PIP figures show health conditions set to be most affected by cuts | Personal Finance | Finance

June 17, 2025 3,799

DWP figures suggest some 1.2 million people could lose out on PIP (Personal Independence Payment) under new benefit rules.

PIP provides financial support to help towards the extra costs of living with a long-term health condition or disability, including a daily living part and a mobility part, with lower and higher payments depending on how much support you need.

An additional eligibility rule coming in from November 2026 will mean you have to get at least one score of 4 to get the daily living part of PIP, which is paid at either £73.90 a week or £110.40 a week by the DWP (Department for Work and Pensions).

This is on top of the current rules, that you need to get a total of eight points to qualify for the lower rate and a total of 12 points to get the higher rate.

DWP figures sourced by charity Benefits and Work looking at working-age claimants, show which claimants with which health conditions are most likely to lose out, including three groups where over 70% of those who currently qualify could lose out.

The health condition which will most be affected is back pain, where 79% of those who currently get the daily living part will lose out. The figures show 154,000 claimants from the 194,000 total will see their payments cut.

The health condition to be second most affected is arthritis, with 77% of daily living part recipients to lose out, including 214,000 of the 279,000 total.

This was followed by the ‘Other regional musculoskeletal diseases’ category, with 71% set to lose out, including 97,000 people from the total 136,000 total.

Along with arthritis, there was one other condition where over 200,000 claimant could lose out, namely anxiety and depression, with 282,000 of the 587,000 total to see their payments cut, a 48% drop in recipients.

The figures found almost half of all working-age PIP claimants are at risk of losing out on cash when the new rules come in.

Previous DWP figures showed that by 2029/2030, after the new PIP rules have had a few years to have an impact, some 370,000 current claimants will lose out, while 430,000 future PIP claimants will no longer qualify.

These were the health conditions with the highest proportion of daily living part claimants set to lose out:

Back pain – 79% 154,000 losing out (194,000 total claimants)
Arthritis – 77% 214,000 losing out (279,000 total claimants)
Other Regional Musculoskeletal Diseases – 71% – 97,000 losing out (136,000 total claimants)
Chronic pain syndromes – 68% – 118,000 losing out (173,000 total claimants)
Cardiovascular diseases – 62% – 38,000 losing out (61,000 total claimants)
Respiratory diseases – 55% – 45,000 losing out (83,000 total claimants)
Anxiety and depression – 48% – 282,000 losing out (587,000 total claimants)
Multiple sclerosis and neuropathic diseases – 48% – 38,000 losing out (80,000 total claimants)
All other conditions – 46% – 126,000 losing out (272,000 total claimants)
Other neurological diseases – 36% – 35,000 losing out (97,000 total claimants)
Cerebrovascular disease – 34% – 19,000 losing out (56,000 total claimants)
Cancer – 33% – 23,000 losing out (70,000 total claimants)
Epilepsy – 30% – 11,000 losing out (36,000 total claimants)
Other psychiatric disorders – 28% – 25,000 losing out (90,000 total claimants)
Cerebral Palsy and Neurological Muscular Diseases – 24% – 11,000 losing out (47,000 total claimants)
Psychotic disorders – 23% – 26,000 losing out (112,000 total claimants)
ADHD/ADD – 19% – 14,000 losing out (75,000 total claimants) 75,000 14,000 19%
Autistic spectrum disorders – 6% – 13,000 losing out (206,000 total claimants) 206,000 13,000 6%
Learning disabilities – 3% – 7,000 losing out (188,000 total claimants).