What’s happening with PIP and Universal Credit?

You might have seen news about the UK Government’s new “Pathways to Work” Green Paper. It includes ideas for changing disability benefits like Universal Credit, Personal Independence Payment (PIP), and Employment and Support Allowance (ESA).

What’s happening with Personal Independence Payment (PIP)?
The government was planning to change Personal Independence Payment (PIP), but those plans have now been put on hold.

Instead, a full review of PIP is going to take place. This review will begin in autumn 2025, and a report with recommendations is expected in autumn 2026.

Until then, there will be no changes to PIP. You do not need to do anything right now, and your current PIP payments will continue as normal.

What’s changing with Universal Credit (UC)?

The government has passed a new law that will change the amount of Universal Credit (UC) some people receive if they become too unwell to work.
From 6th April 2026, if you’re newly told you qualify for the LCWRA element (an extra payment for having a health condition or disability and being unable to work), you’ll get less money than people do now. The monthly amount will be cut by about half, from £423.27 to £217.26 per
month.

This change will not affect people who are already receiving the LCWRA element in their Universal Credit before 6th April 2026. However, the amount you receive for this element will stay the same each year and won’t increase until 2029/30. There will also be a new test to decide who is entitled to this element. We don’t yet know exactly how this will work, but it will likely focus on people with the most serious health conditions.

All Universal Credit awards include a ‘standard allowance’ element currently worth £400.14 a month for single people aged 25 and over, with different rates for couples and people under 25. From 6th April 2026, the ‘standard allowance’ element of Universal Credit will go up by 4.5% on top of the normal increase for rising prices (inflation). This means payments for the standard allowance element will rise more than usual.

Why are people concerned?

A group of MPs, called the Work and Pensions Committee, has said they are very worried about these changes. They believe that around 50,000 people could be pushed into poverty by 2030 because of the cut to the UC LCWRA health payment. They are especially concerned that people with mental health conditions may not be properly protected under the new rules. The Committee is asking the government to pause the changes until a full, independent review is done to look at how this will affect disabled people and their families.

Are more changes coming?

Yes. Over the next few years, the government is planning more big changes to the benefits system. Some of these changes might include:

  • Making people wait until they turn 22 before being entitled to the extra disability element (LCWRA) in their Universal Credit
  • Raising the minimum age for claiming Personal Independence Payment (PIP) to 18
  • Replacing the Work Capability Assessment with a new process and introducing a single assessment for both PIP and the UC LCWRA health element
  • Creating a new ‘Unemployment Insurance’ benefit for people who have worked
    before.

These changes are still being planned and would likely not start before 2027 or 2028. We will share more information as soon as it becomes available.

What should I do if I’m worried?

If you are feeling unsure or anxious about these changes, please remember that you’re not alone. Many people are feeling the same way. If you are already getting PIP or UC with extra support for your health, your payments will not change right now. Most of the changes are about new claims in the future.

However, if you are worried, you can:

  • Contact your MP and share how these changes are impacting you and your health.
  • Whilst we’ll do our best to explain changes as they occur, because many details remain unclear, we are currently unable to offer advice about how you may be affected in the future. However, if you come to us for advice on other matters and you are happy for us to record your thoughts and how the welfare benefit changes are impacting you, we would welcome including this in our campaign work.