The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is set to issue payments of up to £778 to Personal Independence Payment (PIP) claimants with musculoskeletal conditions throughout May, following April's rate rises. These revised payments reflect the higher benefit levels brought in at the start of the new financial year, offering greater financial support to those living with muscle and joint disorders.
Current figures reveal that nearly four million people across England and Wales are claiming PIP, making it one of the most widely used disability benefits administered by the Government. The benefit is intended to assist people in managing the additional costs linked to long-term health conditions and disabilities that impact daily living or mobility.
Musculoskeletal diseases account for a considerable proportion of successful claims, with conditions ranging from osteoarthritis to inflammatory arthritis qualifying depending on how severely they affect an individual's ability to function. More than 1.2 million adults were in receipt of PIP for musculoskeletal conditions as of January 2026. General musculoskeletal disease accounts for 740,225 claims, while regional musculoskeletal conditions represent a further 469,641 recipients.
The department categorises each successful application under one of more than 500 health conditions, identifying the primary condition that supports the award. A total of 87 musculoskeletal conditions can qualify for the benefit, including osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome and a range of spinal disorders. Awards are determined not by the diagnosis itself but by how the condition impacts a claimant's capacity to perform everyday tasks and get around.
PIP comprises two elements, addressing daily living requirements and mobility assistance, with claimants potentially qualifying for one or both components based on their circumstances. For the 2026/27 financial year, weekly payments vary from £30.30 at the lowest level to £194.60 for those receiving the enhanced rate of both components. The daily living element is paid at £76.70 per week at the standard rate or £114.60 at the enhanced rate. The mobility component provides £30.30 weekly at the standard level or £80.00 at the enhanced rate.
From April 6, the Government brought in a number of changes to reform a system that has “for too long locked disabled people and people with long-term conditions out of work”, the Government has said. The reforms are said to aim to tackle what ministers have branded “perverse incentives” which they argued encouraged people to stay on benefits without support to move into work.
From April 13, new claimants for the health element of Universal Credit (UC) get a lower rate of £217.26 a month. Universal Credit is a payment to help with living costs and is available for people in work who are on low incomes, and those who are out of work or cannot work. People with the most severe, lifelong conditions, people nearing the end of life, and all existing UC health claimants will continue to receive the higher monthly rate of £429.80. The change will save taxpayers around £1 billion, the Government has said.
Statistics published last month showed there were 2.7 million people on UC assessed as having limited capability for work and work-related activity (LCWRA) across England, Scotland and Wales. People in this category are not required to undertake any interviews or work-related activity. The Government has pledged that its investment in tailored employment support can offer people opportunities, supporting them to move into and stay in work “rather than leave people stuck on benefits”.
Also this week, the standard rate of UC will be boosted, in what ministers have said is an effort to “bear down on the cost of living”. It said this will result in almost four million households on the standard rate of UC getting around £295 extra this year in cash terms.
Social security and disability minister Sir Stephen Timms said: “The welfare system we inherited has for too long locked disabled people and people with long-term conditions out of work. Laws coming into force today will change that, reducing projected expenditure on universal credit by almost £1 billion. Simultaneously boosting the standard allowance and investing £3.5 billion in employment support means we’re creating a welfare system that backs people to work and helps them build a better future.”
Last year, ministers were forced to climb down on plans to also reform disability benefits, including for those with mental health conditions, in the face of backbench Labour opposition. Instead of immediate reform, the Timms review is seeking views on Personal Independence Payment (PIP) and how it works. Ministers have promised any changes to the benefit – which helps with extra living costs for people who have a long-term physical or mental health condition or disability and difficulty doing certain daily tasks or with mobility because of their condition – have been postponed until after that takes place. The review is expected to report to Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden by autumn, with the Government stating that an interim update will come ahead of that.
