Planned PIP eligibility changes postponed from November 2026

Planned changes to the eligibility rules for Personal Independence Payment (PIP) will not come into force in November 2026 as originally set out. The government said in spring 2025 that it would tighten the scoring rules for the daily living part of the PIP assessment, and those changes were due to take effect in November 2026¹. Instead, the government has launched a wider review of the benefit¹.

Under the current rules, a claimant can qualify by scoring a combination of one or two points across several tasks, as long as they reach at least eight points overall. The proposed change would have required at least four points in a single daily living activity to qualify, which would likely have reduced the number of people eligible for that part of PIP¹.

The review, referred to as the Timms Review, opened for evidence in March 2026 and is expected to report back in the autumn¹.

PIP is a state benefit that helps people deal with some of the extra costs associated with long-term illness or disability. It was introduced in 2013 to replace Disability Living Allowance¹. It is not means-tested, so having a job or other income does not affect entitlement¹. For 2026-27 the weekly rates are:

Source: Which?¹

In Scotland, Adult Disability Payment is the equivalent benefit, having replaced PIP north of the border in 2025. It is operated by Social Security Scotland, and the 2026-27 rates are the same as for PIP¹.

Separately, from April 2026 the Department for Work and Pensions will carry out more face-to-face assessments and increase how often Work Capability Assessments for universal credit take place. To support this, the time between PIP reviews will be extended for most claimants aged 25 and over, with new claims usually reviewed at least every three years, potentially rising to up to five years after a later review for those aged 25 and over¹.

Why it matters for households

The postponement means the daily living scoring rules stay as they are for now, so claimants continue to qualify on a combination of points across tasks rather than needing four points in one activity¹. Anyone whose award was assessed under the existing criteria is unaffected by the change that had been planned for November 2026.

The wider review leaves the longer-term shape of the daily living test unresolved. The Timms Review opened for evidence in March 2026 and is expected to report in the autumn¹, so any decision on the scoring rules would follow that report. The sources do not set out a date for a government response or for any replacement timetable.

Other changes are already dated. From April 2026, more face-to-face assessments will take place and Work Capability Assessments for universal credit will run more often¹. Review periods for most claimants aged 25 and over will be longer, with new claims usually reviewed at least every three years and up to five years after a later review for that age group¹.

Existing rules on entitlement continue to apply. PIP is tax-free and usually paid every four weeks, with a £10 Christmas bonus¹. Claimants who move into a care home where the local authority pays some or all of the fees see the daily living component stop after 28 days¹. Those already receiving PIP when they reach state pension age can continue receiving it as long as there is no change in their condition, and recipients over state pension age continue to receive payments indefinitely without further assessments¹. New claims cannot be made after state pension age; Attendance Allowance, or Pension Age Disability Payment in Scotland, applies instead¹.

What happens next

The Timms Review opened for evidence in March 2026 and is expected to report back in the autumn¹. No date has been reported for a decision on the daily living scoring rules, and the sources do not say whether the November 2026 commencement date will be replaced. More detail on eligibility, rates and how claims are assessed is set out in the benefits guide.