DWP PIP update over changes to UK law after Government review | Personal Finance | Finance

A DWP minister has issued an update about legal changes regarding PIP (Personal Independence Payment). The update comes as a major review of the DWP benefit is underway.

PIP supports millions of people across the UK, helping to cover the extra costs they incur due to living with a long-term health condition or disability. The support comprises higher and lower rates of payment for both a daily living element and a mobility element.

Labour had previously set out plans to restrict the eligibility rules for the benefit. But after huge opposition from MPs, including many Labour backbenchers, they shelved these plans.

Ministers are now undertaking a review of the benefit, and have confirmed there will be no changes to the qualifying rules until this review is completed. This review will look at the role and purpose of PIP, and how it can be changed to make it fairer and to more accurately reflect the experiences of people who live with long-term health conditions.

With the prospect that there could be key changes coming up in light of the review, Liberal Democrat MP Martin Wrigley posed a written question in Parliament. He asked the Government how any changes will be implemented, specifically if they will be “laid as a negative, or positive, statutory instrument, or as a bill”.

DWP minister Sir Stephen Timms, who is leading the review, penned a response. He said that the Government can’t give a clear answer on this question, given that the review is ongoing.

Government response

Mr Timms explained: “As the Government is not entering the review with a fixed set of outcomes, and the steering group is responsible for developing its recommendations, I cannot pre-empt the conclusions of this work. For that reason, it is not possible at this stage to determine what legislative vehicle may be required to implement any changes arising from the review.”

However, he did confirm a date for later this year regarding the PIP review. Mr Timms said: “The review is expected to report to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions in autumn 2026, and its outcomes will be reported to Parliament, where there will be a general debate on the Review in Government time.”

He also shared some details about the purpose of the review. The minister said: “The Government has launched the Timms Review to ensure we have a system that supports disabled people to achieve better health, higher living standards and greater independence, including through employment. The review is being co-produced with disabled people, the organisations that represent them, carers, clinicians, experts, MPs and other stakeholders, so a wide range of views and voices are heard.”

How much is PIP?

PIP payments include a daily living part and a mobility part, with a lower and higher rate for each element. You can get either rate for one part while receiving nothing for the other.

These are the current weekly payment rates:

• Lower – £30.30
• Higher – £80.

This means the most you can get is £194.60 a week, which works out at around £10,119.20 a year, or just over £843 a month. The benefit is paid in four weekly instalments, so the maximum you can get is £778.40 each four-week pay period.