UPDATE: |DWP forced to admit nine in 10 PIP claims will fail four-point test under new rules News

The Personal Independence Payment is assessed using a points system which will change from later this year, but the way the benefit is assessed will change from November 2026

Hundreds of thousands of claimants are bracing for a potential loss of vital Personal Independence Payment (PIP) benefits due to the introduction of a crucial test by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) as part of sweeping Labour Party cuts and reforms.

Set to be implemented from November 2026, Labour has confirmed changes to how PIP is evaluated, with a heightened criteria threshold now necessary to qualify for the sickness and disability benefit. The adjustments will mean that new or reassessed applicants must gain at least four points in one activity to receive the daily living component.

Responding to a Freedom of Information (FOI) request from Benefits and Work, the DWP has admitted that hundreds of thousands could face halted benefit payments, with approximately 209,000 enhanced daily living component and around 1,116,000 standard component recipients facing PIP reductions.

In total, the changes could see upwards of 1,325,000 individuals facing a large cut to their benefits, reports Birmingham Live.

However, the Office for Budget Responsibility has advised that the number of people who ultimately fail to meet this four-point threshold could be lower than 1.3 million. The organisation predicted that roughly 800,000 Brits are likely to fall short of this barrier, with half a million PIP claimants retaining their awards through more focused applications and benefit appeals.

Growing concerns about the reforms were highlighted in the Guardian, which shared accounts from those worried about being abandoned post-reform. One 45-year-old told the paper: “I would have only been able to return to work with my PIP.”

They added: “If it’s reduced or anything like that, it puts me into the position of not being able to afford to go to work. And if I can’t afford to go to work, well, what do I do?

“For me, having my job is more than just earning my wages at the end of the month. It’s my purpose. It’s my sanity, my identity. I add value to society, to the workforce. But you cut my benefit and I can’t do that any more.”

Another individual highlighted the potential impact on their health: “It would really impact my ability to pay for the therapies that keep me physically and mentally healthy, which in turn would impact my ability to remain in work. And that is obviously at odds with the government’s messaging.”

A third person criticised the current political stance: “Labour promised to end austerity, but what we are seeing is clearly [that] an end to austerity doesn’t include disabled people.”