Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of the provisions to restrict eligibility for the personal independence payment in the Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill on housing for people who use some of the money they receive from PIP towards paying their rent.

PIP provides a cash contribution to support people with the extra costs of living with a long term health condition or disability. Claimants have freedom and choice to spend their PIP as they see fit and we have been clear this should be maintained.

PIP uses a functional assessment that acts as a proxy for determining if somebody has extra costs arising from their health conditions or disabilities and the Department does not make an assessment of actual extra costs. We know from research that people use their PIP payments, pooled together with other sources of income, on a wide range of extra costs linked to their disability. Our starting point for reform has therefore been to focus PIP more on those with the greatest needs.

We are mindful of the impact this change to PIP eligibility could have on people. That is why we have committed that existing claimants who lose eligibility as a result of these changes will continue to receive PIP and its associated benefits and entitlements for 13 weeks following their award review. This protection is non-negotiable and is included on the face of the Bill.This transitional cover is one of the most generous ever and more than three times the length of protection provided for the transition from DLA to PIP.

The Government announced through the Spending Review that Discretionary Housing Payments will be included in the new Crisis and Resilience Fund from April 2026. This will provide £842 million per year (£1 billion including Barnett consequential) to reform how crisis support is delivered locally, including to those who face a shortfall in meeting their housing costs.