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Thanks, I know it ain't going to be a smooth ride, it's not meant to be for us who happen to be unwell. Daily struggle.
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New research warns that government’s PIP reforms will have a “catastrophic impact” on people’s finances and mental health, and will drive people out of the workplace
5 June 2025
The government’s plans to restrict eligibility for Personal Independence Payment (PIP) will result in a terrifying triple whammy of financial hardship, worsening mental health and reduced capacity to work for many people with mental health problems.
That’s the warning of new research (which you can read here) by the Money and Mental Health Policy Institute — the charity founded and chaired by Martin Lewis (MoneySavingExpert) — which is urging the government to abandon its plans.
PIP is a benefit which people with long term health conditions or disabilities can claim to help cover the extra costs associated with their condition. In March the government announced plans to restrict eligibility to the ‘daily living’ component of PIP, which is intended to help people whose condition makes it difficult to complete daily tasks such as preparing meals, cleaning and dressing, communicating and making budgeting decisions (1).
To qualify for this benefit, people are assessed on how much assistance they need with each of those daily tasks. The more support someone needs, the more points they are awarded, and currently people who score 8 or more points across a range of tasks are eligible.
But under the government’s planned reforms, people will only be eligible for the ‘daily living’ component if they score 4 or more points on a single task, like preparing food or managing a budget. This will make it much harder for people to qualify for the benefit, and it is expected to result in 800,000 people losing their PIP allowance (2).
Money and Mental Health’s new research shows that these changes will have a devastating financial and psychological impact for many people with mental health problems. Based on an in-depth survey of 227 people with a mental health condition who currently receive PIP (3), the research shows:
- A significant number of people with mental health problems expect to lose PIP under the new reforms — and would face a terrifying income shock as a result. 24% of people surveyed say that they will not be eligible for PIP under the new reforms, with another 39% not sure if they’ll be affected. Around a third of the group who expect to lose out receive the ‘enhanced’ rate of PIP due to having high support needs, and face an annual income drop of over £5,750 if they lose this benefit. The rest of this group, who receive the ‘standard’ rate of PIP, will face a still significant income cut of over £3,850 per year.
- Losing PIP would force many people with mental health problems to cut or stop spending on critical support they need to support their wellbeing. 82% of respondents who use PIP to pay for counselling, therapy, personal care or support needs — and who are set to lose this benefit — say they will significantly reduce or stop spending on this altogether if they lose PIP. A research participant said: “I feel incredibly distressed at the prospect of losing additional money that goes towards therapy. The amount I get is not covering all the additional costs that come with mental health difficulties as it is.”
- Losing PIP would also have a huge impact on people’s ability to keep up with day-to-day bills. 85% of survey respondents who use PIP to pay for groceries say they will need to significantly cut or stop spending on this, as do 76% who use PIP to pay for essential household bills.
- The cumulative impact of these changes would be devastating for people’s mental health. A staggering 97% of respondents say the PIP changes would have a “significant negative impact” on their mental health. Some respondents reported that the prospect of losing PIP has resulted in them having panic attacks or feeling suicidal.
- A significant number of people also say that these reforms would force them out of work, or to reduce their hours. Around one in five survey respondents who currently receive PIP are in employment. But 63% of that group say they would need to reduce or give up work if they lost their PIP entitlement. For some, this is due to the impact it would have on their mental health, while others said they would not be able to afford the transport costs of going to work. Another respondent said: “PIP pays for the private therapy… which keeps my mental health at a functioning level most of the time. Without these I doubt I could even manage the permitted work hours (14 hours per week) that I do.”
Helen Undy, Chief Executive of the Money and Mental Health Policy Institute, said
“The message to the government from this research is clear – its proposed changes to PIP will have a catastrophic impact on people with mental health problems’ wellbeing, finances, and working lives.
“Getting PIP can be the difference between being able to afford the treatment, support and everyday essentials you need, or facing worsening mental health and financial hardship. Some of the people we’ve spoken to say they will struggle to survive day-to-day if they lose this payment and that even the prospect of it has contributed to them having suicidal thoughts.
“The government says its welfare reforms will help more people move into work. But you don’t do that by depriving people of a critical financial lifeline that helps them stay well. Our analysis shows that these changes would actually result in many people with mental health problems who have a job cutting their hours or leaving the workplace altogether.
“We urge the government to ditch these plans. Balancing the books should not come at the price of causing misery and hardship for some of the most vulnerable people in society.”
https://www.moneyandmentalhealth.org/press-release/pip-changes-catastrophic-impact/
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I've forgotten to take into account that they want to look into the descriptors of PIP and possibly modify them, and I heavily doubt it's to make them less difficult.
I acknowledge and understand your advice, which I consider to be sound, logical, and worthy of consideration - and of course I'll follow them with many thanks.
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Please don't go away from the forum, as those of us who're planning to claim PIP, like myself, would need your help and input.
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Just watched something on politics Joe , I always listen to the women on there as I think she's very good and very assured....
She basically said even though all the labour MPs are rebelling , it's common knowledge that alot will simply abstain or not go against the government and these reforms will pass .... BUT she also said that these reforms will absolutely not go through on their current form , she said that there are definitely going to be tweaks and amendments to them from what's she's heard
She also raised the very serious point that no one seems to be giving any time too at the moment , that being the people that are on ESA / lcwra but NO pip and how dangerous it could be as if they don't qualify for pip they loose everything .…
Very worrying in my opinion that it isn't getting alot of airtime and it seems to be only pip that is getting mentioned....
She said that the WCA is looking to get scrapped in 2028 and that everyone will be under the new pip rules then ....
Also reassessments are going to start back up again for everything , with the emphasis on more face to face reassessments , god knows where that leaves me I haven't been outside in nearly 6 years 😩
I really hoping that the government will look at amendments to the people not on pip as well ..... Im sick of feeling terrified , it's with you from the second you open your eyes to the second you close them , just this constant Doom , I get this times a hundred because of my serve OCD and intrusive thoughts....
normally it's hard enough just concentrating on one standard reassessment to pass , now it's the fear of knowing your normal reassessment is coming , the pressure of passing that , then if you pass it will all be changing in 2028 and there's a good chance you could loose in my case everything then , ( what do you do just let it steal your life for the next 2 and a half years ! )....
Plus the paranoia of the bank checks and them finding old undeclared accounts that have been closed for over 5 years ....
I don't know how much more I can take , I have no contact with the outside world , just stuck between these walls for 6 years in December , I can hardly move , just sit in silence and watch it go dark , then light , dark then light , all while trying to do these poxy rituals that have ruined my life
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All I can say Danny is I really hope things get better for you, me and everyone else. I wish I could somehow make everything ok but it’s a horrible world we live in. I’m thinking of you mate.
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They must know if this goes through they’ve lost the voters at the next election.
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What i would like to know that if it goes through can they change there mind later on after the impact statements ?
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All valid points .... 🙂
My thinking to those is
1. I've only ever had face to face and always passed them , and the chances of me having a face to face are very slim this time around as I haven't been outside once in nearly 6 years
2. I see your point to this but with the back logs who knows when our next reassessment will be under the wca , the back logs are massive .... I myself haven't had one since 2019 in November and was supposed to get one in November 2021 , so this November will be six years since I've had one and 4 overdue .... Plus what they say they are going to do and what they can actually do is two different things , they will also have there hands full with the new pip criteria
3. Like you say who knows , but to be fair as hard as it is not to , that is a fear that has no basis of anything you've heard , and they cannot just leave people completey destitute , I know it's hard to believe at the moment but try not to let your fears cloud what's actually isn't even been said ( hard I know ) 😌
4. It would be stressful , unfortunately either way , but I would say alot can change between now and when the wca gets scrapped , I think pip is getting the coverage because it's the next change that will happen , but I think when it's time too do it they will have alot of worried people on Thier hands and amendments will be needed , I think because there will be no change for people like us till 2028 that is the reason why more has not being made of it , pip has dominated headlines because that is where the biggest change is coming next , nearer the time of the WCA being scrapped I'm sure we will hear alot more about it
5 . This is that doom creeping on to your head that we all get and unfortunately find it hard to deal with , that is the very worst case scenario , which I doubt will happen .... Remember they can't just literally leave people like that
Just before I wrote my last post I was having panic attacks , I couldn't breathe and the worst was flying around my head , once I calmed down and tried to think a little more logically it's easier to think .... There will definitely be amendments to all of these things whether it be pip , wca , esa .... They can't just leave us to rot 😌
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Thank you pal , I've just had a massive panic attack , it's funny sometimes I feel at my best just after I've got over one , it's like it takes it out of you so much you feel almost relaxed 😌
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I mean you would think so wouldn't you , but it's nearly all but certain there will be amendments , so I think they will amend them as they go ....
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They have lost my vote regardless and I hope a lot of other people as well.
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What kind of amendments are you hoping to see, as I don't see how they could amend their proposal of basing PIP and WCA assessments on a single new assessment based on a 4 pts scoring system. To me, anything less than scrapping these proposals is just sugar-coating them. I don't even believe they're thinking about amending their proposals but shopping around among Labour MPs to buy more of them.
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Im thinking maybe lowering the 4 point rule for existing pip claimants and also existing lcwra claimants , maybe some sort of transitional protection , I'm not sure , I'm so confident there will have to be tweaks and amendments to these reforms , there just not logically possible , I think most people seem that .... It beggars belief to me that labour would steal Tory ideas in the first place , but what's even more unbelievable is that they were Tory ideas that were in there very essence, half baked ideas that were designed to be election red meat , absolutely blurted out by the Tories with no real thought of how to implement them or what damage they would do to people would do to people , AND LABOUR BEING ABSOLUTELY USELESS HAVE ADOPTED THEM!! ..... without any risk assessment whatsoever ! It's so dangerous .....
That is why I'm all but sure they don't go through as they are .... I do worry that people in our position are getting hung out to dry in the fact that we are on lcwra / ESA ....
And all the attention seems to be on pip .... But when you think about those are the first big changes
The freeze for existing claimants recieving lcwra .... Or in my case ESA / lcwra , happening April 2026
The cut and freeze for New claimants also april 2026
Then the new pip criteria takes over for new and existing claimants of pip after November 2026
I suppose they will get that out of the way first and as it gets closer to 2028 we will know alot more about the scrapping of the WCA and what there plans are for it .... But that will be a big problem for them as well , just as much as the pip , so they will have to come up with something for that as well
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Starmer has finished off the Labour Party .
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Couldn't agree more @Passerby - nothing is certain, & Labour seem to be trying to dilute things & reassure other Labour MPs that look, we're going to give more (but not all) pensioners their Winter Fuel Allowance back, but we haven't decided how we're going to address this yet, it should be in Autumn (which may however be too late to help pensioners next winter), & we're going to give more children free school meals (yet little mention of the 2 child benefit cap).
It all seems to be trying to curry favour with many rebellious MPs who are against the benefit changes, meanwhile not a word is mentioned about these proposed changes to PIP & the abolishment of the WCA.
The current Green Paper also says, they are 'going to launch a process to review the PIP assessment.' This they say they will do with 'a range of experts, stakeholders and people with lived experience.' If they do this in the way we've been consulted so far……
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