PIP Reforms

The Government has issued a Green Paper on the need for extensive personal independence payment (PIP) reform. Proposals include changes to the eligibility criteria for PIP, the assessment and alternative forms of support, including moving away from a fixed cash benefit system.

This comes in the face of its “spiralling” caseload and costs, in a move labelled “dangerous” and “reckless” by charities.

According to government data, the real-terms cost of PIP, in 2024-25 prices, rose by 26% to £18.9bn in 2022-23 as the number of recipients grew from 2.2m to 2.8m (29%).