A new online tool has been launched to help people check if they would qualify for Personal Independence Payment (PIP) under proposed changes to the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) welfare system.
What the PIP review means for claimants
Labour Party cabinet minister Sir Stephen Timms is spearheading a comprehensive PIP review that will examine assessments, eligibility criteria, and other aspects of the benefit system. This comes amid concerns about the government's growing welfare and benefits bill.
The review follows previous proposals that would require both new and existing claimants to score points differently to qualify for the daily living component of PIP.
How the new points system would work
Under the proposed changes, claimants would need to score at least four points in one of the 10 assessment questions, plus an additional four points across any combination of the remaining sections, to qualify for the standard rate.
Charity Benefits and Work has created an online 'PIP test' to help people understand how they might be affected. "You can try the test as many times as you want either anonymously or, if you prefer, provide your email address and get the results sent to your inbox as well as appearing onscreen," the organisation stated.
Importantly, the mobility component of PIP would remain unchanged under the proposed new test.
Understanding the points qualification
The system has specific requirements that claimants need to understand. For instance, selecting four descriptors that score two points each would total eight points but would not qualify for an award.
However, selecting one descriptor scoring four points and two descriptors scoring two points would also total eight points but would qualify for an award under the proposed rules.
The disability forum clarifies that for the daily living component, claimants must still score 8 points for standard rate or 12 points for enhanced rate.
Any changes to the system will not apply before November 2026, and Benefits and Work emphasises that these are just proposals that may never become law.
