The Government announced plans to tighten the eligibility for the benefit earlier this week but the move has faced criticism.
More than 3 million people in England and Wales were entitled to PIP as of earlier this year (Image: Getty)
Experts suggest that those claiming PIP for musculoskeletal conditions will be most affected by the recent changes to the disability benefit announced by the Labour Government. The Government says some people will lose their entitlement as the process to qualify is tightened in an effort to focus the disability benefit on “those with higher needs”.
It is planning to introduce a new eligibility requirement for a minimum of four points in at least one activity to qualify for the daily living element of the benefit from November 2026. The decision has been criticised with many worried it will leave a large number of disabled people worse off. A total of 3.66 million claimants in England and Wales were entitled to PIP (Personal Independent Payment) as of the end of January, the latest figures showed.
Labour is introducing a series of welfare changes (Image: Getty)
This is up 71% on the equivalent figure five years earlier when it stood at 2.14 million. Conditions such as back pain, arthritis, cardiovascular disease, other musculoskeletal conditions, chronic pain syndromes, anxiety, depression and respiratory disease are specifically mentioned as being at risk, with less than 5% of people with these conditions scoring 21+ daily living points, Birmingham Live
Louise Murphy, a senior economist at the Resolution Foundation, said: “Around one million people are potentially at risk of losing support from tighter restrictions on PIP, while young people and those who fall ill in the future will lose support from a huge scaling back of incapacity benefits.
“While it includes some sensible reforms, too many of the proposals have been driven by the need for short-term savings to meet fiscal rules, rather than long-term reform. The result risks being a major income shock for millions of low-income households.”
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The current PIP test has sections for activities like making food, washing and bathing, going to the toilet, dress, reading or socialising. If people score between eight and 11 on the daily living needs tests, they are entitled to the daily living component of PIP. If they score over 12, they get the enhanced rate. A similar scale applies on the mobility tests, with people given the standard rate at between eight and 11 points and the enhanced rate at over 12 points.
No change is being proposed for the mobility element, which looks at how much help someone needs in getting around. The Government confirmed the change “means that people who only score the lowest points on each of the PIP daily living activities will lose their entitlement in future”.
Shadow Chancellor Mel Stride said Labour’s welfare overhaul has been “rushed”, saying there was “no mention” in the party’s manifesto regarding changes to the PIP benefit.
