Latest news with #WorkandPensions
Daily Mirror
3 days ago
- Business
- Daily Mirror
DWP confirms new 13-week PIP rule ahead of major benefit shake-up
A new 13-week transitional period before payments are stopped has been revealed as part of the new Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has confirmed benefit claimants affected by proposed changes to Personal Independence Payment (PIP) will have their payments temporarily protected. A new 13-week transitional period before payments are stopped has been revealed as part of the new Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill, details of which have been released today. The additional protection will apply to existing claimants affected by changes to the PIP daily living component, including those who their lose eligibility to Carers Allowance and the carer's element of Universal Credit. The DWP says this transitional cover is more than three times the length of protection provided from the switch to Disability Living Allowance (DLA) to PIP. DLA used to be the main disability benefit in the UK until it was largely replaced by PIP. Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall first announced proposals to change PIP in the House of Commons in March this year, as part of wider measures to reduce the benefits bill by billions of pounds. Latest figures from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) show 3.7 million people currently claim PIP in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. PIP has been replaced by Adult Disability Payment in Scotland. Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall said: "Our social security system is at a crossroads. Unless we reform it, more people will be denied opportunities, and it may not be there for those who need it. "This legislation represents a new social contract and marks the moment we take the road of compassion, opportunity and dignity. "This will give people peace of mind, while also fixing our broken social security system so it supports those who can work to do so while protecting those who cannot - putting welfare spending on a more sustainable path to unlock growth as part of our Plan for Change.' Thomas Lawson, CEO of anti-poverty charity Turn2us, said: "There is no moral justification for cutting the support that allows sick and disabled people to meet their basic needs, live independently, and fully take part in society. "The positive plans of the government's longer-term reforms are being undermined by these harmful Treasury-driven cuts. Stripping away support will push people deeper into hardship, not employment. It will worsen health conditions, and make recovery harder." What is PIP? PIP is a disability benefit for people who need extra help with day-to-day tasks due to an illness, disability or mental health condition. But your eligibility to PIP isn't based on your condition - instead, it is based on how it affects your life. You will normally have to undergo an assessment where you are assessed with a points system before your claim for PIP is approved. If your claim is successful, you'll get PIP for a fixed amount of time before it is reviewed. PIP can be awarded for a minimum of nine months, all the way up to an 'on-going' award which is reviewed every ten years. If you're terminally ill the award will be for three years. PIP comes in two parts - the daily living component, and the mobility component. How is PIP currently assessed? Your PIP assessment can take place in person, over the phone or by video call. During your assessment, a health professional may ask you to do simple movements, or ask you questions to test your cognitive ability. During your assessment, you'll be awarded points for the daily living and mobility parts of PIP. If you score between eight and 11 points for your daily living needs in the PIP test, you get the standard rate of the daily living component. You get the higher rate of daily living component if you score 12 points or more. If you score between eight and 11 points for your mobility needs, you get the standard rate of the mobility component. If you score 12 points or more, you get the higher rate of mobility component. Those who are terminally ill won't need a PIP medical assessment. How is PIP changing? Earlier this year, Labour announced plans to tighten PIP eligibility rules and confirmed the assessment process will also be reviewed. The changes would mean you would need a minimum of four points in at least one activity to qualify for the daily living element of PIP from November 2026. Currently, you can qualify for PIP if you have lower scores across a range of tasks. This means claimants would need to show greater difficulty when completing some tasks, such as washing, eating and getting dressed, to be eligible to claim PIP. There are no changes planned for the PIP mobility component. The majority of assessments for PIP will also be conducted face-to-face, rather than over the phone or through video. "Reasonable adjustments" will still be made for people who cannot attend a face-to-face assessment. People with health conditions that are permanent or will get worse will not have to be reassessed under the new plans - but other claimants could face more frequent reassessments. There will not be a set list of conditions that will be eligible for this, and it will decided on a case-by-case basis. How much is PIP? The daily living rate is worth £73.90 a week if you're awarded the lower rate, or £110.40 a week for the higher rate. The mobility rate is worth £29.20 a week for the lower rate, or £77.05 a week for the higher rate. PIP is paid every four weeks, so if you're awarded the maximum rates for both the daily living and mobility elements, then you would get £749.80 every four weeks.
Glasgow Times
4 days ago
- Politics
- Glasgow Times
Flagship welfare reform plans to be introduced in Parliament
The Welfare Reform Bill will be introduced in the House of Commons, and its text will be published so MPs can begin scrutiny of the proposals. The major reforms are set to include the tightening of criteria for the main disability benefit in England, personal independence payment (Pip). I'll vote against these awful welfare reforms. A Labour government should lift people out of poverty, not put people into it. If you agree, then please write to your MP and tell them that. — Brian Leishman (@BrianLeishmanMP) June 17, 2025 Ministers also want to cut the sickness related element of universal credit (UC), and delay access to it, so only those aged 22 and over can claim it. The package of reforms is aimed at encouraging more people off sickness benefits and into work, and the Government hopes it can save up to £5 billion a year by doing so. But ministers are likely to face a Commons stand-off with backbench Labour MPs over their plans, with dozens of them last month saying the proposals were 'impossible to support'. The Bill is set to be introduced as the latest benefits data has shown that more than 3.7 million people in England and Wales are claiming Pip, with teenagers and young adults making up a growing proportion. The latest data, published by the Department for Work and Pensions on Tuesday, showed there were a record 3.74 million people in England and Wales claiming Pip as of April this year. The figure is up from 3.69 million in January and a jump of 200,000 from 3.54 million a year earlier. (PA Graphics) Data for Pip claimants begins in January 2019, when the number stood at 2.05 million. Pip is a benefit aimed at helping with extra living costs if someone has a long-term physical or mental health condition or disability and difficulty doing certain everyday tasks or getting around because of their condition. Teenagers and young adults account for a growing proportion of those getting Pip. Some 16.5% of claimants in April this year were aged 16-19, up from 14.6% in April 2019. The 30-44 age group has similarly grown, while the number of 45-59 year-olds has fallen. The figure for 60-74 year-olds has risen slightly over this period, from 29.3% to 30.8%. It was reported in recent days that Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall has agreed to include 'non-negotiable' protections in the Bill, including a guarantee that those who no longer qualify for Pip will still receive the payments for 13 weeks, rather than just four weeks. Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall leaves Downing Street, London, after a Cabinet meeting (Stefan Rousseau/PA) The concession is seen as a move to avert a rebellion by Labour MPs opposed to the overall reforms, but have been described as 'not very much really' by one such parliamentarian. Downing Street insisted it was 'crucial to say we are committed to the reforms that we've set out'. A No 10 spokesman said: 'You've heard that from the Prime Minister, the Chancellor, the Work and Pensions Secretary, on the principles behind this and the urgent need for this. 'You have the statistics, they show we have the highest level of working age inactivity due to ill health in Western Europe. 'We're the only major economy whose employment rate hasn't recovered since the pandemic.' Pip will remain 'an important non-means-tested benefit for disabled people and people with long-term health conditions, regardless of whether they are in or out of work', he said, but added the Government would build a 'system that is fairer' through its reforms. It is thought the restrictions on Pip would slash benefits for about 800,000 people. Ms Kendall previously said there are 1,000 new Pip awards every day – 'the equivalent of adding a city the size of Leicester every single year'.
Western Telegraph
4 days ago
- Politics
- Western Telegraph
Flagship welfare reform plans to be introduced in Parliament
The Welfare Reform Bill will be introduced in the House of Commons, and its text will be published so MPs can begin scrutiny of the proposals. The major reforms are set to include the tightening of criteria for the main disability benefit in England, personal independence payment (Pip). I'll vote against these awful welfare reforms. A Labour government should lift people out of poverty, not put people into it. If you agree, then please write to your MP and tell them that. — Brian Leishman (@BrianLeishmanMP) June 17, 2025 Ministers also want to cut the sickness related element of universal credit (UC), and delay access to it, so only those aged 22 and over can claim it. The package of reforms is aimed at encouraging more people off sickness benefits and into work, and the Government hopes it can save up to £5 billion a year by doing so. But ministers are likely to face a Commons stand-off with backbench Labour MPs over their plans, with dozens of them last month saying the proposals were 'impossible to support'. The Bill is set to be introduced as the latest benefits data has shown that more than 3.7 million people in England and Wales are claiming Pip, with teenagers and young adults making up a growing proportion. The latest data, published by the Department for Work and Pensions on Tuesday, showed there were a record 3.74 million people in England and Wales claiming Pip as of April this year. The figure is up from 3.69 million in January and a jump of 200,000 from 3.54 million a year earlier. (PA Graphics) Data for Pip claimants begins in January 2019, when the number stood at 2.05 million. Pip is a benefit aimed at helping with extra living costs if someone has a long-term physical or mental health condition or disability and difficulty doing certain everyday tasks or getting around because of their condition. Teenagers and young adults account for a growing proportion of those getting Pip. Some 16.5% of claimants in April this year were aged 16-19, up from 14.6% in April 2019. The 30-44 age group has similarly grown, while the number of 45-59 year-olds has fallen. The figure for 60-74 year-olds has risen slightly over this period, from 29.3% to 30.8%. It was reported in recent days that Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall has agreed to include 'non-negotiable' protections in the Bill, including a guarantee that those who no longer qualify for Pip will still receive the payments for 13 weeks, rather than just four weeks. Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall leaves Downing Street, London, after a Cabinet meeting (Stefan Rousseau/PA) The concession is seen as a move to avert a rebellion by Labour MPs opposed to the overall reforms, but have been described as 'not very much really' by one such parliamentarian. Downing Street insisted it was 'crucial to say we are committed to the reforms that we've set out'. A No 10 spokesman said: 'You've heard that from the Prime Minister, the Chancellor, the Work and Pensions Secretary, on the principles behind this and the urgent need for this. 'You have the statistics, they show we have the highest level of working age inactivity due to ill health in Western Europe. 'We're the only major economy whose employment rate hasn't recovered since the pandemic.' Pip will remain 'an important non-means-tested benefit for disabled people and people with long-term health conditions, regardless of whether they are in or out of work', he said, but added the Government would build a 'system that is fairer' through its reforms. It is thought the restrictions on Pip would slash benefits for about 800,000 people. Ms Kendall previously said there are 1,000 new Pip awards every day – 'the equivalent of adding a city the size of Leicester every single year'.
ITV News
4 days ago
- Health
- ITV News
Flagship welfare reform plans to be introduced in Parliament
The Government's flagship reforms to the welfare system are expected to have their first outing in Parliament on Wednesday. The Welfare Reform Bill will be introduced in the House of Commons, and its text will be published so MPs can begin scrutiny of the proposals. The major reforms are set to include the tightening of criteria for the main disability benefit in England, personal independence payment (Pip). Ministers also want to cut the sickness related element of universal credit (UC), and delay access to it, so only those aged 22 and over can claim it. The package of reforms is aimed at encouraging more people off sickness benefits and into work, and the Government hopes it can save up to £5 billion a year by doing so. But ministers are likely to face a Commons stand-off with backbench Labour MPs over their plans, with dozens of them last month saying the proposals were 'impossible to support'. The Bill is set to be introduced as the latest benefits data has shown that more than 3.7 million people in England and Wales are claiming Pip, with teenagers and young adults making up a growing proportion. The latest data, published by the Department for Work and Pensions on Tuesday, showed there were a record 3.74 million people in England and Wales claiming Pip as of April this year. The figure is up from 3.69 million in January and a jump of 200,000 from 3.54 million a year earlier. Data for Pip claimants begins in January 2019, when the number stood at 2.05 million. Pip is a benefit aimed at helping with extra living costs if someone has a long-term physical or mental health condition or disability and difficulty doing certain everyday tasks or getting around because of their condition. Teenagers and young adults account for a growing proportion of those getting Pip. Some 16.5% of claimants in April this year were aged 16-19, up from 14.6% in April 2019. The 30-44 age group has similarly grown, while the number of 45-59 year-olds has fallen. The figure for 60-74 year-olds has risen slightly over this period, from 29.3% to 30.8%. It was reported in recent days that Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall has agreed to include 'non-negotiable' protections in the Bill, including a guarantee that those who no longer qualify for Pip will still receive the payments for 13 weeks, rather than just four weeks. The concession is seen as a move to avert a rebellion by Labour MPs opposed to the overall reforms, but have been described as 'not very much really' by one such parliamentarian. Downing Street insisted it was 'crucial to say we are committed to the reforms that we've set out'. A No 10 spokesman said: 'You've heard that from the Prime Minister, the Chancellor, the Work and Pensions Secretary, on the principles behind this and the urgent need for this. 'You have the statistics, they show we have the highest level of working age inactivity due to ill health in Western Europe. 'We're the only major economy whose employment rate hasn't recovered since the pandemic.' Pip will remain 'an important non-means-tested benefit for disabled people and people with long-term health conditions, regardless of whether they are in or out of work', he said, but added the Government would build a 'system that is fairer' through its reforms. It is thought the restrictions on Pip would slash benefits for about 800,000 people. Ms Kendall previously said there are 1,000 new Pip awards every day – 'the equivalent of adding a city the size of Leicester every single year'.
Evening Standard
4 days ago
- Business
- Evening Standard
Flagship welfare reform plans to be introduced in Parliament
It was reported in recent days that Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall has agreed to include 'non-negotiable' protections in the Bill, including a guarantee that those who no longer qualify for Pip will still receive the payments for 13 weeks, rather than just four weeks.
