PIP claimants issued 50-week warning ahead of major benefits shake-up

There has been much conversation around PIP in recent weeks after Labour announced plans to introduce controversial changes to its assessment criteria
Personal Independent Payment (PIP) claimants are 'suffering delays' of 50 weeks before they are assessed, a leading think tank has warned. Ruth Curtice, chief executive of the Resolution Foundation think tank, issued the warning at the work and pensions select committee last week.
PIP is a disability benefit that is awarded to people who need help with everyday tasks due to an illness, disability or mental health condition. There has been much conversation around this benefit in recent weeks after Labour announced plans to introduce controversial changes to its assessment criteria.
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Ms Curtice told the committee: "The waiting time for a PIP assessment is 50 weeks. So from the day your assessment was meant to happen, you wait almost a year until it actually happens.
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"There's clearly elements of the system that are not working, either for the government in terms of keeping the right people in the system, or claimants that are suffering delays."
She added: "The slowing seems to be due to fewer assessments and fewer reassessments. It may also be due to stretched job centres being able to provide less support."
A DWP spokesperson told Yahoo News that it does not recognise these figures, and said clearance times from a decision for PIP is currently 16 weeks, with new PIP claimants waiting nine weeks for their assessment.
They added: "We support millions of people through our welfare system every year and it is a priority people receive the benefits they are entitled to as quickly as possible.
"We have hired more staff to respond to an increased volume of claims and have special rules in place so that people nearing the end of their life are guaranteed a fast-tracked PIP award. On the rare occasion this does not happen, we will investigate to understand what went wrong."
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PIP comes in two parts - there is a daily living rate and a mobility rate - and you can be entitled to just one, or both of these elements. To get the standard rate of the daily living part of PIP, you currently need between eight and 11 points.
If you score 12 points or more, you are eligible for the higher daily living rate. But under changes being considered by Labour, from November 2026, you would also need a minimum of four points in at least one activity to get the daily living part of PIP.
The point system for the mobility part of PIP is not changing, while people who are approaching the end of their life will also see no changes to how they claim PIP.
People who claim, or an in receipt of PIP and are nearing the end of their life with 12 months or less to live, will continue to be able to access the enhanced rate of the daily living component of PIP by a fast tracked system.

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You can read more about the experiences of those on PIP at risk of losing support by clicking here. Article continues below