We outline here the proposals for the disability cuts announced on 18 March 2025, which were extended in the Chancellor’s Spring Statement 2025. At the moment, these are proposals only and we do not yet know which will eventually come into force and if so, because of the devolved nature of some social security, where across the UK. Some but not all are open for consultation until 30 June 2025.
If you would like to contribute to Equity’s response to the consultation, please email Amelia Pratt apratt@equity.org.uk. If you would like advice on your personal situation and what the cuts might mean for you, please contact our Social Security & Tax helpline by calling 020 7670 0223 Monday and Thursdays 10 am – 1 pm and 2-5 pm or emailing helpline@equity.org.uk.
Until November 2026, there is no change to your PIP. The usual reassessment schedule will apply to you.
When you are reassessed from November 2026 onwards, a new 4-point eligibility rule will be added to the daily living component of PIP.
The basic structure of PIP remains but you will need to score at least 4 points in a single daily living activity to qualify for the daily living component of PIP as well as the existing total requirement for 8 points for the standard rate and 12 points for the enhanced rate.
The mobility component is not changing.
Face-to-face assessments are increasing. During the pandemic, assessments switched to video or telephone, and this is being switched back to a priority on face-to-face assessments for most people.
If anyone gets Carer’s Allowance or the carer element of UC for looking after you, you losing PIP will remove those.
Money-at-risk: losing the PIP standard rate daily living component would be a cut of £346 per month. Losing the PIP enhanced rate daily living component would be a cut of £518 per month.
Tip: check your PIP award for the end-date of your award. Reassessments usually begin 12 months before the end-date.
Tip: check the points breakdown in your PIP award to see if you already get 4 points for a daily living activity.
DWP are now calling the LCWRA element the ‘health element’.
If you have LCWRA status by April 2026, eligibility for LCWRA status will continue to be based on the work capability assessment (WCA) until at least 2028.
From 2028, new PIP-based eligibility will be used for the health element, which means that eligibility will not be assessed by the WCA but instead by having the PIP daily living component. It is not clear how or exactly when this change will happen or what transitional protection will be in place.
As well as this change to eligibility, expect a WCA reassessment sooner rather than later because reassessments have been on hold and are being restarted. Those who qualify on the ground of ‘substantial risk’ are being prioritised. Contrary to indications during 2024, substantial risk will remain a legitimate method of achieving LCWRA status while the WCA remains.
Face-to-face assessments are increasing. During the pandemic, assessments switched to video or telephone, and this is being switched back to a priority on face-to-face assessments for most people.
The LCWRA element is frozen at £97 pw until 2029-30, regardless of inflation
The UC standard allowance will be increased above inflation for all UC claimants to £106 pw in 2029-30 (would have been £101 pw by then).
The work allowance and earnings taper remain.
Money-at-risk: losing the UC health element and the PIP standard rate daily living component would be a cut of £795 per month.
Tip: obtain your most recent WCA report from DWP so you can see the suggested reassessment date. If necessary, you can use a ‘right of access request’ to get this document.
Tip: if you don’t already get PIP daily living, consider whether you might be eligible and seek advice.
If you get income-related ESA (irESA), you will be moved to UC as part of the ongoing compulsory managed migration process, and the section ‘you currently get UC with LCWRA’ will apply to you.
If you get contributory ESA (cESA) but not either irESA or UC as well, you can continue to do so based on the WCA until at least 2028. DWP say you will be protected beyond 2028 with potentially indefinite cESA if you are in the support group, but it is unclear how that would sit with scrapping the WCA.
A new Unemployment Insurance Benefit is proposed from 2028 which encompasses contributory ESA and contribution-based Jobseeker’s Allowance. We do not yet know what that looks like but it will be time-limited (see A new Unemployment Insurance Benefit). DWP is consulting on the new Unemployment Insurance Benefit.
There is nothing to suggest that ESA rates will not increase with inflation until 2028.
DWP propose an overhaul of Access to Work. They are consulting on this and we do not know what it will look like. For the time being, the existing Access to Work arrangements continue in place.
DWP will reduce the initial assessment for those with severe conditions and the reassessments for those with life-long conditions such as those with ‘ongoing’ PIP awards. We do not yet know how to qualify for this group.
Some claimants in this group will get an additional premium in Universal Credit on top of the health element.
Tip: check your PIP award to see if it has an end-date or is ‘ongoing’.
DWP are now calling the LCWRA element the ‘health element’.
From April 2026, the LCWRA element will be only £50 pw instead of £97 pw (2024-25 rate) for new claimants. There is nothing to suggest that a long-standing UC claimant who loses the LCWRA element for 6 months or more on financial grounds will be protected from this.
Until 2028-29, health element eligibility will be assessed using the WCA, as it is currently.
From 2028-29, you will need PIP daily living to get the health element on UC.
The work allowance and earnings taper remain.
Money-at-risk: the cuts to the health element mean a newly eligible claimant would lose £227 per month.
From November 2026, a new 4-point eligibility rule will be added to the daily living component of PIP.
The basic structure of PIP remains but you will need to score at least 4 points in a single daily living activity to qualify for the daily living component of PIP as well as the existing total requirement for 8 points for the standard rate and 12 points for the enhanced rate.
The mobility component is not changing.
Money-at-risk: not getting the PIP standard rate daily living component will be a cut of £346 per month.
From 2026-27, DWP will establish in law the principle that work will not trigger a reassessment. They also say they will, “increase awareness of the rules about working whilst in receipt of benefits”.
From 2027-28, there will be new work requirements. The end of the work capability assessment (WCA) means that another method is necessary to decide who should be subject to which work-related requirements. DWP are consulting on this.
DWP propose a minimum level of engagement and they are consulting on whether it should be a requirement for payment.
DWP say:
- “…as now, we do not envisage the requirement on this group [those with the health element] extending to undertaking specific work related activity or to look for work or take jobs”.
- “…the new approach will be underpinned by a new support conversation which will be delivered by an appropriately skilled person”
- Personalised additional support options will be available.
- Non-engagement can lead to a sanction but DWP say this should be used “only as a last resort” and they will try to first understand the reason for non-engagement.
The UC standard allowance will be increased above inflation for all UC claimants to £106 pw in 2029-30 (would have been £101 pw by then).
From 2025-26, UC will increase checks on self-employed earnings via UC Prevent (Self-employment Income and Expenses) by asking a proportion of self-employed UC claimants to upload proof of earnings and expenses to be verified.
From 2028-29, a new time-limited Unemployment Insurance Benefit (UIB) will replace contributory Employment & Support Allowance (ESA) and contribution-based Jobseeker’s Allowance for new claimants. It is likely to last 6-12 months and be paid at the higher ESA rate (currently £138 per week) with no health assessment and based on the existing system of national insurance. The self-employed will be included.
The end of the work capability assessment (WCA) means that another method is necessary to decide who should be subject to which work-related requirements during UIB. DWP is consulting on this.
If your work fluctuates, it is possible that the new UIB will cover periods of no work but the details are not clear.
There is no detail on how existing contributory ESA or contribution-based JSA claimants will be protected during the transition but DWP say the end of the indefinite entitlement to cESA will only apply to new claimants.