported.

Because PIP is not means-tested and does not depend on National Insurance contributions or working status, a change in eligibility rules affects people across a wide range of circumstances, including those in work¹. PIP is also distinct from earnings-replacement benefits: an award can affect other benefits, which are not reduced and may increase when PIP is awarded¹. The material does not say whether that interaction is part of the changes.

What happens next

The changes will not happen before November 2026¹. The government has not, in the material available, set out a consultation, a draft of the new rules, or a date on which they take effect. More information on PIP claiming and the assessment and on working while claiming is available, along with the wider benefits section.