Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent steps his Department has taken to support disabled people with the cost of living.

The Government understands the pressures people, including disabled people, are facing with the cost of living. Disabled people may be entitled to an extra costs benefit such as Personal Independence Payment (PIP), which is a contribution towards the extra costs associated with being disabled. PIP is paid tax free and can be worth up to £8,983 a year. Recipients are free to choose how they spend their PIP and there is no requirement for them to use it for any particular purpose. Entitlement to PIP depends on the effects that a disability or health condition has on a disabled person’s life and not on a particular disability or diagnosis.

PIP can passport to a range of additional support including:

• Disability additions paid within income related benefits;
• Carer’s Allowance for an informal carer;
• The Motability vehicle scheme; and
• The Blue Badge Scheme.

PIP also exempts the eligible household from the Benefit Cap.

In April, we uprated benefit rates and State Pensions by 10.1%. In order to increase the number of households who can benefit from these uprating decisions, the benefit cap levels also increased by the same amount.

In addition, for 2023/24, households on eligible means-tested benefits will get up to £900 in Cost of Living Payments. This will be split into three payments across the 2023/24 financial year, with the first payment of £300 having already been made. A separate £150 payment was made to individuals in receipt of eligible disability benefits, including PIP, from 20 June. In addition, more than eight million pensioner households across the UK will receive a £300 Cost of Living Payment during winter 2023-24.

The Household Support Fund will continue until March 2024. This year long extension allows local authorities in England to continue to provide discretionary support to those most in need with the significantly rising cost of living. The devolved administrations will receive consequential funding as usual to spend at their discretion.